Portal:Monarchy/Selected king/4

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George I, King of the Hellenes (Greek: Γεώργιος A', Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων, Georgios A' Vasileus ton Ellinon; December 24, 1845 – March 18, 1913) was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, when only 17 years old he was elected King by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former King Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire and the Russian Empire).As the first monarch of the new Greek dynasty, his 50-year reign (the longest in modern Greek history) was characterized by territorial gains as Greece established its place in pre-World War I Europe. Two weeks short of the fiftieth anniversary of his accession, and during the First Balkan War, he was assassinated. In sharp contrast to his reign, the reigns of his successors would prove short and insecure.George was born in Copenhagen, the second son of Prince Christian of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel, and was one of a group of European royals of his day descended from several Byzantine Emperors. Until his accession in Greece, he was known as Prince Vilhelm (William), the namesake of his paternal and maternal grandfathers, Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Prince William of Hesse.He was a younger brother of Frederick VIII of Denmark and Alexandra, Queen consort of Edward VII of the United Kingdom.