Broken Engagement of Frederik IX of Denmark and Olga of Greece

NotAPretender · #1 12-09-2008, 03:08 PM

In 1922, then-Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark was engaged to Princess Olga of Greece, daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece. The engagement was broken, and in 1923, Olga married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

Frederick, on the other hand, did not marry until 1935, when he married Princess Ingrid of Sweden.

What was the reason given for the breaking of the engagement, and why did Frederick wait 12 years to marry?

Thanks!

Maura724 · #2 12-09-2008, 05:36 PM

I've read that Olga thought that Frederik was a bit too much of a rough sailor type for her and decided she didn't want to marry him. I have no idea why he waited another 12 years, though.

**Marengo** · #3 12-09-2008, 05:48 PM

The rough sailor type meaning that the the crown prince was too fond of alcohol, that is what I read in a book (I believe a book about Olga's sister Marina; though I will have to check it).

Anyway, at least we have this to remember it by: click here.

christinacg · #4 12-09-2008, 06:12 PM

Wow I didn't know these two had been engaged. How interesting.

Royal Fan · #5 12-16-2008, 08:05 PM

Wonder if theyd have made a good couple?

Lilla · #6 12-16-2008, 08:11 PM

Well, nobody knows. It seem they themselves didn't think so. They broke up!

PrincessElena · #7 12-16-2008, 08:56 PM

Interesting...I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I can't say I am saddend to hear that. Queen Ingrid was a fantastic lady and most importantly queen of Denmark. She was very much beloved and respected there.

emmeleia · #8 12-17-2008, 10:20 AM

Woh, I didn't know this. That means, if I am not mistaken that Frederik 's daughter, Anne Marie, some years after, married the nephew of his former fiancee....

Was Olga at the wedding of Anne Marie???

It sounds really intriguing...

BELTRANEJA · #9 12-18-2008, 05:58 PM

I think:

This was not unusual at this era. At that time, the members of European monarchies were not knew between they, because the means of transportation were not as evolved as after , especially the plane.
In this era were very famous "Engagement
"(sponsalitia) between high social classes, the bourgeoisie, the aristocrecia and the Monarchy.
The monarchs , when their children were small, signed a contract (Engagement)with other monarchy ,it was a contract by which committed that their children will marry in future.
But when the princes knew,the prince did not like the princess or upside down . And they didn´t accepted the contract.
These contracts have disappeared with the development of means of transportation, because the Princes and princesses started to go to weddings, christenings ... They were knew between them.

In Spain, the newspaper ABC, in early SXX did a survey of their readers where they had to vote who was the suitable candidate for the Prince Alfonso XIII, in the newspaper carried pictures of Princesses chosen by the monarchists. On the list was Victoria Eugenia of Battenbeg, she was chosen by the readers and she was the Queen.

The mother of Alfonso XIII and the monarchists signed the "Engagement"(sponsalitia) with the family of Victoria Eugenia.

Viv · #10 01-02-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maura724

I've read that Olga thought that Frederik was a bit too much of a rough sailor type for her and decided she didn't want to marry him. I have no idea why he waited another 12 years, though.

This is possibly the best explanation at hand! I don't know whether CP Frederik's alcohol problem had materialised at the time, but what we do know a little about is that he was very much enjoying naval life, including the runs ashore, mess dinners etc.!

There is every reason to believe that this liaison was arranged! I have no idea what princesses were "on the market" at the time, however a Greek
princess was related to the Danish RF and yet - at the time - sufficiently spaced genetically. Fortunately the pair had the good sense of breaking up before they married!

geli · #11 02-21-2009, 01:32 PM

For Olga, it was certainly an arranged marriage. She has never seemed very excited about this project to marry Frederik. Her younger sister Marina had told their parents: " but why would you like she marry him because she does not love him ?". When she met Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and that she fell in love, Olga broke immediately.
Frederik, who had fallen in love with the princess, was very saddened this broke and he would not ever hear about marriage for several years until he met Ingrid.

iowabelle · #12 02-21-2009, 04:51 PM

I read somewhere that Prince Frederick was too uncouth for Olga. For example, he used to like unscrew a gold tooth to entertain his guests.

Had this prince calmed down a bit by the time he met Ingrid? Why would Ingrid find acceptable a prince that Olga found unattractive? After all, Ingrid would have been a much better catch for any prince, so if anyone should have been a stickler it should have been Ingrid and not Olga...

Just think. If Ingrid had married the PoW and Marina had still married Kent, the Windsors would have had a quartet of powerful matriarchs in the making. Instead of the abdication debacle and Wallis Simpson.

H.M. Margrethe · #13 02-21-2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geli

For Olga, it was certainly an arranged marriage. She has never seemed very excited about this project to marry Frederik. Her younger sister Marina had told their parents: " but why would you like she marry him because she does not love him ?". When she met Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and that she fell in love, Olga broke immediately.

Frederik, who had fallen in love with the princess, was very saddened this broke and he would not ever hear about marriage for several years until he met Ingrid.

I always thourgt that the reason for Olga to break off the engagement was because that she was not abel to change her belife/faith from being Orthodox and to a Protestant.

iowabelle · #14 02-21-2009, 06:02 PM

Was she Catholic or Orthodox? My guess is Orthodox, but I'm not sure.

**MAfan** · #15 02-21-2009, 06:11 PM

Olga was orthodox.

NotAPretender · #16 03-07-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iowabelle

I read somewhere that Prince Frederick was too uncouth for Olga. For example, he used to like unscrew a gold tooth to entertain his guests.
.

That. Is. Hilarious.

Where on earth did you find that out? Wherever it was, please tell me, I would love to have that material. I'm still laughing.

iowabelle · #17 03-10-2009, 05:53 PM

I'm sorry, NotAPretender. I'm so old that I've forgotten where I've read these things. My guess is probably Royalty or Majesty magazines.

NotAPretender · #18 03-10-2009, 06:50 PM

I told my husband about the gold tooth, IowaBelle, and he about fell over laughing.

Royalty. Entertaining in so many ways - many times, not as intended. :-)

iowabelle · #19 03-10-2009, 07:35 PM

Well, he was a sailor, and they can be a little rough around the edges.

Vlaha Karatsokaros · #20 02-14-2010, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iowabelle

Well, he was a sailor, and they can be a little rough around the edges.

One may conclude that Frederick was too "rough" for Olga and Olga too refined and sophisticated for Frederick. It is important to remember that unlike his brothers, prince Nicholas of Greece was an accomplished painter and his daughters inherited finesse and style.
It is also interesting that at least two of the three daughters of Nicholas and Elena of Greece, Marina and Olga, married sophisticated, cosmopolitan and refined men. I guess, this was consistent with their upbringing and their interpretation/perception of the man of their dreams, that is, comparable to the personality of their own father.