Queen Josephine of Greece?

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 July 1, 1919

The New York Times reports today, although the dispatch is dated June 27 -- on a possible romance between King Alexander of Greece and an American girl, Josephine Marie Kelly of Chicago. According to the paper, "nothing recent has created quite the same social sensation in the capital of modern Greece as young Alexander's persistent attention" to Miss Kelly. She is the daughter of the late T.C. Kelly and the niece of W. Hyland, owner of the Lorraine Hotel in New York City.

Miss Kelly, "who is a lovely type of the blue-eyed, coal-black-haired Irish-American beauty," arrived in Greece last November with the American Red Cross. In January, she met King Alexander at a tea at the home of mutual Greek friends. Not long after, the king invited Josephine and her friends to a lunch at Tatoi, the royal family's summer residence outside Athens, and then to dinner at the palace.

The King has apparently "made no attempt to conceal his admiration for the attractive American girl." They took "frequent motor trips," and at a recent grand ball at the Royal Theatre, "where Ministers, diplomats and others were present, the King violated custom by leaving the corner reserved for royalty," and walked over to the center of the room, where he chatted with Miss Kelly for some time.
Miss Kelly and the King were also guests at a fancy dress ball at Minister Politis' home, and "the attentions paid to her by her royal admirer left no doubts as to the sentiments of Alexander."

The question posed on many Greeks' lips: will Greece have an American queen?
Before Miss Kelly "came upon the horizon," King Alexander had "paid marked attention" to the daughter of a wealthy, but not noble Greek. There are very few titles in a democratic Greece, and there have been rumors that King Alexander "would renounce his throne rather than marry where his fancy did not rest."

 There was a lot of attention to his interest in the Greek girl. "And then came Miss Kelly, and Athens does not know what to think."