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Death and funeral of Constantine II of Greece

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Death and funeral of Constantine II of Greece
Date10 January 2023; 17 months ago (2023-01-10)[a]
16 January 2023; 17 months ago (2023-01-16)[b]
Time6–10am (lying-in-state)
12pm (funeral)
DurationAt least four hours
VenueMetropolitan Cathedral of Athens[b]
LocationAthens[b] and Tatoi Palace[c]
TypePrivate burial
CauseStroke
ParticipantsGreek royal family
Other European royal families

On 10 January 2023, Constantine II of Greece, Head of the Royal House of Greece, who reigned as the last King of the Hellenes from 6 March 1964 to 1 June 1973, died in Athens at the age of 82. After suffering a stroke in hospital, Constantine was placed in intensive care, before dying days later. His death was initially announced by an Associated Press report, which referenced hospital staff, however Constantine's private office later released a formal death statement. The Greek government declined the family's request for a state funeral, although it was later decided that Constantine should have a lying-in-state and funeral procession. On 16 January, Constantine's body will lie for public viewing in the Agios Eleftherios Chapel in Athens during the morning, followed by a funeral at noon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. He will then be buried privately at Tatoi Palace by his family.

Background

See also: Constantine II of Greece § Later life

In the last few years of his life, Constantine had been experiencing "chronic heart" problems.[1] In September 2022, due to ill health, he was unable to travel to the United Kingdom to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the wife of his first cousin-once-removed, Prince Philip.[2] His last public appearance occurred in Athens in October 2022 when he went to a restaurant for lunch with his two sisters, Queen Sofía of Spain and Princess Irene. Although he remained undisturbed during his meal, Spanish tourists later noticed Queen Sofia and a Greek civilian recognised the former King, who was being pushed in a wheelchair with nasal catheters that provided him with supplementary oxygen, prompting concerns for his health.[3] His heart and mobility issues had "worsened" in the twelve months prior to his death and resulted in multiple hospitalisations in 2022.[1] He also suffered through a severe case of COVID-19.[4]

Death

On 9 January 2023, it was revealed that Constantine had been hospitalised and was in a "serious, but stable" condition.[4] His family was said to be at his side, and his two sons, Crown Prince Pavlos and Prince Nikolaos, were meeting in the Maximos Mansion to discuss the events that would occur following his death.[5] Constantine's daughter-in-law, Princess Tatiana, was seen lighting a candle at church in prayer for his health.[5] He was further placed in the intensive care unit of the private Hygeia Hospital following a stroke, before dying the following day.[6][7] He was 82 years old.[5]

His death was leaked publicly by an Associated Press report, which referenced hospital staff.[8] Constantine's private office later formally announced, "It is with deep sadness that the royal family announces that HM King Constantine, beloved husband, father, and brother, passed away yesterday."[9]

Constantine II is survived by his wife, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, his sisters, Sofia and Irene, and his five children, Pavlos, Nikolaos, Princess Alexia, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos, as well as his nine grandchildren.[10] He also leaves behind six Godchildren; Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania,[11] William, Prince of Wales, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia[12] and twins Philip and Alexander of Yugoslavia.

Funeral

The funeral is located in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.

It was announced a discussion would be held later that day at the Maximos Mansion to decide whether a state funeral is appropriate.[7] Following the discussion, it was decided that Constantine would not receive a state funeral, but would rather be buried as a private citizen.[5] It was also announced that his burial location would be at Tatoi Palace, where other past Greek royal family members have been buried.[5] The funeral will occur in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on Monday 16 January.[13] Lina Mendoni, the Minister of Culture and Sports, will be the government's representation at the funeral. Other guests are yet to be announced.[5] The government also declined requests for a lying in state for Constantine's body. Many "right-wing politicians" reportedly were upset with the decision for neither a state funeral nor a lying-in-state, something which was requested by his family.[14] Despite this, a funeral procession will still occur outside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.[13] On 12 January 2023, Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Irene and Princess Nina, as well as Princess Theodora's fiancé, Matthew Kumar, were photographed visiting the royal cemetery at Tatoi Palace for preparations at the royal tombs ahead of Constantine's funeral.[15]

Mitsotakis received a lot of backlash from the media and the public over his decision, and to avoid a lack of votes in the upcoming election, he later agreed to put Constantine's body on display in an unofficial lying-in-state, while also giving him the "honours of a state leader", despite a private funeral.[16] Constantine's body will lie in the Agios Eleftherios Chapel from 6:00am till 10:00am to allow members of the public to pay their respects. Following this, a procession into the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens will occur at 12:00pm prior to the funeral's commencement. There will be around 200 people in attendance,[17] including nine monarchs, which is why the deputy prime minister of Greece, Panagiotis Pikrammenos, will also now be representing the government.[18] Mitsotakis is also allowing any member of Greek parliament to attend on their own accord if they wish.[16] Archbishop Ieronymos II will preside over the ceremony.[19] After the funeral, Constantine's body will be flown to Tatoi Palace for a private burial,[20] where there will be no press or photographs, as requested by his family. The burial is expected to have around 60 attendees. Police have stated that they "will have a presence at vital points around the metropolitan cathedral and Tatoi, as well as the funeral procession's route and the locations where invited officials stay."[17] The funeral may be streamed on television and online by the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT).[citation needed]

Funeral guests

Family

Expected, but not confirmed:

Greece

Foreign

Members of reigning royal houses

Members of non-reigning royal houses

Reactions

Family

  • Kingdom of Greece Princess Tatiana, Constantine's daughter-in-law, said on Instagram, "It's almost impossible to post a picture when you want to say so much and there are not enough words to describe what a wonderful man you were and how blessed and honoured I feel to be part of your tight-knit loving family." She stated that he taught her what "love of country means", as well as stating that it was "an honour to be your daughter-in-law" and that he is so "so missed and will be forever loved."[33]

Greece

Foreign

Royalty

  • Albania In a statement on Twitter, Leka, Prince of Albania said, "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."[34]
  • Denmark In a statement by the Danish royal family, it was said, "It is with great sadness that Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family have received the announcement that His Majesty King Constantine II of Greece passed away on Tuesday evening. The royal family's thoughts are currently with Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie and the entire Greek family." It also said that flags would be flown at half mast at the Danish royal palace Amalienborg.[35]
  • Kingdom of Romania A statement on the Romanian royal family's website and social media read, "The Royal Family of Romania learned with much distress of the passing of His Majesty King Constantine II of the Hellenes. King Constantine was in 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 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 alls 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!"[36]
  • Kingdom of Serbia A bigger statement on their website of the Serbian Royal Family said, "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."[37]
  • Kingdom of France Jean, Count of Paris issued a statement, "My wife and I are saddened to learn of the death of His Majesty King Constantine II of Greece. He was a brave man who faced years spent away from his country. King Constantine had placed the Hellenic flag at the center of his life and his hopes and it was in these lands that he lived his last moments. I send my condolences to Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie and their children and my most affectionate thoughts at this painful time."[38]
  • Reza Pahlavi issued, "The late King Constantine was a man of great integrity who served his people and his nation. From a young age, I was witness to the warmth His late Majesty and Queen Anne-Marie showed my parents and the affection they had for our nation. Our families always felt a special bond as the children of two of the world's greatest civilizations. In the years since the tragic change in our own country, I had the occasion to visit with the late King on many occasions and I will always remember our time together fondly. I offer my sincere condolences to Her Majesty Queen Anne Marie, His Highness Crown Prince Pavlos, Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain, and the Greek people for their loss.."[39]
  • Empire of Brazil The Vassouras line of the House of Orléans-Braganza, who are one of the claimants to the Brazilian throne, commented, "The Brazilian Imperial Family and the Greek Royal Family have always maintained good relations, and their members meet at official ceremonies and family reunions. Therefore, Prince Dom Bertrand of Orleans and Bragança, Head of the Imperial House of Brazil, after being informed of the passing of King Constantine II, his distant cousin, sent on Wednesday, January 11, a message of condolence to his son and dynastic successor Prince Pavlos, Chief of the Royal House of Greece."[40]

Others

  • International Olympic Committee In a statement on its website IOC President Thomas Bach said, "In King Constantine we have lost a great friend of sport. He was a fellow Olympic Champion and, whenever we met, we shared our passion about sport and discussed our love of Olympism and the life of an athlete. He was always interested in the development of the Olympic Movement, and our conversations were very enriching. I will greatly miss these always friendly meetings. Our thoughts are with Queen Anne-Marie and with the entire family." The IOC also announced the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days as a "mark of respect".[41]
  • United States John Koudounis of the National Hellenic Museum stated, "On behalf of the Koudounis family and the National Hellenic Museum, I wish to express my sincere condolences to my dear friend, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, the creator of Resilience, on the passing of his father, HM King Constantine II. Our sympathies are with HM Queen Anne-Marie, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Tatiana, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal and their families."[42][importance?]
  • Turkey Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I sent a condolence letter to Crown Prince Pavlos and spoke with him over the phone. He also performed a Trisagion prayer during a memorial service in Constantine's honour.[43]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Death
  2. ^ a b c Funeral
  3. ^ Burial

References

  1. ^ a b "Former king of Greece, Constantine II, dies at 82". ABC News (Australia). Reuters. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. ^ Moore, Matthew (11 January 2023). "Heartbreak for King Charles and Prince William following death of Constantine II". Hello!. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Former King Constantine: The rare outing in the centre of Athens with his family". Greek City Times. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Update on King Constantine's health as his family remain at his hospital bedside". Greek City Times. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Former King Constantine will be buried in Tatoi as a private citizen - Funeral details". Greek City Times. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Last king of Greece Constantine II dies in hospital". Nine News. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "Mitsotakis reacts to death of former king Constantine". Ekathimerini.com. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Constantine II, last king of Greece dies at 82". BBC News.
  9. ^ "Greece's last king, Constantine II, dies at 82". Politico.
  10. ^ "Last king of Greece, Constantine II, dies aged 82". The Guardian. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Regele Constantin al II-lea al elenilor a trecut la Domnul". romaniaregala.ro.
  12. ^ a b "Grand Duke George offers condolences". instagram.com.
  13. ^ a b "Greece's last king Constantine II to be buried privately in Athens". Reuters. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  14. ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (11 January 2023). "Former King Constantine to be Buried in Greece as Private Citizen". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Post by The Royal Watcher". Twitter.com.
  16. ^ a b "PM Mitsotakis' concessions to royalists, upgrades Constantine's funeral". keeptalkinggreek.com. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  17. ^ a b Nellas, Demetris (15 January 2023). "Greek police finalize security plan for ex-king's funeral". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  18. ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (13 January 2023). "Greece to Become Royal Hub for Former King Constantine's Funeral". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  19. ^ Tsiliopoulos (13 January 2023). "Former King Constantine: Will he lie in state? – The officials who will attend the funeral". New Greek Television. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Deputy PM Pikrammenos to also represent gov't at ex-king's funeral". eKathimerini.com. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Τη Δευτέρα στη Μητρόπολη Αθηνών η κηδεία του τέως βασιλιά Kωνσταντίνου". HuffPost (in Greek). 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Los Reyes Felipe VI y Letizia coincidirán con Don Juan Carlos en el funeral del rey Constantino de Grecia". Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Τέως βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Ποιοι θα δώσουν το «παρών» στην κηδεία – Η λίστα με τους επίσημους προσκεκλημένους". Enikos.gr (in Greek). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Τέως βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Ποιοι θα δώσουν το «παρών» στην κηδεία – Η λίστα με τους επίσημους προσκεκλημένους". Enikos.gr (in Greek). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  25. ^ a b c "H.M. Dronningen, H.K.H. Kronprinsen og H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte deltager i Kong Konstantin II af Grækenlands begravelse". Kongehuset.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h "Τέως βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Ποιοι θα δώσουν το «παρών» στην κηδεία – Η λίστα με τους επίσημους προσκεκλημένους". Enikos.gr (in Greek). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  27. ^ a b "Koningspaar en Beatrix naar begrafenis Griekse oud-koning". Ad.nl (in Dutch). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Kronprinsparet deltar i begravelsen til gresk ekskonge". NRK Nyheter (in Norwegian). Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  29. ^ "Officiella program". Kungahuset.se (in Swedish).
  30. ^ Leslau, Tania (14 January 2023). "Prince William and Princess Kate to travel to Greece for royal funeral - report". Hello!. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  31. ^ "Officiella program".
  32. ^ "Τέως Βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Toυλάχιστον 20 γαλαζοαίματοι στην κηδεία- Αναλυτικά ποιοι θα έρθουν στην Ελλάδα". Skai.gr (in Greek). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  33. ^ Hurtado, Alexandra (13 January 2023). "Greek princess pens moving tribute to late father-in-law Constantine II: 'You are so missed'". Hola!. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  34. ^ "My sincere condolences to the Greek Royal Family for the passing of His Majesty King Constantine II". @princeleka.
  35. ^ "H.M. Kong Konstantin II af Grækenland er død". kongehuset.dk.
  36. ^ "Regele Constantin al II-lea al elenilor a trecut la Domnul". romaniaregala.ro.
  37. ^ "CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER'S CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF KING CONSTANTINE II OF GREECE". Olympics.com.
  38. ^ "PRINCE JEAN, COUNT OF PARIS OFFERS CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF KING CONSTANTINE II OF GREECE". instagram.com.
  39. ^ "REZA PAHLAVI OFFERS CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF KING CONSTANTINE II OF GREECE". instagram.com.
  40. ^ @promonarquia (14 January 2023). "His Majesty King Constantine II of the Hellenes, who reigned over Greece between 1964 and 1973, died last Tuesday" – via Instagram.
  41. ^ "IOC expresses grief on the death of Honorary Member HM King Constantine". royalfamily.org/.
  42. ^ @hellenicmuseum (12 January 2023). "May King Constantine's memory be eternal" – via Instagram.
  43. ^ "Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew performed Trisagion for former King Constantine in Fanari". 12 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
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