Has died in Athens
Constantine of Greece, the uncle of King Philip VI and brother of Queen Sofia, died Tuesday at the age of 82 after being admitted in serious condition in a private hospital in Athens, the Hygenia center, for health problems.
The last king of Greece
According to local Greek media, Constantine, the last king of Greece, may have suffered a stroke at home at the age of 82, while others point to an admission caused by the coronavirus, although for the moment there is no official confirmation from the Hellenic Royal House about his death.
His sister, Queen Sofia, was with him
Queen Sofia of Spain traveled from Rome to Athens after attending the last farewell of Pope Benedict XVI.
Accompanied by his family
His children, who live abroad, have also accompanied the monarch in his last days, as well as his wife, Anne Marie of Greece.
Weak health for several years
The former Hellenic king’s state of health had been very unstable for several years. In early 2022 he was hospitalized after being infected with COVID-19 and in December 2021 he suffered an ischemic attack while staying with his wife at the palace of Porto Heli.
Last public appearance
The last public appearance of the monarch, who enjoyed great popularity, was last October 23, when he attended in a wheelchair the wedding of his youngest son, Prince Philippos of Greece to Nina Flohr.
King from 1964 to 1973
Constantine II was king of Greece from 1964 until 1973, when the monarchy was abolished by referendum in 1974.
From monarchy to republic
Some 75.6 percent of Greeks decided that they wanted a republic as a form of state.
Moved to London
After that, he spent some time living in London, although he later returned to his homeland, as recalled by the newspaper ‘Ethnos’.
Cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh
The former monarch was the son of Frederica of Hanover and Paul I of Greece, who was the younger brother of King George II, as well as first cousin of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and also father-in-law of Juan Carlos I of Spain.
Succeeded King Paul I
After the death of King Paul I in 1964, Constantine succeeded him on the throne. That same year he married Anne Marie, youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark, whom he met as heir to the throne in 1959 in Copenhagen during a visit to Sweden and Norway.
Turbulent years of reign
Constantine’s first years as king were very turbulent following the riots that broke out in July 1965 after the resignation of George Papandreou as prime minister.
Coup d’Etat
It also lived through the subsequent coup d’état of 1967, led by George Papadopoulos, who deposed the king and imposed a military dictatorship.
Referendum on the monarchy
After the fall of the dictatorship in July 1974, the politician Konstantinos Karamanlis returned from exile in Paris to form a government. In December of the same year a referendum was held on the future of the monarchy.
Friendship with the British Royal Family
Until 2013, he and his family resided in London, where they have maintained a close friendship with the British royal family. His family has attended most of the social events of European royalty, and he and his wife are addressed as Their Majesties King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.
Godfather of Prince William
Constantine was a friend of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and godfather of Prince William, Prince of Wales.
Five children
King Constantine with his three sons: Pavlos, Philippos and Nikolaus. He also has two daughters, Alexia and Theodora.
Nine grandchildren
Constantine II of Greece has nine grandchildren. Four of them are children of Alexia and the Spaniard Carlos Morales. The other five grandchildren are children of Pavlos and British Marie Chantal Miller.
Return to Greece
In the early 2000s, Constantine regained certain properties in Greece and began to travel back to his country more and more frequently with his family.
The youngest kings in the world
Constantine and Anna Maria were married in Athens in 1964. At the ages of 24 and 18 they became the youngest kings in the world, although their reign barely lasted three years.
