Royal Emblems of King Otto of Greece Found in Tatoi Palace

Archive photo of King Otto of Greece receiving his crown at at Tatoi Palace, 1959. Source: Culture Ministry

The royal emblems of King Otto of Greece, including his crown, scepter and sword, were recently found at the former royal palace in Tatoi, northern Athens.

Sword.

The royal regalia were discovered during the estate’s documentation of movable assets conducted by Culture Ministry researchers.

“The discovery of Otto’s regalia was unexpected,” said Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, underlining that their importance is extraordinary since “they are the first official symbols of the modern Greek State and act as tangible traces of its continuity in time.”

According to the ministry, the regalia were commissioned by Otto’s father, Ludwig I of Bavaria, but were not worn by the young king at his coronation in 1832 because the ship bringing them to Greece was delayed.

Crown of King Otto of Greece. Photo source: Culture Ministry

Scepter.

Following Grece’s 1862 coup which ended the young king’s reign in Greece, Otto took the regalia with him when he left Greece and a century later in 1959, they were handed back to Greece after diplomatic negotiations, with the German dynansty, House of Wittelsbach.

According to the ministry, the crown was last used at the funerals of King Pavlos in March 1964 and his wife, Frederica, in February 1981.

Although they were found in a good state they will be preserved by the ministry’s conservation services and will then be handed to the Greek Parliament so they can be permanently exhibitied at its “Eleftherios Venizelos” Hall of the Trophies.

Otto’s crown and scepter were made by renowned French jewelers Fossin et Fils and the sword by Manceaux and Fossin et Fils.