How Greece got rid of their king
Witness History12 Nov 2024

How Greece got rid of their king

In 1974, Greece held a referendum to decide the future of the country’s monarchy, and whether Constantine II would remain their king.

Constantine had come to the throne in 1964, but he’d inherited a divided country. Political divisions, between the left and right, ran deep.

In 1967, a group of army officers launched a coup, and Constantine fled into exile in England. When the military regime collapsed seven years later, the new government called a referendum to decide the fate of the country.

Some of the population supported the king, but many thought the monarchy was outdated and irrelevant.

Finally, in December, 1974, four and a half million people went to the polls to cast their vote. The result was two to one in favour of a republic. Constantine had lost his crown.

Jane Wilkinson has been looking through the BBC archives to find out more.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: The wedding of King Constantine and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, Athens, 1964. Credit: Central Press/Getty Images)

Avsnitt(2000)

The only Pope to visit New Zealand

The only Pope to visit New Zealand

In November 1986, Pope John Paul II visited New Zealand as part of his longest ever world tour.He gave an open-air mass at Auckland Domain in front of thousands of people.He remains the only Pope to h...

24 Mars 10min

The reunification of Germany

The reunification of Germany

When the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, it marked a turning point in the Cold War in Europe and set in motion the process that led to the reunification of East and West Germany. But before tha...

23 Mars 10min

Women's rights in independent Tunisia

Women's rights in independent Tunisia

It's 70 years since Tunisian gained independence from France.In August 1956, it brought in a new equality law that revolutionised women's lives.Under the socialist President Habib Bourguiba, the North...

20 Mars 10min

The 'Cyprus Emergency'

The 'Cyprus Emergency'

Between 1955 and 1959, a Greek-Cypriot paramilitary group called EOKA rebelled against British colonial rule in Cyprus. In response, the British authorities declared a state of emergency. A young Cypr...

19 Mars 10min

Oslo's anti-racism demonstration

Oslo's anti-racism demonstration

On 1 February 2001, at least 30,000 people rallied in Oslo after the murder of 15-year-old Benjamin Hermansen by neo-Nazis.It is thought to be Norway's first racially motivated killing.News reports sa...

18 Mars 10min

The L'Amicale Four

The L'Amicale Four

In 1999, a fire at the L’Amicale gambling house in Port Louis, Mauritius, killed seven people. The fire began during riots that followed a disputed football final between the Catholic Fire Brigade and...

17 Mars 10min

The nuclear mango deal

The nuclear mango deal

On 2 March 2006, the United States and India finalised a controversial nuclear deal, ending India's three decades of international isolation over its nuclear policy. Sweetening the deal, President Geo...

16 Mars 11min

Casablanca: Making one of Hollywood’s greatest movies

Casablanca: Making one of Hollywood’s greatest movies

When Warner Bros assigned twin brothers and screenwriters Julius Epstein and Philip Epstein to adapt a stage play for the big screen in 1942, no one could have predicted the impact it would have. Casa...

13 Mars 10min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
en-mork-historia
svenska-fall
p3-dokumentar
gynning-berg
mardromsgasten
aftonbladet-krim
spar
skaringer-nessvold
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
rattsfallen
hor-har
killradet
flashback-forever
p3-historia
historiska-brott
vad-blir-det-for-mord
rss-mer-an-bara-morsa
sanna-berattelser
aterforeningen-en-podcast-med-thorsten-och-richard-flinck-av-sigge-eklund