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)

The so-called "First Hellenic Republic" is a conventional historiographical term used by some researchers for the provisional revolutionary Greek administration during the War for Independence against the Ottoman rule.

Hellenic State (1827–1832)

Governor			Term of office			Political party
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Ioannis Kapodistrias Ιωάννης Καποδίστριας (1776–1831)	26 January 1828	27 September 1831 (Assassinated)	3 years, 216 days	Russian Party
2		Augustinos Kapodistrias Αυγουστίνος Καποδίστριας (1778–1857)	15 March 1832	28 March 1832 (Resigned)	13 days	Russian Party

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. Otto went on to rule Greece until he was exiled in the 23 October 1862 Revolution.

King			Reign			Claim
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		Otto Όθων (1815–1867)	27 July 1832 [1]	10 October 1862 (Deposed)	30 years, 149 days	Ascended to the throne following the 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
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
2		George I Γεώργιος A΄ (1845–1913)	30 March 1863	18 March 1913 (Assassinated)	49 years, 353 days	Ascended to the throne following the 19 November 1862 referendum
3		Constantine I Κωνσταντίνος A΄ (1868–1923)	18 March 1913	11 June 1917 (Abdicated)	4 years, 85 days	Son of George I
4		Alexander Αλέξανδρος (1893–1920)	11 June 1917	12 October 1920	3 years, 136 days	Second son of Constantine I
—		Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis Παύλος Κουντουριώτης (1855–1935)	15 October 1920	4 November 1920 (Resigned)	20 days	Regent
—		Queen Olga Βασίλισσα Όλγα (1851–1926)	4 November 1920	6 December 1920	32 days	Regent Widow of George I Mother of Constantine I
(3)		Constantine I Κωνσταντίνος A΄ (1868–1923)	6 December 1920	27 September 1922 (Abdicated)	1 year, 282 days	Restored to the throne following the 22 November 1920 referendum
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
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis Παύλος Κουντουριώτης (1855–1935)	1924	25 March 1924	15 March 1926 (Resigned)	2 years, 12 days	Military
2		Lt. General Theodoros Pangalos Θεόδωρος Πάγκαλος (1878–1952)	—	15 April 1926	18 April 1926	138 days	Military
			1926	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
				24 August 1926	9 December 1929 (Resigned)
3		Alexandros Zaimis Αλέξανδρος Ζαΐμης (1855–1936)	—	9 December 1929	14 December 1929	5 years, 304 days	Independent
			1929 1933	14 December 1929	10 October 1935 (Deposed)

Kingdom of Greece (1935–1973)

House of Glücksburg (1935–1973)

  Denotes Regent

King			Reign			Claim
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
—		Lt. General Georgios Kondylis Γεώργιος Κονδύλης (1878–1936)	10 October 1935	25 November 1935	46 days	Regent (Took power in the 10 October 1935 coup, abolished the republic, and declared himself regent)
(5)		George II Γεώργιος Β΄ (1890–1947)	25 November 1935	31 December 1944	9 years, 36 days	Restored to the throne following the 3 November 1935 referendum
—		Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens Δαμασκηνός (1891–1949)	31 December 1944	27 September 1946	1 year, 270 days	Regent (Named regent after the Liberation of Greece, until the conclusion of a referendum on the monarchy)
(5)		George II Γεώργιος Β΄ (1890–1947)	27 September 1946	1 April 1947	186 days	Restored to the throne following the 1 September 1946 plebiscite on the monarchy
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΄ (born 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 (Appointed by the military junta following the failed royal counter-coup of 13 December 1967 and the King's flight to Italy)
—		Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος (1919–1999)	21 March 1972	31 May 1973	1 year, 71 days	Regent For Constantine II (Strongman of the military junta, declared himself regent)

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
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
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	Prime Minister(s)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Michail Stasinopoulos Μιχαήλ Στασινόπουλος (1903–2002)	1974	18 December 1974	19 July 1975	213 days	New Democracy	Karamanlis
2		Konstantinos Tsatsos Κωνσταντίνος Τσάτσος (1899–1987)	1975	19 July 1975	10 May 1980	4 years, 296 days	New Democracy	Karamanlis
3		Konstantinos Karamanlis Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής (1907–1998)	1980	10 May 1980	10 March 1985 (Resigned)	4 years, 304 days	New Democracy	Papandreou
—		Ioannis Alevras Ιωάννης Αλευράς (1912–1995)	—	10 March 1985	30 March 1985	20 days	Panhellenic Socialist Movement	Papandreou
4		Christos Sartzetakis Χρήστος Σαρτζετάκης (born 1929)	1985	30 March 1985	4 May 1990	5 years, 35 days	Independent	Papandreou Tzannetakis Grivas Zolotas
(3)		Konstantinos Karamanlis Κωνσταντίνος Καραμανλής (1907–1998)	1990	5 May 1990	10 March 1995	4 years, 310 days	New Democracy	Mitsotakis Papandreou
5		Konstantinos Stephanopoulos Κωνσταντίνος Στεφανόπουλος (1926–2016)	1995 2000	10 March 1995	12 March 2005	10 years, 2 days	Independent	Papandreou Simitis
6		Karolos Papoulias Κάρολος Παπούλιας (born 1929)	2005 2010	12 March 2005	13 March 2015	10 years, 1 day	Panhellenic Socialist Movement	Karamanlis Papandreou Papademos Pikrammenos Samaras Tsipras
7		Prokopis Pavlopoulos Προκόπης Παυλόπουλος (born 1950)	2014–15	13 March 2015	13 March 2020	5 years	New Democracy	Tsipras Thanou Tsipras Mitsotakis
8		Katerina Sakellaropoulou Κατερίνα Σακελλαροπούλου (born 1956)	2020	14 March 2020	Incumbent	331 days	Independent	Mitsotakis

Living former heads of state

There are three living former Greek Presidents and one living former King of the Hellenes:

• 
  Constantine II
  (1964–1973)
  June 2, 1940
• 
  Christos Sartzetakis
  (1985–1990)
  April 6, 1929
• 
  Karolos Papoulias
  (2005–2015)
  June 4, 1929
• 
  Prokopis Pavlopoulos
  (2015-2020)
  July 10, 1950

Head of state titles

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

See also

• Politics of Greece
• List of heads of state of Greece by age
• List of kings of Greece
• List of regents of Greece
• 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