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Friday, December 3, 2010

Athens goes wild over "Dollar Princess"

December 3, 1920

By Chicago Tribune-New York Times cable.

Members of the Greek royal family, including Princess Christopher, formerly Mrs. William B. Leeds, arrived in Athens tonight.

The Princess and her husband, Prince Christopher, and his brother, Prince Andrew,  traveled from Venice by passenger steamer, and then transferred to a Greek destroyer.  The ship arrived in Piraeus, where they were welcomed by Queen Mother Olga, who is also acting as regent.

Crowds cheered the " 'dollar princess'  as she is familiarly called in Athens."   Her "charm and wealth and liberality with which she financed the cause of Constantine" have made a "striking appeal to the Greek imagination."

The Princess was "tenderly embraced" by Queen Olga as she "set foot on the land of her adoption."
Unfortunately, the destroyer arrived late, and "night had already fallen, to the great disappointment of the crowds," which had been waiting since the afternoon in the "hopes of seeing and giving a cordial welcome to the new Princess."

Athenians, too, were disappointed by the delay.  They had "decreed themselves another holiday," and had lined the "route on the outskirts of the city, waiting for the arrival of Princess Christopher.  They had hoped for a glimpse of the "American woman of fabulous wealth who has united herself to Greece and her destinies."

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