| Luitpold | |
|---|---|
| King of Greece Prince-Regent of Bavaria
| |
| |
| King of Greece | |
| Reign | 1867-1912 |
| Coronation | 18th July 1867 |
| Predecessor | Otto of Greece |
| Successor | Ludwig of Greece |
| Regent of Bavaria | |
| Reign | 1886-1912 |
| Born | 12 March 1821 Würzburg, Bavaria |
| Died | 1912 |
| Spouse | Quenn Auguste Ferdinande of Greece |
| Issue | Ludwig of Greece Leopold of Bavaria Princess Theresa of Bavaria Prince Arnulf of Bavaria |
| Full name | |
| Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm Ludwig von Bayern | |
| House | House of Wittelsbach |
| Father | Ludwig I of Bavaria |
| Mother | Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
King Luitpold of Greece was the second king of Greece, as well as a regent of Bavaria. He commanded a division of the Bavarian army in the Ten Weeks' War, and shortly afterwards became King of Greece. His older brother, Otto, was extremely unpopular, and Russo-Austrian armies installed him on the throne during the Second Balkan War. Despite the inauspicious beginning, he generally allowed the Greeks to govern themselves (within the bounds of the Russian and Austrian overlords), and his affable manner made him far more popular than his brother had ever been. In 1886, he also became regent of Bavaria, although he continued to spend most of his time in Greece. During World War One, Prussian forces overran Bavaria early in the war, and the fall of Austria soon afterwards led to Russian forces abandoning the Balkans. Luitpold followed the will of the Greek parliament in switching sides, and in exchange for vital intelligence on Russian troop locations, the Allies allowed him to keep his thrones. The British later allowed him to escape to the Ionian islands during the Fourth Balkan War, and restored him to the throne thereafter.