Greek PM expresses condolences to family of former King Constantine

Athens, Jan 11 (EFE).- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitstakis expressed his condolences Wednesday to the family of former King Constantine II, who died the night before in Athens, speaking of the former monarch’s “discrete attitude” following the monarchy’s abolition.

“The path of the former king was marked by turbulent moments in the modern history of the country. Of wounds that were healed by the decision, the free conscience and the maturity of our people. But also by the discreet attitude of himself in all the years after the dictatorship,” Mitstotakis said.

With his death, the epilogue of a chapter that closed “definitely with the 1974 referendum” was written, the conservative prime minister said, speaking of the moment Greece, following years of dictatorship, decided with a 69.2 percent majority to abolish the monarchy.

Greece will decide Wednesday morning at an inter-ministerial meeting what funeral ritual it will grant the former king, although it is already almost certain the burial will take place in the cemetery of the royal estates of Tatoi, on the outskirts of Athens. There lay the tomb of his father, King Paul I and his mother, Queen Frederica of Hanover, as well as other members of the Greek royal family.

His family had been with the former monarch for days, including his sisters Queen Sofia and Princess Irene, who had traveled from Spain to be with him.

Although Constantine II was King of Greece for seven years, local media said his burial is most likely not at public expense and with the honors of head of state.

Constantine did not have Greek nationality, since it was withdrawn in 1994 by the socialist government of Andreas Papandreou, as was done with the other members of the country’s royal family. EFE

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