March 18, 1913 –
Itinerant sailor and general layabout Philip Mountbatten’s (nee Philip Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg) grandfather, Christian Wilhelm Ferdinand Adolf Georg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (sibling to a king and two queens) was out on an afternoon stroll. This, in and of itself, is not remarkable, except for the fact that this minor Danish/ German prince had changed his name to George and became the King of Greece. Wilhelm/ George, like most royalty, went out for an afternoon stroll without any pocket change (royalty and presidents don’t carry money.)
Alexandros Schinas, an alcoholic vagrant asked the King for some spare change and shot him in the back went the King refused to give him money. Wilhelm/ George died en route to the hospital,
Alexandros died five days later after he ‘accidentally‘ fell out of a window at police headquarters.
So kids let this be a lesson to you, if you find yourself the ruler of a European nation – the change you carry, may save your life.
And so it goes!
The Haus of Dcaligari 