Constantine II of Greece

Constantine II of Greece was the last King of the Hellenes, reigning from 1964 until the monarchy's abolition in 1973. His rule was defined by intense political conflict with elected governments, culminating in a military coup and his eventual exile. Although he returned to Greece in later life as a private citizen, his reign remains a controversial chapter in modern Greek history.

Early life and accession

Born at the Psychiko suburb of Athens, he was the only son of King Paul of Greece and Queen Frederica of Hanover. His early education was conducted at the Anavryta experimental school before he pursued military training at the academies of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force. He also attended the NATO Air Force Special Weapons School in Germany and represented Greece in sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal. Constantine ascended to the throne on 6 March 1964 following the death of his father, amid a period of significant political polarization between the centrist Center Union party of Georgios Papandreou and the conservative National Radical Union.

Reign and political turmoil

His reign began with the Center Union holding a strong parliamentary majority, but a swift and profound conflict, known as the "Apostasia," erupted between the young king and Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou over control of the military. This crisis led to a period of unstable governments and heightened political tension. On 21 April 1967, a group of middle-ranking army officers led by Georgios Papadopoulos staged the military coup, seizing power. Initially, Constantine reluctantly endorsed the junta in an attempt to control it, but his failed counter-coup attempt on 13 December 1967 forced him to flee with his family to Rome.

Exile and later life

From Rome, he remained the nominal head of state until the junta unilaterally abolished the monarchy in 1973. The subsequent fall of the junta and the restoration of democracy in 1974 was followed by a referendum that confirmed the abolition of the monarchy, establishing the Third Hellenic Republic. Constantine spent decades in exile, primarily in London, where he was a close friend of his cousin Charles III. A 1994 law stripped him of his Greek citizenship and property unless he adopted a surname; he later sued the Greek state at the European Court of Human Rights over the seizure of the Tatoi Palace estate. He returned to Greece permanently in 2013, living privately in Porto Cheli and Athens.

Personal life and family

In 1964, he married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, youngest sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The wedding took place in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens and was a major event, attended by numerous European royals including The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Sophia of Spain. The couple had five children: Alexia, Pavlos, Nikolaos, Theodora, and Philippos. His extended family includes many European royals, and his son Pavlos is the current head of the former royal house.

Legacy and honors

Constantine's legacy is complex, viewed by supporters as a constitutional monarch caught in an impossible political situation and by critics as a contributor to the instability that led to the Greek junta. He was the last reigning monarch from the House of Glücksburg in Greece. Among his honors were the Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer and he was a Knight of the Order of the Elephant in Denmark. His death in Athens in 2023 was marked by a funeral service at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, attended by royalty including Charles III and Felipe VI, but without official state honors from the Hellenic Republic.

Category:1940 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Kings of Greece Category:Greek royalty