King constantine ii autobiography

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Due to political concerns in Egypt, the family had to relocate again, settling in South Africa for much of the war.

These formative years were marked by frequent moves and uncertainty, as Constantine rarely saw his father, Paul, who left for England to join the Greek government-in-exile. He received a private funeral in Athens and was buried at Tatoi, alongside his ancestors.

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The family’s permanent residence shifted to Tatoi Palace, north of Athens. Although he received a monetary settlement, the verdict did not force Greece to return the real estate itself.

Additionally, a 1994 law stripped the former king of his citizenship unless he accepted the republic’s constitution and used a personal surname.

Constantine received a broad education supervised by British tutors and, later, at the Anávryta lyceum, where he prepared for eventual responsibilities tied to the Greek throne.

Education, Military Service, and Athletic Pursuits

From a young age, Crown Prince Constantine was groomed for leadership by attending the Anávryta boarding school, an institution influenced by the educational ideals of Kurt Hahn.

By this point, he had publicly vowed not to seek a restoration of the monarchy. This time, Constantine was prevented from returning to Greece to campaign. His death marked the definitive closing of a royal chapter that once shaped the nation’s trajectory.

Summary

Constantine II, born on 2 June 1940, served as the last King of Greece from 6 March 1964 until the monarchy’s formal abolition on 1 June 1973.

Despite an auspicious beginning, the new king soon discovered that Greece’s political waters were far from calm, foreshadowing the turbulence that would characterize his reign.

The “Apostasia” of 1965 and Growing Tensions

Constantine’s optimism was tested by a political crisis in 1965 that Greeks came to call the “Apostasia.” This period began when the king and Prime Minister Papandreou disagreed on how to handle potential military involvement in politics—specifically the ASPIDA affair, in which military personnel allegedly tried to counterbalance right-wing extremism.

Constantine was stripped of his Greek citizenship in 1994. His childhood residence at Tatoi Palace, along with other estates, became the subject of controversy when authorities nationalized them. Since the family were at risk of being captured by German forces, King George II ordered his brother – and heir to the throne – Paul to seek sanctuary in Alexandria, Egypt.

The family of Prince Constantine subsequently left Alexandria for Cape Town, South Africa, where they lived under the protection of the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, Jan Christian Smuts.

His children established lives of their own across Europe, with some returning periodically for personal occasions.

After decades of exile—mainly in London—Constantine II moved back to Athens in 2013. A subsequent referendum, held under the military regime, confirmed this act, although Constantine disputed its legitimacy.

In 1974, following the dictatorship’s collapse, the restored democratic government organized another referendum on the monarchy’s future.

Constantine II: The Last King of Modern Greece

Constantine II’s life traversed eras of war, civil strife, dictatorship, and a final acceptance of republican governance. Constantine was laid to rest next to his parents at Tatoi.

What was his early life like?

Born in Athens in 1940, he was the only son of Crown Prince Paul and Crown Princess Frederica.

Although he spent decades in exile, his influence on modern Greek history endures. Lacking loyal military support, he reluctantly endorsed the junta government. During his student years, he also took part in numerous official engagements, accompanying his parents – King Paul I and Queen Frederica – on state visits to Italy, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Lebanon, Ethiopia, India, and Thailand.

King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie

Constantine II, King of the Hellenes; also known as Constantine XIII,  is the only son of King Paul I and Princess Frederika, daughter of the Duke of Brunswick, Head of the Royal House of Hanover.

The junta in June 1973 established a republic and put an end to the Greek Monarchy. If the people of my country are happy � no matter what happens to my situation � that is important." Constantine II

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A staunch anti-communist many Greeks blame him and the Americans for the constitutional crisis which caused the collapse of the government of George Papandreou that preceded the 1967 military dictatorship in 1967.

"I hope that my people would live in peace, prosperity and harmony.

The Greek government, maintaining its republican stance, refused to hold a state funeral.

Nevertheless, leading monarchs of Europe, including King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, attended the funeral at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. After the overthrow of the junta in 1974, the Greek people voted against restoring the monarchy.