Wanda Paola Lottero

http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00079008&tree=LEO

BIOGRAPHY Paola Lottero was born on 14 July 1881 in Sportono, Italy, the daughter of Gian Baptiste Lottero and Emilia di Montarana dei Baroni Sarchi.

On 5 September 1909 in London, Paola married Hermann, Prinz von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, Herzog von Sachsen, the son of Wilhelm, Prinz von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, Herzog von Sachsen, and Gerta, Prinzessin zu Ysenburg und Büdingen in Wächtersbach. They remained childless and divorced on 22 June 1911.

In 1912, making a tour of Greece and, while in Athens, she presented to the then Crown Prince Constantine. According to Paola, 'Our meeting was the beginning of a friendship which stood the test of time and which became stronger as the years passed.'

From 1912 until his death she was the mistress of Constantine I, King of Greece. During the first part of World War One, King Constantine was judged by three experts that he was favourable to the Allies. The British Government chose to accept the advice of others, and consequently the experts were not listened to. If they had been, the Great War would probably have come to an end two years sooner than it did.

Between 1912 and 1923 many letters were exchanged between Paola and the king. These letters were published in an effort to restore the reputation of King Constantine. In her opinion, Constantine sacrificed himself for the love of his people, but was crushed by a succession of revolts and conspiracies, and especially by the antipathy of Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos.

King Constantine died on 11 January 1923 in Palermo, Italy. When Paola was told that according to a Greek official, 'We do not want that traitor, not even dead, in Greece,' she realised she had to publish his letters.

Paola died on 8 July 1963 in Genève.