In Photos: World Royals Attend King Constantine II's Funeral in Athens, Greece

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece

The funeral of the former King of Greece, Constantine II, was held in Athens on January 16, 2023, Monday, attended by several members of the Royal Houses, reigning and non-reigning, around the world.

King Charles III, who is one of the closest cousins of the late Greek monarch, was unable to attend. He sent his younger sister, Princess Anne, and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, to represent the British royal family instead.

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
The king's coffin brought inside the church

Constantine II of Greece died aged 82 on January 10, 2023, days after he was rushed to the ICU of Hygeia Hospital in Athens due to a stroke. The former monarch had been suffering from poor health and declining mobility in recent years.

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
Funeral service inside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
Funeral service inside the church. Photo: ©detdanskekongehus

Constantine II reigned as King of the Hellenes (Greece) from March 6, 1964, at the age of 23, until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on June 1, 1973. He and his family spent four decades living in exile.

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
The king's three sons, from left: Prince Philippos, Crown Prince Pavlos, and Prince Nikolaos

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
The three sons of King Constantine II

In  2013, he and Queen Anne-Marie moved back to live in Greece permanently. He was the younger brother of Queen Sofia of Spain while his wife is the younger sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Crown Prince Pavlos and his mother Queen Anne-Marie

Royals who attended the funeral

Queen Sofia of Spain led the Spanish royal family to the funeral of her younger brother. Her husband, King Juan Carlos I, their son King Felipe VI and his wife, Letizia, their daughters, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, and their children. In addition to Queen Sofia's sister, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, who is already a Spanish citizen. 

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Queen emerita Sofia and King emeritus Juan Carlos of Spain

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
The Spanish royal family with Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark

The Spanish royal family on their way to the funeral service 

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece welcomed Princess Anne and Sir Tim Laurence

Queen Margrethe II attended the service with her two sons, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Prince Joachim. The Queen's younger sister, Princess Benedikte, also attended with her daughters. 

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium

Other royal attendees: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima, and former Queen Beatrix, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, and Prince Albert II of Monaco. 

Lady Gabriella Windsor represented Prince William 

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who is also a Glucksburg prince, attended with his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and his older sister, Princess Martha Louise. 

Former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, the Romanian royals and the Hanoverian royals who are all cousins of the late king, Queen Noor of Jordan, Lady Gabriella Windsor who represented Prince William, and other aristocrats and royals from different royal houses.

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden

“By the grace of God, you drew your last breath in our country, which you always loved above all else throughout your life,” Constantine II's eldest sonCrown Prince Pavlos, said in the eulogy to his father. Then he said to his siblings and the king's grandchildren: “ready, as you had always been, to offer Greece whatever the country asks of us.”

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands with his wife, Queen Maxima, and his mother, the former Queen Beatrix. Photo: Getty Images

No state funeral

The funeral arrangements sparked controversy in Greece.  Unlike his first cousin, King Michael I of Romania, who was also forced to abdicate in 1947, and who was given a state funeral by the Romanian government in December 2017, King Constantine II, despite being a former head of state of Greece, was not. 

The young King Constantine II of Greece
The young King Constantine II 

The young King Constantine II of Greece
The young King Constantine II 

The Greek government did not accord him the honors usually given to former heads of state, instead, announce Constantine would be buried as a private citizen at Tatoi Palace, which angered some Greek citizens and royalists.

“He should be given credit for something that other deposed monarchs have not done: he never threatened, challenged or undermined the state not headed by a king after he was dethroned,” said Thanassis Diamantopoulos, a political science professor at Athens’ Panteion University“He accepted the 1974 referendum. He did not create a party of monarchy nostalgics. ... Thus, with his silence, he contributed to cementing the new system of government.”

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Anne, the Princess Royal

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Queen Margrethe II and her sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim
©detdanskekongehus 
Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Crown Prince Pavlos and Prince Albert II of Monaco

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Princess Benedikte, older sister of Queen Anne-Marie

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
King emeritus Juan Carlos of Spain, Queen Sofia, Princess Irene

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Royals at the funeral service

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Danish and Swedish royals at the steps of the cathedral

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima

Crown Prince Pavlos hugged his cousin tightly, King Felipe VI of Spain

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Sons of Crown Prince Pavlos from left: Prince Aristides, Prince Achileas, and Prince Odysseus 

Prime Minister Mitsotakis defended the move, saying that the former monarch was the leader of the "Kingdom of Greece, which no longer exists."

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Katerina Sakellaropoulou did not attend the funeral service at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Queen Anne-Marie and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

The Greek government was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos and the country's Culture and Sports Minister Lina Mendoni. And as they arrived for the funeral at the cathedral, they were booed by a crowd outside the church. 

Thousands of people queued for hours outside an adjacent chapel, where Constantine's coffin, draped in a Greek flag, was placed, to pay their last respects. And chanted "long live the King!" 

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence. Photo: Getty Images

Queen Noor attends King Constantine II of Greece funeral
Queen Noor of Jordan. Photo: Getty Images

“He was a former high-level official to whom we should certainly show the necessary honors, a person who is serious, who is noble, who is decent,” said lawyer Giannis Katsiavos, who was among the crowd. “We will remember him forever.”

funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
The former king's coffin outside the cathedral

The large crowd who waited patiently for hours to bid their former king goodbye suggested that Constantine II was still very much loved by the people in Greece.

Funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
From left: Queen Anne-Marie and her daughters - Princess Alexia and Princess Theodora 

Funeral of King Constantine II of Greece
The king's daughters in law: Marie-Chantal, Tatiana, and Nina 

In addition, Constantine II while still the Crown Prince won gold during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, in the sailing event. 

The King's sisters, Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Irene 

He was also a lifetime honorary member of the International Olympic Committee and presented Olympic medals during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. 

He had charities established and organizations supported that aim to help improve Greece and the lives of Greeks in general. 

Funeral of King Constantine II in Greece
Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie  were married for 58 years. ©detdanskekongehus 

Sending our sympathy and condolences to the Greek royal family. May His Majesty rest in eternal peace.

Now, the headship of the defunct Royal House of Glucksburg Greek branch is inherited by his eldest son, Pavlos, the last Crown Prince of Greece, and who is also now the titular King of Greece. 

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