Former King Constantine II, who briefly reigned in Greece during the 1960s, died Tuesday in Athens at the age of 82, Greek public broadcaster ERT announced.
The former king “died (…) after a brain attack,” announced the ERT. He had been hospitalized in Athens last week for respiratory problems, according to Greek media.
A descendant of the royal family of Schleswig-Holstein-Glücksburg, Constantine was a cousin of the British King Charles III and godfather to his son William. He was also the brother of Sofía, the mother of King Felipe VI of Spain.
The monarchy in Greece was abolished by referendum in 1974, ending the dynasty established in 1863 by Constantine II’s great-grandfather, George I.
Constantine II had acceded to the throne at the age of 23, in 1964, in one of the most turbulent periods in contemporary Greek history.
The political crises of the time created ripe ground for a coup, appointed by the colonels, in April 1967, and the seven-year junta the CIA was accused of supporting.
According to later released US diplomatic documents, Constantine attempted to impose martial law in 1967 to prevent the return of Georges Papandréou, or Socialist son Andreas, elected prime minister 15 years later.
He left the country in 1968 and lived in London for 40 years before returning to Greece in 2013.
Married to Anne-Marie, sister of Queen Margaret II of Denmark, they have five children.
Source: TSF
