The Fall of the House of Gl

"I smell defeat," said pro-monarchist George Geogeoppulos, a retired army officer, after seeing the first returns. Defeat it was. By an unequivocal margin of 69.2%, Greece voted to abolish the monarchy that has ruled the country since 1833. At his home near London, exiled King Constantine, 34, disconsolately watched the televised election results mount against him. Meanwhile, thousands of his jubilant countrymen converged on Athens' Constitution Square to celebrate the birth of their nation as an "uncrowned democracy." Constantine now joins the small but select group of unemployed European monarchs (see box). In a brief statement of concession to his former subjects, he prayed "that future developments may justify the outcome" of their vote.

Most Greeks felt, however, that the King's past performance offered sufficient justification for their action. During his brief active reign (1964-67) Constantine displayed the royal penchant for political highhandedness that has troubled Greece for much of its modern history. To resolve a dispute over control of the army in 1965, for instance, he simply dismissed liberal Prime Minister George Papandreou from office, even though Papandreou had won a landslide election victory the previous year. None of the five caretaker Cabinets that Constantine then appointed proved capable of resolving the political chaos that followed Papandreou's ouster--a situation that eventually led to the 1967 military coup.

The indecisiveness that characterized Constantine's dealing with the hated junta, the failure of his attempt to dislodge the colonels in December of 1967, and the silence he maintained for most of his seven years in exile further eroded what sentiment remained for restoring the King to power. During the prereferendum campaign, Constantine emphasized his willingness to accept a purely ceremonial role as constitutional monarch. The voters, however, were not inclined to trust a man whom many still hold responsible for the bitter experience of the past seven years.

Gaullist Inspiration. The Greek Parliament, which began meeting last week for the first time since 1967, must now fashion a new constitution for the republic. Premier Constantine Caramanlis, whose New Democracy Party commands 220 of Parliament's 300 seats, has proposed a Gaullist-inspired system of presidential government, with strong consolidation of power in one office. If Parliament approves his draft constitution, as it is expected to do within the next three months, another election will be held. Whether the President is elected by Parliament or through a national plebiscite, a Caramanlis victory is certain.

The government must also decide how to dispose of the deposed King's property. In addition to the 60-room royal palace in Athens, he owns a 10,600-acre estate at Tatoi, about 20 miles north of the capital, and a $3 million summer palace on the island of Corfu. Socialist Party Supporter George Romeos has proposed that the Corfu palace be turned into a university. In an outburst of republican ardor, Center Union Party Member Antonis Iassonides suggested that "there would be no great difference if it were blown up." Although Constantino is anxious to end his seven-year exile, Caramanlis has advised that "it would not be very wise" for him to return "before some time goes by."

Despite his political and material losses, the voters may have done Constantine a small favor by barring his return to the throne. Of the six members of the Glucksburg dynasty who have ruled Greece since 1863,* only one enjoyed an unbroken reign and peaceful death. Among the less fortunate of this ill-starred family were King George I who was assassinated in 1913, King Constantino I who was deposed in 1917 for his failure to support the Allies during World War I, and his son, Alexander, who died in 1920 after being bitten by his pet monkey.

* Britain, France and Russia imposed monarchy on Greece after it won independence from the Ottoman Empire. In 1862, after forcing the abdication of the first king, a Bavarian prince named Otho, the three powers offered the throne to Prince William of Denmark, who became George I of Greece, the first of the Glucksburg monarchs.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.