List of heads of state of Greece

This is a list of the heads of state of the modern Greek state, from its establishment during the Greek Revolution to the present day.

First Hellenic Republic (1822–1832)

Provisional Administration of Greece (1822–1827)

Head of State			Term of office			Title
№	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Alexandros Mavrokordatos Αλέξανδρος Μαυροκορδάτος (1791–1865)	13 January 1822	10 May 1823	1 year, 117 days	President of the Executive
2		Petrobey Mavromichalis Πέτρομπεης Μαυρομιχάλης (1765–1848)	10 May 1823	31 December 1823	235 days	President of the Executive
3		Georgios Kountouriotis Γεώργιος Κουντουριώτης (1782–1858)	31 December 1823	26 April 1826	2 years, 116 days	President of the Executive
4		Andreas Zaimis Ανδρέας Ζαΐμης (1791–1840)	26 April 1826	14 April 1827	353 days	President of the Government Commission

Hellenic State (1827–1832)

Governor			Term of office			Political party
№	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Ioannis Kapodistrias Ιωάννης Καποδίστριας (1776–1831)	14 April 1827	9 October 1831 (Assassinated)	4 years, 178 days	Russian Party
2		Augustinos Kapodistrias Αυγουστίνος Καποδίστριας (1778–1857)	9 October 1831	23 March 1832 (Resigned)	166 days	Russian Party

Following the resignation of Augustinos Kapodistrias, a series of collective governing councils were established, but their authority was often only nominal.

№	Governing Council	Term of office			Members
		Took office	Left office	Duration
1	First Governing Council	9 April 1832	14 April 1832	5 days	Theodoros Kolokotronis Andreas Zaimis Ioannis Kolettis Andreas Metaxas Vasilios Boudouris
2	Second Governing Council	14 April 1832	3 October 1832	172 days	Georgios Kountouriotis Ioannis Kolettis Andreas Metaxas Andreas Zaimis Dimitrios Plapoutas Dimitrios Ypsilantis Konstantinos Botsaris (from 25 April 1832)
3	Third Governing Council	3 October 1832	6 February 1833	126 days	Andreas Zaimis Andreas Metaxas Ioannis Kolettis

Kingdom of Greece (1832–1924)

House of Wittelsbach (1832–1862)

The London Conference of 1832 was an international conference convened to establish a stable government in Greece. Negotiations between the three Great Powers (United Kingdom, France and Russia) resulted in the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece under a Bavarian Prince. The decisions were ratified in the Treaty of Constantinople later that year.

The convention offered the throne to the Bavarian Prince, Otto. They also established the line of succession which would pass the crown to Otto's descendants, or his younger brothers should he have no issue. It was also decided that in no case there would be a personal union of the crowns of Greece and Bavaria.

King			Reign			Claim
№	Portrait	Name	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		Otto Όθων (1815–1867)	27 May 1832 [1]	23 October 1862 (Deposed)	30 years, 149 days	1832 London Conference

House of Glücksburg (1863–1924)

In October 1862, King Otto was deposed in a popular revolt, but while the Greek people rejected Otto, they did not seem averse to the concept of monarchy per se. Many Greeks, seeking closer ties to the pre-eminent world power, Great Britain, rallied around the idea that Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, could become the next King. British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston believed that the Greeks were "panting for increase in territory", hoping that the election of Alfred as King would also result in the incorporation of the Ionian Islands, which were then a British protectorate, into an enlarged Greek state.

The London Conference of 1832, however, had prohibited any of the Great Powers' ruling families from accepting the crown of Greece, and in any event, Queen Victoria was adamantly opposed to the idea. Nevertheless, the Greeks insisted on holding a referendum on the issue of the head of state in November 1862. It was the first referendum ever held in Greece.

Prince Alfred turned down the Kingship and Prince William of Denmark, son of Prince Christian of Denmark, was elected by the National Assembly to become King George I of the Hellenes.

  Denotes Regent

King			Reign			Claim
№	Portrait	Name	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
2		George I Γεώργιος A΄ (1845–1913)	30 March 1863	18 March 1913 (Assassinated)	49 years, 353 days	1862 Referendum
3		Constantine I Κωνσταντίνος A΄ (1868–1923)	18 March 1913	11 June 1917 (Abdicated)	4 years, 90 days	Son of George I
4		Alexander Αλέξανδρος (1893–1920)	11 June 1917	25 October 1920	3 years, 136 days	Second son of Constantine I
—		Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis Παύλος Κουντουριώτης (1855–1935)	28 October 1920	17 November 1920 (Resigned)	20 days	Regent
—		Queen Olga Βασίλισσα Όλγα (1855–1935)	17 November 1920	19 December 1920	32 days	Regent Widow of George I Mother of Constantine I
(3)		Constantine I Κωνσταντίνος A΄ (1868–1923)	19 December 1920	27 September 1922 (Abdicated)	1 year, 282 days	Restored throne
5		George II Γεώργιος Β΄ (1890–1947)	27 September 1922	25 March 1924 (Deposed)	1 year, 180 days	Eldest son of Constantine I

Second Hellenic Republic (1924–1935)

The Second Hellenic Republic was a parliamentary republic which was proclaimed on 25 March 1924 and a referendum was held to abolish the Monarchy. The Second Republic was abolished after the 1935 monarchy referendum.

Status

  Denotes Acting President

President			Term of office			Political party
№	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis Παύλος Κουντουριώτης (1855–1935)	25 March 1924	6 April 1926 (Resigned)	2 years, 12 days	Military
2		Lt. General Theodoros Pangalos Θεόδωρος Πάγκαλος (1878–1952)	6 April 1926	18 April 1926	138 days	Military
			18 April 1926	22 August 1926 (Deposed)
(1)		Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis Παύλος Κουντουριώτης (1855–1935)	22 August 1926	24 August 1926	3 years, 108 days	Military
			18 April 1926	10 December 1929 (Resigned)
3		Alexandros Zaimis Αλέξανδρος Ζαΐμης (1855–1936)	10 December 1929	14 December 1929	5 years, 304 days	Independent
			14 December 1929	10 October 1935 (Deposed)

Kingdom of Greece (1935–1973)

House of Glücksburg (1935–1973)

  Denotes Regent

King			Reign			Claim
№	Portrait	Name	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
(5)		George II Γεώργιος Β΄ (1890–1947)	25 November 1935	1 April 1947	11 years, 149 days	Restored throne
6		Paul Παύλος (1901–1964)	1 April 1947	6 March 1964	16 years, 340 days	Third son of Constantine I Brother of George II
7		Constantine II Κωνσταντίνος Β΄ (1940–)	6 March 1964	1 June 1973 (Deposed)	9 years, 87 days	Son of Paul
—		Lt. General Georgios Zoitakis Γεώργιος Ζωιτάκης (1910–1996)	13 December 1967	21 March 1972	4 years, 99 days	Regent For Constantine II
—		Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος (1919–1999)	21 March 1972	31 May 1973	1 year, 71 days	Regent For Constantine II

Republic under the Military Junta (1973–1974)

On 1 June 1973 the junta abolished the monarchy and replaced it with a presidential republic. The abolition of the monarchy was approved by a referendum held on 29 July 1973.

President			Term of office			Political party
№	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος (1919–1999)	1 June 1973	25 November 1973 (Deposed)	177 days	Military
2		Lt. General Phaedon Gizikis Φαίδων Γκιζίκης (1917–1999)	25 November 1973	17 December 1974	1 year, 22 days	Military

Third Hellenic Republic (1974–present)

In 1974, the military junta was overthrown and democracy restored. A second referendum, held on 8 December 1974, confirmed the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the current parliamentary republic, with the President of the Republic as the head of state.

Status

  Denotes Acting President

President			Term of office			Political party
№	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Michail Stasinopoulos Μιχαήλ Στασινόπουλος (1903–2002)	18 December 1974	19 July 1975	213 days	New Democracy
2		Konstantinos Tsatsos Κωνσταντίνος Τσάτσος (1899–1987)	19 July 1975	10 May 1980	4 years, 296 days	New Democracy
3		Konstantinos Karamanlis Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής (1907–1998)	10 May 1980	10 March 1985 (Resigned)	4 years, 304 days	New Democracy
—		Ioannis Alevras Ιωάννης Αλευράς (1912–1995)	10 March 1985	30 March 1985	20 days	PASOK
4		Christos Sartzetakis Χρήστος Σαρτζετάκης (1929–)	30 March 1985	4 May 1990	5 years, 35 days	Independent
(3)		Konstantinos Karamanlis Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής (1907–1998)	5 May 1990	10 March 1995	4 years, 310 days	New Democracy
5		Konstantinos Stephanopoulos Κωνσταντίνος Στεφανόπουλος (1926–)	10 March 1995	12 March 2005	10 years, 2 days	Independent
6		Karolos Papoulias Κάρολος Παπούλιας (1929–)	12 March 2005	13 March 2015	10 years, 1 day	PASOK
7		Prokopis Pavlopoulos Προκόπης Παυλόπουλος (1950–)	13 March 2015	Incumbent	1 year, 23 days	New Democracy

Living former heads of state

Name	Term / Reign	Office	Date of birth and age
Constantine II	1964–1973	King of the Hellenes	2 June 1940
Christos Sartzetakis	1985–1990	President of the Republic	6 April 1929
Konstantinos Stephanopoulos	1995–2005	President of the Republic	15 August 1926
Karolos Papoulias	2005–2015	President of the Republic	4 June 1929

Head of State titles

State	Years	Title
Greece	1827–1832	Governor
Greece (Under Wittelsbach dynasty)	1832–1862	King of Greece
Greece (Under Glücksburg dynasty)	1863–1924	King of the Hellenes
Greece	1924–1935	President of the Republic
Greece (Restored Glücksburg dynasty)	1935–1973	King of the Hellenes
Greece (Military Junta)	1973–74	President of the Republic
Greece	1974–present	President of the Republic

See also

• Politics of Greece
• List of kings of Greece
• List of Greek regents
• List of Prime Ministers of Greece

Notes

1. Protocol signed in 1832 but landed in Greece on 6 February 1833.

External links

• List of Greek heads of state and government
• The President of the Hellenic Republic
• Greek Royal Family