Former King of Greece Constantine Laid to Rest Near Athens

A limited lying-in-state was allowed in the chapel, with members of the public allowed to visit Constantine’s flag-draped coffin from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The private service officiated by Archbishop Ieronymos, head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, began shortly after noon with almost 200 guests attending.

Former Prince Pavlos said in his eulogy: “You will always live on in our thoughts and our hearts, as happens in every Greek family when it loses something precious.”

He spoke of moments in his father’s life, among them winning a gold Olympic medal in 1960, and the influence he exerted so that Athens would assume the organization of the Olympic Games in 2004.

He also referred to the moments that led to the dissolution of democracy in Greece, saying: “From the first moment you resisted strongly and sought ways to overthrow the dictators”.

Pavlos also promised that Constantine’s children and grandchildren will safeguard his legacy and “always offer to the country and to Greece”.

ΒΙΝΤΕΟ: Η εικόνα αυτή τη στιγμή στη Μητρόπολη Αθηνών: Ουρές πολιτών που θέλουν να μπουν στο παρεκκλήσι όπου βρίσκεται η σορός του τέως βασιλιά Κωνσταντίνου Γλύξμπουργκ https://t.co/8A4H8DUuol pic.twitter.com/hvdkPP0w2f

— NEWS 24/7 (@News247gr) January 16, 2023

Europe’s royal families attend the funeral of Constantine

His funeral is attended by close family and members of Europe’s royal families.

Among those attending was Queen Letizia of Spain, with her husband and Constantine’s nephew, King Felipe, as will Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who was his sister-in-law.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, as well as Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, are in attendance.

Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni represented the Greek government at the service. The government last week decided not to grant the ex-king a state funeral.

A reported 1,000 police will be deployed for the funeral service and burial of the former king. Police said 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.”

Constantine died in a hospital last Tuesday at the age of 82. Greece’s monarchy was definitively abolished in a referendum in December 1974 and Constantine spent decades in exile before settling in his home country once more in his waning years.

To his final days, Constantine, while accepting that Greece was now a republic, continued to style himself king of Greece and his children as princes and princesses. For most of his years in exile he lived in London and was said to be especially close to his second cousin, now King Charles III.