Further concern has arisen for the health of the former King of Greece, Constantine II. Last week King Constantine appeared in public for the first time in months in the centre of Athens with members of the Greek and Spanish royal family.
The 82 year old former king was out for lunch at a favourite restaurant in downtown Athens. He was with his wife, Queen Anne Marie of Greece, and his twos sisters, Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark.
Pictures clearly showed the former monarch looking frail. He is using a wheelchair and was supported by his wife or members of his security team. Greek media reported a total of eight bodyguards looking after the royals.
Concerns for Constantine’s health arose earlier this autumn when he did not attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. It was his wife, Queen Anne Marie, as well as their son Crown Prince Pavlos and his wife Crown Princess Marie-Chantal who represented the Greek royal family during the funeral.
In January this year, the King was hospitalized with Covid-19, but was discharged after a few days. In recent years, the king has struggled a lot with his health and, among other things, has had several minor strokes.
Constantine was King of Greece from 1964 to 1973. In 2018, he was treated for a stroke and in recent times, he has been seen using a wheelchair on rare public outings. Constantine II lived for many years in London with Anne-Marie and their five children before returning to Greece in 2013. The family home is now at Porto Cheli.