King Constantine II of Greece has Died

~ Saad719

Sad news out of Greece today! 

King Constantine II of Greece has passed away at the age of 82, after being hospitalised for chronic cardiovascular problems in a private hospital in Athens. Queen Anne-Marie, all five of their children and his sisters, Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Irene, had been at his bedside for the past few days. Crown Prince Pavlos now becomes the Head of the Greek Royal Family.

We offer our condolences to the Greek Royal Family at this tragic time!

Royal Guests from around the world are expected to attend the Funeral of King Constantine II of Greece at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens on January 16th, followed by the Burial in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace. The body will Lay in State at the Agios Eleftherios Chapel in Athens from 6 am to 10 am ahead of the Funeral.

The Spanish, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Royal Families have confirmed their attendance:

Royal Guests and Relatives attend a Dinner hosted by the Greek Royal Family at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, on the eve of the Funeral of King Constantine II of Greece.

Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Irene and Princess Nina of Greece, and Mathew Kumar (Princess Theodora’s fiancée) visited the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace, to see the preparations being made to the Royal Tombs ahead of King Constantine’s Funeral on Monday.

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The only son of then Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover, his older sister is Queen Sofia of Spain, and the younger sister is Princess Irene. Spending WWII in South Africa, in 1947, his uncle, King George II, died, and his father succeeded to the throne, making him Crown Prince Constantine. Educated in Athens, he competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics, winning the Gold Medal in Sailing, and is an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, campaigning for decades to have Athens host the 2004 Olympic Games.

In 1964, King Paul died suddenly, and he succeeded to the throne as King Constantine II of Greece. Later that year, King Constantine married 18-year old Princess Anne Marie of Denmark, his childhood sweetheart. The couple have five children; Crown Prince Pavlos, Princess Alexia, Prince Nikolaos, Prince Philippos, and Princess Theodora, and nine grandchildren. In April 1967, a group of colonels overthrew the democratic government, and established a military junta. After the King led a failed counter-coup later that year, the Royal Family were forced to flee to Rome.

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In 1973, a referendum abolished the Monarchy. The Royal Family moved to London. A close friend of his British Royal cousins, the King is a godfather of the Prince of Wales. The Prince, in turn, is a godfather of King Constantine’s eldest grandson, Prince Constantine Alexios, a son of Crown Prince Pavlos. King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie have regularly attend Royal Events in Denmark, Spain, the UK, Sweden, and Norway, where the monarchs are their relatives. Not allowed to enter the country for many years, King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie moved back to Greece in 2012, where they resided in Porto Heli.

   

Royal Condolences

“It is with great sadness that HM The Queen & Royal Family have received the announcement that HM King Constantine II of Greece passed away on Tuesday evening.

The royal family’s thoughts are with HM Queen Anne-Marie & the entire Greek family at this time.”

   

 “The Royal Family of Romania learned with much distress of the passing of His Majesty King Constantine II of the Hellenes.

King Constantine was all his life close to the Royal Family of Romania, to Queen-Mother Helen, his father’s sister, as well as to King Michael and Queen Anne. Custodian of the Crown Margareta, as well as Princesses Helena, Irina, Sophie and Marie, have known their uncle since their early childhood.

For more than seven decades, the two families always met in Greece, and then in Switzerland, in Great Britain, as well as in various European capitals, at public or private events.

King Constantine was Her Majesty Margareta’s godfather and also godfather at the Orthodox wedding of the Custodian of the Crown and Prince Radu, in Lausanne, in 1996. King Constantine, like all his family, was always faithfully present at all the important events, be they happy or sad, of the Royal Family of Romania.

May God rest him in peace!”

   

“With great sadness, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine received the very sad news that their dear cousin, Godfather and friend, HM King Constantine II of Hellenes passed away yesterday, 10 January 2023, in Athens, Greece.

Relations between the Royal families of Greece and Serbia have always been marked with sincere and cordial friendship and deep family bonds. HM King Constantine II was the best man at TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine’s wedding in 1985, and His Majesty was also the Godfather of the Crown Prince’s sons, HRH Hereditary Prince Philip and HRH Prince Alexander. Also, the daughter of the late King of Greece, HRH Princess Theodora, is HRH Crown Prince Alexander’s Godchild.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander and the Royal family of Serbia send their condolences and deepest sympathy to HM Queen Anne-Marie, late King’s sisters HM Queen Sophia of Spain, and HRH Princess Irene of Greece, his children HRH Crown Prince Pavlos, HRH Princess Alexia, HRH Prince Nikolaos, HRH Princess Theodora, and HRH Prince Philippos, and all the other members of the Royal family of Greece for their extremely sad loss.

During these most difficult moments, the Royal Family of Serbia shares grief and pain for the passing of His Majesty and sends prayers to the Lord to remember the late King in His mercy. HM King Constantine II will be greatly missed, but the memory of him will be kept forever, with great love and respect.

HRH Crown Prince Alexander was also in close family relations with the late HM King Constantine II. Crown Prince Alexander’s maternal grandfather HM King Alexander of Greece who married Aspasia Manos, was the brother of HM King Paul of Greece, HM King Constantine II’s father. “

   

My sincere condolences to the Greek Royal Family for the passing of His Majesty King Constantine II. My prayers and thoughts are with His heir Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and His esteemed family.

  

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