On January 10, Constantine of Greece, who was the last king of the country in the mid-sixties of the last century, died in Athens at the age of 82.
Younger brother of Queen Sofía, he was crowned in 1964 —on the death of his father, Paul I— and the 1967 military coup d'état ended his reign, forcing him to go into exile first to Rome and then to London.
His royal title was abolished in 1973 and in 1994 he even lost his Greek nationality;
in fact, he was not able to return to his native country until 2013. And, finally, it was there that he died less than a week ago and where his burial and funeral is celebrated this Monday before more than 1,500 guests, including members of the royal families of all of Europe, from Princess Anne of England (King Charles III's sister) to Queen Margaret of Denmark (Constantine's sister-in-law),
the kings Máxima and Guillermo of Holland and the kings of Spain, both Felipe and Letizia (without their daughters) as well as the emeritus Juan Carlos and Sofía.
It is the first time that the four kings have met publicly since Elizabeth II's funeral, held in London last September.
On this occasion, the emeritus kings have not sat next to Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, but have been placed on facing benches.
The emeritus have been in the second row, after the main members of the Greek family, and the current kings in front, in the first row along with other sovereigns such as Felipe and Matilda of Belgium or Alberto de Monaco.
held in London last September.
On this occasion, the emeritus kings have not sat next to Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, but have been placed on facing benches.
The emeritus have been in the second row, after the main members of the Greek family, and the current kings in front, in the first row along with other sovereigns such as Felipe and Matilda of Belgium or Alberto de Monaco.
held in London last September.
On this occasion, the emeritus kings have not sat next to Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, but have been placed on facing benches.
The emeritus have been in the second row, after the main members of the Greek family, and the current kings in front, in the first row along with other sovereigns such as Felipe and Matilda of Belgium or Alberto de Monaco.
The emeritus kings have arrived at the metropolitan cathedral of Athens, where the office is held, just 15 minutes before it started, accompanied by Irene of Greece —sister of Sofia and Constantine— and her two daughters, Elena and Cristina.
They were also accompanied by their six children: Felipe Juan Froilán and Victoria Federica Maichalar, children of the Infanta Elena and Jaime de Marichalar;
and Juan Valentín, Pablo, Miguel and Irene, children of the Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin.
The last king of the Greeks, Constantine II, died in Athens on Tuesday at the age of 82.
His life was marked by the loss of the throne and exile.
In the image, the kings of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, inside the cathedral of Athens. STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
General view of the funeral in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Antenas.
In the first row, the family of the late Constantine.
To his left, the current heads of state, and behind the former kings and heirs to the throne.
STOYAN NENOV (AFP)
The eldest son of Constantine of Greece, Pablo, in his day heir to the country, and his mother, who was queen of Greece, Ana María, give thanks this Monday at the entrance of the cathedral.
Constantine's title was abolished in 1973 and he lost his Greek nationality in 1994 after refusing to have a passport with a civilian surname, arguing that his name was "Constantine of Greece".
The Greek Republic replied that this was not a valid surname because the Constitution prohibits titles of nobility.
Petros Giannakouris (AP)
The emeritus kings of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sofía, talk inside the metropolitan cathedral of Athens.
STOYAN NENOV / POOL (EFE)
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, sister-in-law of Constantine (Anna Maria is her younger sister) follows the religious service in the cathedral of Athens. STOYAN NENOV (AFP)
From the left, in the first row, the former Queen of Greece, Ana María;
her eldest son, Pablo;
his wife, Marie-Chantal.
Behind them, the emeritus kings of Spain and Irene, sister of Queen Sofía. STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
The former queen consort of Greece, Ana Maria, during the funeral in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, this Monday. STOYAN NENOV (AP)
The kings of Sweden, Carlos and Silvia, arrive at the cathedral for the religious service.
YANNIS KOLESIDIS (EFE)
The kings of Spain, Letizia and Felipe, greet their arrival at the cathedral, this Monday.
LOUIZA VRADI (REUTERS)
The crown princes of Norway, Haakon and Mette-Marit, upon arrival at the funeral. Petros Giannakouris (AP)
Alexander and Katherine, who were princes of Serbia, greet outside the cathedral.LOUIZA VRADI (REUTERS)
The kings of Spain, Letizia and Felipe, during the funeral.
STOYAN NENOV (AFP)
Alexia of Greece, daughter of Constantine II, upon her arrival at the cathedral. Petros Giannakouris (AP)
The emeritus kings Juan Carlos I and Sofía, together with Irene, Sofía's sister.
Behind them, the infantas Elena and Cristina, this Monday at the funeral.
The last king of Greece was born on the outskirts of Athens in 1940. The only son of Kings Paul and Frederick of Greece, he belonged to the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a branch of the Danish Oldenburg dynasty.
Doña Sofía, queen emeritus of Spain, who was very close to him, and Irene were his sisters.
STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
Princess Anne of England, sister of King Charles III, attends the funeral at Athens Cathedral.
Constantine was crowned king in 1964 on the death of his father, and that same year he married Anne-Marie of Denmark.
In an unstable Greece, his reign ended up engulfed by the political crisis and the military coup in 1967. STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
Prince Albert of Monaco greets Queen Emeritus of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix, at the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral on Monday before her funeral.
After the coup, he went into exile in Rome and later in the United Kingdom.
In 1974, after the fall of the dictatorship, Constantine tried to return to Greece.
His attempt ran into a referendum to choose between the monarchy or the republic.
69.2% of Greeks preferred not to have a king again. STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
Princess Irene of Greece (in the center), with her niece, Infanta Cristina.
Although it took him almost 40 years to return to reside in Greece - in 2013 he settled in Porto Jeli, an opulent town in the Peloponnese - Constantine's return was gradual.
VLACHOS ALEXANDROS (EFE)
The kings of Belgium, Felipe and Matilde, arrive at the cathedral of Athens this Monday. STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
The emeritus kings of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Sofía, together with Princess Irene of Greece, the princesses Elena and Cristina and their children. VLACHOS ALEXANDROS (EFE)
Pablo of Greece (second from the right), and his brothers, princes Felipe and Nicholas, follow their father's coffin this Monday before the funeral in the cathedral.ARIS MESSINIS (AFP)
Several citizens pay their respects to Constantine in the chapel of San Eleftherios, this Monday.
LOUISA GOULIAMAKI (AFP)
A photograph of Constantine II and his wife Anna Maria hangs from a Greek national flag in the chapel of Saint Eleftherios in Athens on Monday.
ANGELOS TZORTZINIS (AFP)
Citizens queue to pay their respects to the former monarch at the chapel of Saint Eleftherios in Athens before his funeral on Monday.
Nick Palaeologos (Getty Images)
In the image, two men before the coffin of the ex-monarch in the chapel of San Eleftherios in Athens, this Monday.
ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS (REUTERS)
Floral wreaths in the chapel of Saint Eleftherios before Constantine's funeral in Athens. Nick Paleologos (Getty Images)
A woman holds a Greek flag as she waits to say a final farewell to the former king in the Saint Eleftherios chapel before his funeral.
Petros Giannakouris (AP)
Transfer of the coffin of Constantine of Greece to the chapel of Saint Eleftherios in Athens before the funeral. STOYAN NENOV (REUTERS)
After Constantine's funeral, the burial will take place in what was once the royal palace of Tatoi, today a semi-abandoned residence (which suffered a serious fire in the summer of 2021) owned by the Greek State.
The Spanish Royal Family, very close to the Greek family due to their family ties, will travel there for the burial of the former king.
The kings Felipe and Letizia arrived in Athens on Sunday night, where they attended a dinner organized at the King George hotel for heads of state.
At that dinner, Queen Letizia was seen with Marie-Chantal Miller, wife of Pablo de Grecia, with whom she left arm in arm and chatting amicably, thus staging the end of a dispute that began five years ago.
After the entry of all the children and grandchildren of Constantine and Margaret of Denmark, the queen who has been on the throne of a European country for the longest time (half a century) and sister-in-law of Constantine, the last to arrive at the metropolitan cathedral of Athens has been Anne-Marie of Greece, widow of Constantine.
Very moved, with a hand on her chest, Ana María (received by her son Pablo, who has welcomed all those present) wanted to thank the Athenian citizens who gathered at the doors of the temple to say goodbye to their late husband.