It was not easy finding a suitable king for Greece. The successful candidate had to come from a small royal house to avoid giving one of the three Great Powers (Great Britain, France, Russia) an unfair advantage in the new country. Otto fit the bill and secured the crown in 1832. He was the second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, and as a minor when he ascended the throne, he was sent to Greece accompanied by a three-man regency council (and 3500 Bavarian soldiers to keep him safe). Otto landed in Nafplion amidst scenes of great rejoicing as thousands of people gathered in the harbour to welcome the prince who would "resurrect the firstborn people of the Earth". He would spend two years in the city.