RIP King Constantine

[onar]

He will be buried at Tatoi. I do not think the government would object to that. Tatoi may be a public estate, but all his ancestors are buried there and it was Constantine’s wish.

The rest of the family’s requests however, are unreasonable and I stand by that. Greece has held some state funerals for great actors who have offered a lot of the arts and Greece’s international reputation. There have been state funerals for some politicians and heads of state.

However, while Constantine was a head of state, his case is different. He was a king, deposed an elected government, sworn-in the military junta, and then had a Pikachu face when they told him to get lost. The monarchy was abolished in 1974. Constantine hasn’t been a head of state in 59 years. He’s not even a Greek citizen. He has no Greek passport. He’s part of history, but that history is done and dusted.

The family’s wishes show blatant ignorance on their side IMO, and though royalists worship them, and we do have a lot of royalists in Greece I think, satisfying those wishes is like a middle finger to the Constitution and the history of Greece with Constantine. He was dignified, but he looted the palace when he left, lobbied foreign governments and royal families, and Greek royalist politicians after the referendum in 1974, trying to reinstate the monarchy. He sued Greece and received over 13 million euros in 2003 as compensation.

The family is rich enough to host royals who wish to attend the funeral, provide accommodation and transportation and private security. They did it for Nick’s and Philippos’ weddings, they can do it now.

If they want to demonstrate their ignorance and disrespect for Greece, they will make arrangements with the Church without the government’s agreement, and force the government to satisfy their wishes. We don’t need that. Nobody needs that. There are more important problems.

Which citizenship did he have?

I think he was traveling with Danish passport.

[dKaren]

Normally countries have protocols for the funerals of former Heads of State and Government, and the Greek government should adhere to what it normally does with former Heads of State which will be something in between a grand state funeral and a normal funeral. From what the media explain, burial on Tatoi is not a problem.

The decisions of the Greek government will mark how big the funeral is, and how many members of royalty attend because it is the Greek government who must give them security.

Never a former Greek Head of State had several foreign Heads of State attending their funerasl, so the security bill will be huge. Also Greek government will need to provide parking space for official airplanes of Heads of State.

[Ghost]

Normally countries have protocols for the funerals of former Heads of State and Government, and the Greek government should adhere to what it normally does with former Heads of State which will be something in between a grand state funeral and a normal funeral. From what the media explain, burial on Tatoi is not a problem.

The decisions of the Greek government will mark how big the funeral is, and how many members of royalty attend because it is the Greek government who must give them security.

Never a former Greek Head of State had several foreign Heads of State attending their funerasl, so the security bill will be huge. Also Greek government will need to provide parking space for official airplanes of Heads of State.

Parking the planes is easy: they disembark and go to another, less busy airport to park. It’s a quite simple planning thing.

[Zazoo]

Well all considered I think there has to be a compromise, considering that there is a great possibility of a big group of important people getting down in greece, the government has to pay for security, I don’t think there is a way around it.The family has to land from whatever lala land they are up to and paid for the funeral he is a private citizen, at least according to the greek state. I don’t think that a laying in state is a smart move, the generation that lived during that times is still alive and not many people harbour good feelings for him and younger people don’t seem to care. So a big funeral from family with periferical cost from the government is the best IMO.

[jessmie]

Have there been any former presidents of Greece who passed away? How was it done for them?
He is a former head of state for Greece, whatever protocol there’s in place for a former head of state should apply to him also. Of course, the people’s mood should be taken into account, and the scale and spectacle tempered accordingly.

Some had a state funeral, but never lied-in-state, and some families declined state funerals because either the deceased didn’t want one, or the families believed it would be too costly when the country was going through a financial crisis.

Those state funerals though were of presidents of Greece who became heads of state of the republic. Constantine was a king during the monarchy which was abolished in 1974. If all heads of state should have state funerals, should Greece had given a state funeral to Papadopoulos, the dictator and head of state during the military junta? No.

Constantine is a part of history but he was a private citizen. He was not a king in the last 59 years. Offering a state funeral would be like a big “F U” to our republic. He’s associated with some very dark times in the country’s history, and did not have the country in mind when he was acting to stay as king, no matter the cost.

His family can offer him a private funeral, have him lie in state in the Cathedral just before the funeral, and bury him at Tatoi. Their requests are over the top and unrealistic, and it’s shocking and arrogant that they even made them.

Edit: I am sorry, but I do feel strongly about this. Both my grandfathers were in prison (and tortured and beaten) during the military junta, and modern Greeks unfortunately forget how Constantine and his mother facilitated the coup. His family have all the means to finance their plans, and yet they are acting as if Constantine was a savour and a remarkable head of state.

[onar]

Normally countries have protocols for the funerals of former Heads of State and Government, and the Greek government should adhere to what it normally does with former Heads of State which will be something in between a grand state funeral and a normal funeral. From what the media explain, burial on Tatoi is not a problem.

The decisions of the Greek government will mark how big the funeral is, and how many members of royalty attend because it is the Greek government who must give them security.

Never a former Greek Head of State had several foreign Heads of State attending their funerasl, so the security bill will be huge. Also Greek government will need to provide parking space for official airplanes of Heads of State.

Parking the planes is easy: they disembark and go to another, less busy airport to park. It’s a quite simple planning thing.

I checked the road from the closest (but less known) airport in Athens to the centre of the city (where I assume the funeral will take place) and normally it's 45-50 min but with all the security and extra cars etc I'm sure it would be a nightmare for the people who live in the area - as it is every time we hαve official visits.


I just found this article: https://www.lifo.gr/now/g...afei-sto-tatoi-os-idiotis
He will be buried in Tatoi as a private citizen, the church for the ceremony hasn't been decided yet but that will come after talking between the family and the government. On behalf of the government, there will be Minister of Culture Mrs. Lina Mendoni and as for the officials from abroad every protocol will be enforced.
No mention about the airport, most probably because of security.

The article has a lovely pic of Konstantinos and Anne Marie!

[jessmie]

Normally countries have protocols for the funerals of former Heads of State and Government, and the Greek government should adhere to what it normally does with former Heads of State which will be something in between a grand state funeral and a normal funeral. From what the media explain, burial on Tatoi is not a problem.

The decisions of the Greek government will mark how big the funeral is, and how many members of royalty attend because it is the Greek government who must give them security.

Never a former Greek Head of State had several foreign Heads of State attending their funerasl, so the security bill will be huge. Also Greek government will need to provide parking space for official airplanes of Heads of State.

Parking the planes is easy: they disembark and go to another, less busy airport to park. It’s a quite simple planning thing.

I checked the road from the closest (but less known) airport in Athens to the centre of the city (where I assume the funeral will take place) and normally it's 45-50 min but with all the security and extra cars etc I'm sure it would be a nightmare for the people who live in the area - as it is every time we hαve official visits.


I just found this article: https://www.lifo.gr/now/g...afei-sto-tatoi-os-idiotis
He will be buried in Tatoi as a private citizen, the church for the ceremony hasn't been decided yet but that will come after talking between the family and the government. On behalf of the government, there will be Minister of Culture Mrs. Lina Mendoni and as for the officials from abroad every protocol will be enforced.
No mention about the airport, most probably because of security.

The article has a lovely pic of Konstantinos and Anne Marie!

The right decision, thankfully… (and it’s an election year, so it would have been political suicide to decide differently!)

[Ghost]

Have there been any former presidents of Greece who passed away? How was it done for them?
He is a former head of state for Greece, whatever protocol there’s in place for a former head of state should apply to him also. Of course, the people’s mood should be taken into account, and the scale and spectacle tempered accordingly.

Some had a state funeral, but never lied-in-state, and some families declined state funerals because either the deceased didn’t want one, or the families believed it would be too costly when the country was going through a financial crisis.

Those state funerals though were of presidents of Greece who became heads of state of the republic. Constantine was a king during the monarchy which was abolished in 1974. If all heads of state should have state funerals, should Greece had given a state funeral to Papadopoulos, the dictator and head of state during the military junta? No.

Constantine is a part of history but he was a private citizen. He was not a king in the last 59 years. Offering a state funeral would be like a big “F U” to our republic. He’s associated with some very dark times in the country’s history, and did not have the country in mind when he was acting to stay as king, no matter the cost.

His family can offer him a private funeral, have him lie in state in the Cathedral just before the funeral, and bury him at Tatoi. Their requests are over the top and unrealistic, and it’s shocking and arrogant that they even made them.

Edit: I am sorry, but I do feel strongly about this. Both my grandfathers were in prison (and tortured and beaten) during the military junta, and modern Greeks unfortunately forget how Constantine and his mother facilitated the coup. His family have all the means to finance their plans, and yet they are acting as if Constantine was a savour and a remarkable head of state.

I’m sorry for everything your family and the Greek people have had to endure! I was just a small kid in a communist country at the time, and I take with a huge ladder of salt everything that the communists presented as good.

Is there anything good thet happened to Greece or the Greek people during his reign?

[Principessa]

Wow, I totally missed the news

RIP Constantine!

[Princess MS]

IMO the Greeks should not pay for anything - private family and their arrangements. They have a LOT of money. They cry poor but really ? And no funded security for those coming in

[miliosr]

The best spin I can put on the family's request to the government is that Constantine wanted a state funeral and the family members felt that they had no choice but to ask. The worst spin I can put on this request is that the family is totally delusional as to how a state funeral for Constantine would be received, especially by those who had to live under the fascist junta that Constantine knuckled under to.

I do think it's a bit rich (pun intended) for the family to ask the government to pay for everything given (a) the extreme wealth of two of Constantine's daughter-in-laws, and (b) the massive inflation that has been roiling countries worldwide.

[Principessa]

https://nos.nl/artikel/24...nstantijn-ii-82-overleden


Loosely translated as:

NOS News
•
Yesterday, 23:12

Last Greek king Constantine II (82) died

The last king of Greece, Constantine II, has died at the age of 82. This was announced on Greek television.

Greece became a republic in 1974. Constantine II ascended to the throne in 1964 and had a relatively short reign: he was exiled in 1967 after a coup by conservative army officers. A counter-coup was unsuccessful. Officially he was king until 1973, but the royal family was no longer allowed to set foot on Greek soil.

Constantine II then spent a long time in Italy and England. He had good connections with the British royal family and was godfather to Crown Prince William. Constantijn II was also godfather to the Dutch Prince Constantijn.

The former king spent the last few years in Greece again. "I don't care if I am the head of state or the king of the country or just a simple citizen. Being with Greek people and being in my own country means the most," he said before returning permanently.

Health issues
Constantine II had been struggling with serious health problems for some time and was recently admitted to a hospital in Athens with respiratory problems. His wife, Princess Anne Marie of Denmark, and five children have always been with him, according to Greek media.

[Princess MS]

The best spin I can put on the family's request to the government is that Constantine wanted a state funeral and the family members felt that they had no choice but to ask. The worst spin I can put on this request is that the family is totally delusional as to how a state funeral for Constantine would be received, especially by those who had to live under the fascist junta that Constantine knuckled under to.

I do think it's a bit rich (pun intended) for the family to ask the government to pay for everything given (a) the extreme wealth of two of Constantine's daughter-in-laws, and (b) the massive inflation that has been roiling countries worldwide.

Rich people don't pay - that is for mugs

[Principessa]

https://www.nu.nl/buitenl...p-82-jarige-leeftijd.html


Loosely translated as:

Last Greek king Constantine II dies at age 82

Jan 10, 2023 at 10:28 PM
Update: an hour ago

Constantine II passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82. He was the last king of Greece before the monarchy was abolished there in 1973.
The death of the last Greek king was announced on Greek television. He was admitted last week for breathing problems and eventually died of a stroke. The king died in the presence of his wife and children in a hospital in the capital Athens.

Constantine II came to power in 1964 at the age of 23. At that time he had already won an Olympic gold medal as a sailor and was very popular among the Greek population. He lost much of that support within a year because of his involvement in the movement that overthrew the then government.

This led to a military coup by conservative army officers in 1967, in which Constantine II was exiled by the perpetrators. The king tried to take back power in December of that year, but that attempt failed. He and his wife then fled to Italy.

Constantine could forget about returning due to lack of popularity
The new government led by Georgios Papadopoulos replaced the monarchy with a republic in 1973. A majority of Greek voters approved the new republican constitution.

A year later, democracy was restored in Greece by another coup. Constantine II hoped to be reinstated as king, but a new referendum again showed his lack of popularity: 70 percent of the voters chose a republic.

The expelled royal couple then spent some time in Denmark, but eventually settled in the British capital London. Over the years, Constantine II returned to Greece several times, including for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Nine years later, Constantine II decided to return to Greece permanently. During his time in England, he built up a good relationship with, among others, the British and Spanish royal families. He is a godfather of the British Crown Prince William and of the Dutch Prince Constantijn.


RED: Constantijn is the Dutch version of Constantine

[periwinkle]

I hope the family really isn’t that delusional about their place in society and how people really feel. They should have a nice funeral at that church where the youngest son got married it seemed big enough to hold lots of people and there was a way to have the public and photographers out front with enough space. Then drive to this place Tatoi and have a graveside service with the closest friends and family. Greek tv can show the funeral at the most then back to regular programming. All guests pay for their own rooms and the government foot the security bill. Done. There has to be a balance. Like was said above though Greece’s reputation is riding on the line with an international spotlight on internal squabbles.