The lack of a child, the loss of a throne: the infertility of the first royal couple of Greece (1833–62)
The first dynasty in Greece after its independence in 1830 was
founded in 1833 with Otto, the son of Ludwig I of Bavaria. In 1836 Otto married
Amalia, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Oldenburg. The people of Greece
anticipated that the marriage would result in an heir to the throne, establishing
the new dynasty. The failure of the royal couple to produce an heir was a major
reason for their subsequent abdication. For many years both were subjected to
repeated examinations by Greek and German physicians, especially Amalia, who