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Constantine II of Greece

Psychiko Palace, 2 Jun 1940 – Hygeia Hospital, 10 Jan 2023

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born2 Jun 1940, Psychiko Palacenot verified1 source
  • MarriedQueen Anne-Marie of Greecenot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of the Hellenes, 1964–1973not verified1 source
  • Died10 Jan 2023, Hygeia Hospitalnot verified1 source
  • MotherFrederica of Hanovernot verified1 source
  • FatherPaul of Greecenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 2 Jun 1940

    Born in Psychiko Palace

  2. 1964–1973

    King of the Hellenes

  3. 1965–1986

    5 children are born

  4. 10 Jan 2023

    Dies in Hygeia Hospital, aged 82

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Psychiko Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1940s · Constantine II is born in Psychiko Palace

What people wore

Traditional Pigskin Tsarouchia Footwear

Rural men wore footwear called tsarouchia made from pigskin or ox skin, which were often slippery in the rain.

Getting around

Leisurely train stops and socialization

Trains stopped frequently at every station for up to ten minutes, during which passengers would socialize, buy goods from hawkers, and listen to the guard's penny trumpet signal departure.

At the table

Frugal soup recipes during the occupation

To stretch meager supplies during the famine, families prepared soup using only water, a few olives per person, and grated tomatoes, if they could find them. Leftover vegetable dishes were also chopped up and boiled with water and olives to create a thin dinner soup.

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.Around the world · 1939–1945

The Second World War. The deadliest war in history, from 1939 to 1945: some 70 million people died. Brazil sent 25,000 soldiers to fight in Italy.

Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent · public domain

Music

Instruments of the Underworld

In rebetiko culture, popular in urban neighborhoods, instruments like the bouzouki, tzoura, and baglamas were favored in hashish dens because they were affordable, simple to repair, and easy to conceal from police. Police in the 1930s and during the Metaxas dictatorship actively confiscated these instruments.

Daily life

Limited water and sanitation access

Before modern infrastructure, households relied on wells or communal village taps for water, often hauling it in barrels. Bathrooms were minimal or nonexistent; villagers frequently used trees or fields as toilets.

What it cost

Hyperinflation of bread prices

The price of bread rose from 8 drachmas per oka in 1940 to 100,000 drachmas per oka by February 1944.