Ernst II

Ernst II (Ernst Wilhelm Friedrich Carl Maximilian; 13 September 1863 – 11 December 1950) was a German aristocrat and Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He served as the Regent of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during the minority of his wife's cousin, Duke Charles Edward, from 1900 to 1905. Born in Langenburg, Kingdom of Württemberg on 13 September 1863, Ernst was the oldest of three children, and the only son, of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Princess Leopoldine of Baden, daughter of Prince William of Baden. He was the great-nephew of Queen Victoria, His paternal great-grandmother was Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the mother of Queen Victoria, and his grandmother was Feodora of Leiningen, Queen Victoria's half-sister. He married the Queen's granddaughter, Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, on 20 April 1896 at the Ehrenburg Palace (Schloss Ehrenburg) in Coburg, Germany. Because his wife was the daughter of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Ernst became the Regent of the Duchy after the death of the Duke. From 30 July 1900 to 18 July 1905, he governed Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on the behalf of the still immature successor, Charles Edward.

The Evzones or Evzonoi were several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Evzones are known for their distinctive uniform, which evolved from the clothes worn by the klephts who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment. Their distinctive dress turned them into a popular image for the Greek soldier, especially among foreigners. The word was used by ancient writers for centuries to describe light infantry (better known as psiloi or gymnitai). The term "Evzones" was revived in modern practice as a Greek version of the European-style light infantry (such as the German Jäger, French Chasseurs, or British Riflemen) in 1824 during the Greek War of Independence, when the first attempts to form a regular, European-style army were undertaken by the Greek rebels. The first regular infantry battalion comprised six companies, one of which was designated as an "Evzone Company". On 12 December 1868, King George I (r. 1863–1913) signed a Royal Decree authorizing the creation of four independent Evzone Battalions, "forming part of the Army's regular strength and intended especially for service on the frontier, and in providing assistance to the Gendarmerie. On the same day, due to the precarious security situation, the King also provisionally authorized the creation of eight further Evzone Battalions, numbered 5–12, as well as the increase of 

each Evzone company's strength to 170. In addition, on the same day a special detachment, initially named Agema, the precursor of the modern Presidential Guard, composed of two Evzone infantry companies and a cavalry company, was formed.