The death of Constantine of Greece: Another royal funeral reunites the Spanish royal family

The last time they were all seen together was at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of England in September. That the Spanish royal family appear together is news because King Emeritus Juan Carlos de Borbón He has become a sort of black sheep of the group, self-exiled with his friends in the United Arab Emirates because scandals are raining in the house: complaints of ex-lovers, bribes, etc…

This Monday, on the occasion of the funeral of the last king of Greece, Constantine, everyone -from the current king Felipe VI to his father Juan Carlos, sisters and nieces- they shared a stay in Athens.

There are no minor data, CConstantine was the brother of emeritus Queen Sofia.

more than 1.500 guests and members of most of the European royal houses witnessed the burial in the Tatoi palace of the last king of the Greeks.

As reported this Monday by the El País newspaper of Madrid, among them members of royal families from all over Europe gave gifts from Princess Anne of England (sister of King Carlos III) to Queen Margaret of Denmark (sister-in-law of Constantine) , King Máxima and William of Holland and the kings of Spain, both Felipe and Letizia (without their daughters) and the emeritus Juan Carlos and Sofía.

IS the first time the four kings met publicly since the funeral of Elizabeth II, held in London last September. On this occasion, the kings emeritus they did not sit together Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, but they were placed on opposite desks, reports El País.

And he adds that “the emeritus were in the second row, behind the main members of the Greek family, and the current kings in front, in the front row together with other sovereigns such as Felipe and Matilde of Belgium or Albert of Monaco”. .

The first to arrive at the cathedral were Constantine’s three sons, Paul, Nicholas and Philip, who stood by the coffin as the guests entered.

King Emeritus Juan Carlos I It came with Queen Sofia, and always leaning on his staff. With them, the infantes Elena and Cristina and their children.

The citizens who had gathered next to the temple received the queen emeritus singing “Sofía, Sofía”.

Flanking the coffin on both sides were relatives and monarchs: in the front row, the direct family of the deceased, i.e. his wife, Ana María of Denmark, as well as their children, the aforementioned Pablo, Nicolás, Felipe, besides such as Alexia and Theodora, and their respective partners.

Behind the direct family, sat Queen Sofía and King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, Princess Irene and other family members, mostly grandchildren of the deceased. In the third row other relatives and the infantas.

After Constantine’s funeral, a burial was planned in what was Tatoi Royal Palace, today a semi-abandoned residence (which suffered a major fire in the summer of 2021) owned by the Greek state.

united royal families

The Spanish royal family, very close to the Greek one for their family ties

The Greek government had forbidden Constantine to obtain the honors of head of state, since the monarchy was abolished in Greece in 1974 in a referendum supported by 69.2% of the population.

The coffin had been displayed from six in the morning to half past ten local time in the adjacent chapel of Ayios Eleftherios, to give citizens the opportunity to pay their last respects, a concession made by the Government to the relatives of the deceased, since no public exhibition was planned in principle.

The Greek flag and a wreath were displayed in front of the coffin all decorations which the former king received all his life, including the Order of the Golden Fleece, one of knightly orders oldest and most prestigious in Europe.

The funeral was officiated by the Archbishop of Athens and Primate of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Jerome II, who supported by the entire Holy Synod (episcopal conference) offered a typical private liturgy.

At the end, the eldest son, Paul of Greece, said a few words of remembrance who took the opportunity to recall Constantine’s participation in the Olympic Games in Rome, and to honor his “patriotism” in difficult times for Greece, such as the coup of 1967when – he said – the then king tried to organize a counter-coup which failed and forced him to leave the country, in order not to become “the cause of new bloodshed by remaining in Greece”.

“Always true to your father’s legacy, you have respectfully accepted the decision of the Greek people,” he added, referring to the referendum.

After the Mass, the guests moved on to the cemetery on the former royal estates of Tatoi, where Constantine’s parents, King Paul and Queen Frederick of Hanover, lie as well as other members of the Hellenic royal family.

There, the closest entourage prayed an answer for the deceased in a small chapel located on the estate before joining the rest of the attendees to bury the former king.

Clarín writing with information from EFE and El País of Madrid

ap​