HISTORY OF THE BUILDING
The decision to construct the building currently used as the Presidential Mansion was taken in 1868. That year, George I’s son, Constantine, the heir to the throne, was born and the Greek state decided to present him with a private dwelling, when he came of age. Twenty one years later, when Constantine married Sophia, Princess of Hohenzollern, the state assigned the planning of “The Crown Prince’s Palace”, as the building became known, to Ernst Ziller. Building began in 1891 and was completed six years later in 1897.
On Christmas Eve 1909 a fire destroyed a large part of the Royal Palace, with the result that the Crown Prince’s Palace was temporarily used as the residence of the royal family. After the assassination of George I in 1913 and the accession of Constantine to the throne, the Crown Prince’s Palace finally became the royal residence.
The use of the building as a Palace was interrupted in 1924, when the monarchy was overthrown and a Republic was declared. It was then used as the Presidential Mansion until 1935, when the monarchy was restored and the King returned.