Greece’s former and last king Constantine II passes away

Constantine II, the former and last King of Greece who ruled Greece before the country became a republic in 1974 passed away in Athens, Greece, at 82. He was born of King Paul I, younger brother to King George II, of Greece and German aristocrat Princess Frederica of Hannover, Germany, on 2nd June 1940 in Psikhikó near Athens, Greece.

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About Constantine II:

• When Constantine was an infant, the royal family fled Greece during the German invasion of World War II, moving to Alexandria (Egypt), South Africa. They returned to Greece in 1946.
• Constantine II, the 2nd cousin of Britain’s King Charles III, is the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, he ascended to the throne in 1964 at the age of 23 after the demise of his father. His reign was marred by political instability, culminating in a military coup on 21st April 1967. A military coup was launched as a result of the episode involving the defection of numerous lawmakers from the ruling party, which is widely known as the “apostasy” in Greece. He remained in Rome until the regime abolished the monarchy in 1973.
• He married Princess Anne­Marie of Denmark in 1964.
• At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he participated in sailing and won a gold medal in the Dragon class along with 2 other Greek sailors.
• He was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee and became an IOC Member in 1963 and served until 1974. He was then made an Honorary Member. During his tenure, he served on the Commission for the International Olympic Academy from 1967­73.
• Most of his life went into exile where he lived in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, United Kingdom (UK).

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