This is where I give my insights on my favorite historical figures. I do not glorify any of their actions or character.
Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark
· Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark (Princess Paul of Yugoslavia) has been my favourite historical figure ever since. She was not just a princess who witnessed every decade of the 20th century (1903-1997); she was a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, and first lady. Most importantly, she was her OWN person. She even watched her 2 young sisters, mother, father, son, husband, etc., die before her, old and strong. People say that she is a beautiful woman, which is true; she has grown into an attractive princess in her youth, and even at her old age, she still shines with beauty. Princess Olga was considered one of the prettiest women in her youth. She was so beautiful that her husband was astonished by her beauty immediately when they first met. She was the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece, nicknamed "Greek Nicky" as he had a cousin who was Nicholas II of Russia, and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. She had 3 children: Alexander, Nicholas, and Elizabeth. Olga had been engaged at least 2 times. Her first fiancé was the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, who seemed unpleasant to her; she did not like his tattoos or his energy around her, who had a romantic personality. They were of the same religion but not the same denomination, as Olga was Orthodox and Frederik was Protestant. I don't think she would want to convert to his beliefs. She broke the engagement when she saw him hold hands with one of her sisters instead of her. If they married, she would be the queen consort of the Kingdom of Denmark.She was 19 at the time of that engagement. She later married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia; the marriage was advantageous to Yugoslavia since Princess Olga was connected to the most important dynasties in Europe (e.g., Romanov). Acquiring Paul's title, she was also known as Princess Paul of Yugoslavia. On October 9, 1934, King Alexander of Yugoslavia (Prince Paul's first cousin) was assassinated by Bulgarian revolutionary Vlado Chernozemski.As a result, Alexander's son, Peter, takes the throne as Peter II, with Prince Paul being the regent of the country and Princess Olga being the de facto first lady as Queen Mother Maria retired. Alexander hinted that after his death, his cousin would be regent. Prince Paul was not prepared for this, and Olga did not aspire to have a political life. She became one of his closest advisors, assisted him in Yugoslavia and abroad, and was loyal to her husband. His regency lasted for 7 years, from 1934 to 1941, when he was forced to sign the Tripartite Pact despite being fond of the British. Hence, the army overthrew him via the Yugoslav coup of March 27, 1941. Prince Paul had 4 hours to leave the country, or he and his family would get shot; he did not let that happen. As British prisoners, they were sent to exile, first to Greece, where they were welcomed by Olga's Greek relatives, except for her mother, Elena, who appeared stiff and had never been passionate about her son-in-law. They stood until Olga's first cousin, Prince Pavlos, announced to her and her husband that the Greek government couldn't keep them safe there anymore.They went to Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa for the rest of the exile. Prince Paul was severely depressed during the exile, knowing that he was labelled as a Nazi sympathiser. Her sister, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, and her husband, Prince George, Duke of Kent, wanted Winston Churchill to let Olga and Paul seek refuge in the United Kingdom, but he refused to, since Prince Paul was viewed as a traitor. After the Duke of Kent's death from an aeroplane crash, the King of Britain, George VI, let Princess Olga stay there to comfort her sister, Marina, but without her husband. She took advantage of her stay. They stayed in Africa until the late 1940s. The couple and their children were allowed to return to their continent, Europe. But not Yugoslavia, because the monarchy was abolished, declared a Communist state, and saw Prince Paul as the enemy of the state. So they went to Switzerland first, then France. Their second son, Nicholas, died in a car crash in the UK when he was still in his 20s. The family could not recover in many ways. Prince Paul died in an American hospital in 1976, aged 83. At that time, she was widowed. Prince Paul was a courteous husband to her until his death; their marriage lasted 50+ years. Struck with Alzheimer's disease, she lived her life until 1997, aged 94. Olga, what a woman you are! Also, did I write too much..?
Astrid of Sweden
· Queen Astrid of Belgium, born Princess Astrid of Sweden was born in November 17, 1905 as the daughter of Princess Ingeborg of Denmark and Prince Carl of the then united Sweden and Norway, she was also a granddaughter of Oscar II. In 1926, she married the Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium. Their marriage lived happy, ad they were terribly in love with eachother. Eventually after their marriage, she converted from Protestantism to Catholicism. Astrid was the queen consort of Belgium from 1934 following her husband's ascension to the throne after Albert I's death, until her death in 1935. She was really loved by the people in Belgium, and she absolutely deserves that attention. Unfortunately, She died tragically in a car accident at the age of 29. I know that she was a genuinely kind woman in many ways: her manners, being charitable, and so much more. [wip]
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