Love And The Gods

Delos, by the Greeks themselves: "A number of "purifications" were executed by the city-state of Athens in an attempt to render the island fit for the proper worship of the gods. The first took place in the 6th century BCE, directed by the tyrant Pisistratus who ordered that all graves within sight of the temple be dug up and the bodies moved to another nearby island. In the 5th century BCE, during the 6th year of the Peloponnesian war and under instruction from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was purged of all dead bodies. It was then ordered that no one should be allowed to either die or give birth on the island due to its sacred importance and to preserve its neutrality in commerce, since no one could then claim ownership through inheritance. Immediately after this purification, the first quinquennial festival of the Delian games were celebrated there.[3]
Four years later, all inhabitants of the island were removed to Atramyttium in Asia as a further purification.[4]" Dame Cartland loves Greece but skips over the "undesirable" bits of Greek history that could turn stomachs, preferring to tarnish other empires...

"“That is what I thought you would say,” the Queen replied. “I will write to King George telling him that I feel the restoration of Apollo to his own island will thrill and delight his people. But he must never tell anyone that it came to him from Great Britain.”

The Duke nodded his assent to this.

Then the Queen added sharply,

“You must make him realise the trouble there will be for me if anyone has the slightest idea that I have given away anything quite so precious. But I know that you will agree with me that the right place for Apollo is on his own Island of Delos.”

“Absolutely, ma’am, but at the same time, because it is unique and so precious, it is undoubtedly a treasure that Britain would love to keep for herself.”

“That is what I thought and what I know"" - It did not belong to Great Britain, they had zero right to it so should anyone put up a fuss, they should be grateful South Africa leaves Queen Elizabeth's Cullinan diamonds (1 - 9) in peace as they adorn everything from her crown to the sceptre itself.

"“I thought you would find it a change from the life you are leading at the moment, David. And that reminds me, I promised your grandmother that I would speak to you about your future.”

The Duke held up his hands.

“No, please, please, ma’am, spare me that! I know only too well and can repeat word for word what my dear grandmother has been saying to you. But my answer is quite simple. I will not marry anyone until I fall in love.”

The Queen stared at him.

“Are you telling me that despite your reputation you have never been in love?”

There was silence for a moment and then the Duke replied,

“Not in the way the Greeks thought of love.”

“But surely – ” the Queen said a little hesitatingly, “you have been in love with some, perhaps one or two, of the lovely ladies who have given their hearts to you?”

The Duke smiled.

“Ma’am, perhaps you will think I am speaking like a Greek when I say that I want the love that Aphrodite told them to find, the love that not only belongs to the heart but to the soul.”

For a moment, the Queen gazed at him in surprise. “You are right, of course, you are so right, David. That is the way I loved Albert – and he loved me.”

There was an unmistakable sob in her voice." In a number of books, Cartland tries to force young women to marry wretched but wealthy suitors, one notices that she is less inclined to force the men to do similar...

"He knew the romantic story of the way she had met the King and how they had fallen in love with each other.

The first visit of King George to the Court of Czar Alexander II was in 1861, the year before he became King of Greece and it was there he first met the Grand Duchess Olga, who was only twelve years old at the time.

Olga was the only daughter of the Czar’s brother Constantine, and her mother was Princess Alexandra of Sachsen-Altenburg.

She was very bright and intelligent, spending her time between the Imperial Court and her father’s estate and as she grew older, she developed into the prettiest and most charming Princess.

It was not until the spring of 1867 that King George left to pay a State Visit to Russia accompanied by a large retinue.

There he met the young Grand Duchess Olga again, now grown up.

He fell in love with her straightaway and she with him and by the time he left to return to Greece the marriage was fixed for the following October." No, she was 16 years old when they married, far from grown up...

Good read!