Greece’s former King Constantine II dies at 82Yesterday

Greece’s former king Constantine II, whose nine-year reign coincided with one of the turbulent intervals within the nation’s political historical past, died on Tuesday aged 82, state web site ERT information reported.

Constantine II, the one son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, ascended to the throne in 1964 after his father died, however his reign was marred by political instability, which culminated in a navy coup on April 21, 1967.

Just a few months later, he was compelled to flee the nation after main an unsuccessful countercoup towards the then navy junta.

He remained in Rome till the junta abolished the monarchy in 1973.

In a referendum known as by a nationwide unity authorities led by Konstantinos Karamanlis after the autumn of the junta in 1974, Greeks rejected monarchy for a second time, making Constantine the final king of Greece. Athens later stripped him of his citizenship.

In 2002, he and different members of the family have been compensated with €13.7-million for his or her former property in Greece, which incorporates the Tatoi palace property north of Athens that’s at the moment being restored, and a villa in Corfu, the place Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born, now changed into a museum.

Together with his spouse Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, the previous king, a sailor whose workforce gained a gold medal on the 1960 Olympics, had 5 kids. Constantine, Prince William’s godfather, and his household had lived in London for years, earlier than returning to Greece.

In his final public look within the centre of Athens final 12 months, the previous king was seen in a wheelchair and with nasal catheters, accompanied by his sister, the previous queen of Spain Sofia, and different members of the family.

Affected by power coronary heart and mobility issues, the previous king’s well being situation had worsened and he had been hospitalized a number of instances in latest months.