Former royal palace in Greece: hundreds of valuable wine bottles discovered

Sunday 11 July 2021

former royal palace in greece
Hundreds of precious liquor bottles found

The former summer palace of the Greek royal family, north of Athens, is currently being renovated. More than 4000 valuable wine bottles and spirits emerge, some of which date back to the 19th century. There is a discussion of “discoveries of great historical importance”.

During the 1974 renovation of the former summer palace of Greece’s royal family at Tatoi, north of Athens, restorers found hundreds of valuable wine bottles and spirits from home and abroad. They are “discoveries of great historical significance”, as declared by the Greek Culture Minister Lena Mendoni.

It said more than 4,000 bottles have been found and the search is on. Among other things, it is related to a bottle of whiskey from the time of the British Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation on February 6, 1952, and the wines of the original Chateau Margaux, Château de Vincennes and Chateau Rothschild, which date back to the 19th century. The Summer Palace of Tatoi and a large forest around it are currently being developed to become a museum and excursion site.

Relations between the Greek royal family and the people were almost always poor. The end came when the inexperienced Constantine II became embroiled in disputes with the political leadership following his coronation in 1964. He also made a fatal mistake: on April 21, 1967, a military group coup in Greece took place. In order – as he repeatedly says – to stop the bloodshed, the king tolerated the purists. He himself was photographed with them and even approved the formation of the military government with his signature. Many Greeks never forgave him for this.

Following the restoration of democracy, the monarchy in Greece was abolished in December 1974. Constantine – now 81 years old – was confiscated and only compensated after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in 2000. Relations between the Greek state and Constantine have gradually improved over the past 15 years. Today Constantine, who owns a villa on the Peloponnese peninsula, spends several months of the year at home.