Amalia of Oldenburg

Amalia of Oldenburg (Greek: Αμαλία; 21 December 1818  20 May 1875) was a Bavarian princess who became Queen of Greece from 1836 to 1862 as the wife of King Otto Friedrich Ludwig. She was loved widely by the Greeks due to her patriotic love for the country and her beauty. During her tenure as queen, she was dedicated to social improvement and the founding of many gardens in Athens, and she was the first to introduce the worldwide Christmas tree to Greece.

Amalia of Oldenburg
Queen consort of Greece
Tenure22 December 1836 – 23 October 1862
Born(1818-12-21)21 December 1818
Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg
Died20 May 1875(1875-05-20) (aged 56)
Bamberg, Kingdom of Bavaria
Burial
Theatinerkirche (Munich)
Spouse
Otto of Greece
(m. 1836; died 1867)
Names
  • German: Amalie Marie Friederike
  • Greek: Αμαλία Μαρία Φρειδερίκη
HouseHolstein-Gottorp
FatherAugustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
MotherPrincess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
ReligionLutheranism
Styles of
Queen Amalia of Greece
Reference styleHer Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty

When she arrived in Greece in 1837, she at first won the hearts of the Greeks with her refreshing beauty. After she became more politically involved, she then became the target of harsh attacks—and her image suffered further as she proved unable to provide an heir to the throne. She and her husband were expelled from Greece in 1862, after an uprising. She spent the rest of her years in exile in Bavaria.

She acted as Regent of Greece in 1850-1851, and a second time in 1861-1862 during the absence of Otto.

To Amalia is attributed the creation of the “romantic folksy court dress,” which in return became Greece’s national costume.

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