Thanks for the explanation: as you've confirmed, it takes a restoration of a monarchy, for titles to hold validity. So until that legally happened in Spain, one could perhaps argue that there was a period when the country had no royals ... But then, as you say, in the Spanish case things were made retroactive with the restoration.

But that only leads me to ask about the earlier case in history when the Greek monarchy was abolished. Or WAS it truly abolished, or in some state of abeyance? I ask because it did eventually get reinstated, with the same King George II (who had first assumed the throne in 1922 upon the forced abdication of his father, King Constantine I) restored to the throne.

As I understand, both his mother (Sophie) and paternal grandmother (Olga) were still living, as of 1924 -- when Greece became a republic. So that leads me to raise a question about their exact status and titles from that point forward, since both women died before the monarchy got reinstated.

His own only marriage (to Princess Elisabeth of Romania) was dissolved by divorce in 1935, the year he got recalled to the throne, and he never remarried afterward. His brother Paul, then, was his heir presumptive when in 1938 he married their first cousin, once removed (Princess Friederike of Hanover).

History has shown us that generally speaking, when a monarchy is abolished, it almost never gets restored. But there have been exceptions: consider the restoration of the Stuarts in Great Britain, after the Cromwellian republic. Or the Bourbons in France, after the Revolution (culminating in the execution of King Louis XVI), and then the rise and fall of the Bonapartes. The Spanish case (I believe) was the most recent example of this happening -- and likely the last.

For times have changed, and republican sentiment seems to abound worldwide: the ten reigning monarchies of Europe remain largely by default. They've managed to survive the vicissitudes of history (if nothing else, most have enjoyed the good fortune of serving in countries with stable political systems and strong economies), adapting with the times. But this hasn't stopped cynics from raising questions about their relevance, and justification for continuing an antiquated system whereby the head of state owes his position to inheritance ...

It only stands to reason, then, that if questions are raised about justifying hereditary monarchies in the ten which still survive, then there is virtually NO chance in the world of restoring it in a place like Greece.

Not that I can imagine anybody wanting to serve as king or queen there, given the country's upheavals throughout her turbulent history ...