Wild Facts About Alexander Of Greece, The Puppet King
Alexander was the (puppet) King of Greece for most of WWI. While this rebel-turned-regent technically had no power, he still managed to cause a royal raucous.
Whether it was fatal car crashes, palace fires, forbidden loves, or monkey business, Alexander caused everyone around him a great deal of grief. Read these wild facts about Alexander, Greece’s puppet king—and try to guess the twist ending.
1. He Was Royally Royal
Alexander of Greece was born in 1893 to one of the most royally connected households in Europe. By way of his father, he was connected to the royal houses of Denmark, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
And for good measure, his mother was directly related to the royal house of Germany. But Alexander was always something of an outcast.
2. He Was A Royal Pain
By all accounts, Alexander was a royal terror. By the time he was barely out of diapers, he had already developed a reputation as a gregarious mischief-maker.
He was rolling his own joints with blotting paper—before it was cool—and setting fire to various rooms throughout the palace. It was probably all a desperate cry for attention.
3. He Threw His Brother Into The Bushes
Alexander of Greece was the second of six children and sibling rivalries were bound to spark up—but Alexander took things too far when it came to his younger brother Paul. One day, he loaded the toddler-aged Paul into his toy car and drove it recklessly until he launched the kid six feet into a thicket of brambles. He claimed it was an accident.
4. He Didn’t Have Any Brotherly Love
Alexander’s “roguish rebel” routine alienated him from his family. For example, he and his responsible, somber-minded older brother, George II, famously butted heads in their youth.
And, as they got older and the struggle for the crown came into play, their relationship would only get worse…and all of Greece would pay the price.
