Precious bottles of wine were discovered in the former royal palace near Athens

BDuring the 1974 renovation of the former summer palace of the Greek royal family in Tatoi, north of Athens, restorers found hundreds of precious bottles of wine and spirits inside and out. As Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni announced on Sunday, there are “discoveries of great historical importance”. She added that more than 4,000 bottles have been discovered and research is ongoing.

Among other things, it is a bottle of whiskey from the time of the inauguration of the British Queen Elizabeth 2. On February 6, 1952 for wines of the origin of Château Margaux, Château de Vincennes and Château Rothschild, which date back to the nineteenth century. The Tatoi Summer Palace and the large forest surrounding it are currently being developed into a museum and travel destination.

In 1974 the monarchy in Greece was abolished

The relationship between the Greek royal family and the people was almost always turbulent. The end came when the inexperienced Constantine II quickly became involved in disputes with the political leadership after his inauguration in 1964. He also made a terrible mistake: on April 21, 1967, a military group staged a coup d’état in Greece. In order – as he repeatedly says – to avoid bloodshed, the king tolerated the putschists. He photographed with them himself, and even agreed to form a military government with his signature. Many Greeks have never forgiven him for that.

After democracy was restored, Greece’s monarchy was abolished in December 1974. Constantine, now 81, was expropriated and only compensated after a decision by the European Court of Human Rights in 2000.