The Nation's Resolution of October 1, 1862 abolished the monarchy of Otto, but not the institution of the monarchy itself. With the agreement of the Great Powers, and primarily with the contribution of Great Britain, the Assembly of the Greeks in Athens proclaimed on March 6/18, 1863, unanimously, Prince Christian William Ferdinand Adolph George of Denmark as King of the Hellenes under the name George I.

The young monarch arrived in Greece on October 17, 1863, and disembarked at the port of Piraeus. A large crowd gave him an enthusiastic welcome both at the port dock and at the entrance of the city of Athens, in Thisio. Two days after his arrival in Athens, he recited to the members of the National Assembly, and indeed in Greek, the oath “I swear in the name of the indivisible Trinity, to protect the prevailing religion of the Greeks, to preserve and defend the independence, autonomy, and integrity of the Greek State, and to uphold its laws.”

In this oath, George remained faithful throughout his reign. His 50-year reign was characterized by simplicity, prudence, understanding, moderation, the defense of independence and the integrity of the Greek State, which he never abandoned, even during very difficult periods of internal turmoil. His strategy during the Balkan Wars led to the expansion of Greek borders and an increase in the population of the country.

On October 15, 1867, he married the Russian-born Grand Duchess Olga, who was loved by the Greek people for her great sensitivity towards human beings.

This study is enriched by the presentation of the rich material from the collections of the National Historical Museum, which houses unique documents related to George I. Among them are published for the first time the will of George I, original designs of iconic buildings in Denmark, such as the Bernstorff Summer Palaces of the Danish royal family, the Dagmar Theatre in Copenhagen, which were taken into account by Tsiller in the design for the construction of the Royal Theatre in Athens, personal items of George I, as well as a wealth of historical interest photographic material.