No Ordinary Crown: Biography of King Paul of the Hellenes

King Paul of Greece was among the most remarkable and highly successful monarchs of the 20th Century and yet remains very little known. Born in December 1901 as the third son of Greek King Constantine I (1913-17, 1921-22), Paul was never expected to become King.

His father and elder brothers, King Alexander (1917-20) and George II (1922-23, 1935-41 and 1946-47) -- had shortened reigns and mixed success. Relatively impoverished, Paul had to seek employment as a factory worker during the periods when his family was exiled from Greece (1920s-30s)

When Paul finally became king in April 1947, he inherited internal strife and a nation struggling to recover from German Occupation and surging Communism.

After a 17 year reign, Paul died in 1964 and was succeeded by his son Constantine II (1964-73). The Greek monarchy was deposed in 1973, but Paul's eldest daughter is currently Queen of Spain.

This biography is comprehensive and factual, but with a favourable assessment of the king. It was published before the Greek monarchy collapsed. This may be the only biography of Paul besides the chapter in Van Der Kist's history of the Kings of the Hellenes