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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 115

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

The remarkable group of four awarded to S. L. Hourmouzios, Private Secretary to the last three Kings of Greece, who saw service during the Second World War and was imprisoned during the Colonels' Coup

Greece, Kingdom, Royal Family Order of St. George and St. Constantine, Knight's breast Badge, Civil Division, silver and enamel, by Spink & Son; Royal Order of the Phoenix, Knight's breast Badge, silver; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1937, mounted as worn, good very fine (4)

Royal Family Order, permission to wear, London Gazette, 16 September 1947.

Royal Order of the Phoenix, permission to wear, London Gazette, 24 February 1942.

Stelio Lucian Hourmouzios was born in Limassol, Cyprus in 1914, the son of Christodoulos Hourmouzios, the Athens correspondent for The Times. When his father was appointed Press Attache to London the younger Hourmouzios joined him, being educated at St. Marylebone School and later the London School of Economics. Appointed Secretary to King George II- who was then living in Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair- in 1934 he was still holding that role the next year when the monarchy was restored, the recipient’s obituary in the times tells us a little of these times:

‘When quite young Hourmouzios had been secretary to King George of Greece then in exile, and on the King’s return to Greece accompanied him, being involved in the crucial meeting at Eleusis and in other significant events of the King’s career.’

After the outbreak of the Second World War Hourmouzios joined the Royal Artillery on 15 August 1940, being posted to the 24th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. However he was not to serve there for long, being discharged in December 1940 to serve with the Greek Embassy press department at the request of the Ambassador. It was at this time that he was awarded the Royal Order of the Phoenix in 1942, likely for his work with the press.

During this period he was still Private Secretary for George II, with the Allied Liberation of the Greece approaching, Hourmouzios was present for the increasingly tense negotiations around the restoration. The King was a close friend of Churchill's however his support for the ousted Metaxas Dictatorship and the complex political situation on the ground complicated matters. As the Dekemvriana began Churchill offered the King a Regency, David Brewer's book, Greece, The Decade of War: Occupation, Resistance, and Civil War relates the argument this caused from Hourmouzios' perspective, stating:

'I could hear through the door the voices of Churchill and Eden, particularly the latter, raised in anger at the King. In this heated argument the door was flung open and the King stormed out, his face white and taut.'

He had just been informed that the Allies wanted him to accept a Regency led by Archbishop Damaskinos. Upon rejecting the proposal George was told that Churchill's alternative was to bypass him and install a friendly Government without him. Worse he was told that he could remain in Britain as a private citizen only rather than in the position of leadership he currently occupied. Hourmouzios' account continues:

'In the car as we drove back to the hotel the King would not trust himself to speak; after recovering his composure he went back to Downing Street and informed Churchill and Eden that he had no choice but to acquiesce to their demands'

With this admission the King retired to Belgravia, not to return to Greece until the referendum result of 1946. With the death of King George in 1947 Hourmouzios joined his successor King Paul as his Private Secretary, being awarded the Royal Family Order at this time. With the death of King Paul, Hourmouzios again stayed on as Private Secretary for Constantine II. He was still performing this role during the Colonels' Coup of April 1967, his link to the Royal Family resulted in a spell in custody. This did not last however and he was eventually released, making his way to Britain once again.

Having returned to London, Hourmouzios again found work with the information department of the Greek Embassy, here his mandate was largely the difficult Cyprus conflict. He later resigned and took up work at Niarchos Ltd., in London, he also worked as a War Correspondent and the London Correspondent to the Athens Daily. He was to write a book on his experiences as Private Secretary to the Kings of Greece in 1972. Titled No Ordinary Crown, it focused mainly on the role of Constantine II in attempting to rebuild the bitterly divided nation post-war.

Hourmouzios' character is perhaps best summed up by his obituary in The Times:

‘He was a man of ability, tact and great friendliness and there will be many in London who will remember how his charm and patience sweetened many an official meeting or social occasion.’

Sold together with a copy of The Royal House of Greece written by the recipient and the dust jacket of No Ordinary Crown, also by the recipient.

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Estimate
£600 to £800

Starting price
£500

Sale 23003 Notices
'Withdrawn from sale, to be retained by the family'