The year started with sorrow for the Greek Royal Family with the death of King Constantine II at the age of 82.
The former King of the Hellenes had been in bad health for years, and he was admitted to the intensive care unit of Hygiea Hospital in Athens on 6th January.
Constantine was in critical condition after suffering a stroke, and he died four days later on 10th January.
Embed from Getty ImagesRepresentatives from current and former monarchies travelled to Athens to attend the funeral of King Constantine, who was denied a state funeral by the Greek government. He was buried at Tatoi Palace beside his parents.
The rest of 2023 went by without much fanfare, although Queen Anne-Marie’s lost wedding dress was finally found after it was missing for decades. It was found in Tatoi Palace during renovations late in 2023 as the building prepares to become a hotel and spa.
Crown Prince Pavlos, who is now head of the Greek Royal Family, also stepped in for his cousin, King Charles III, to accept the Athenagoras Human Rights Award on behalf of The Prince’s Trust. Pavlos is the Vice President of the Prince’s Trust International.
King Charles III said in a statement: “I am particularly delighted that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Pavlos, Vice President of Prince’s Trust International, has agreed to receive the Athenagoras Human Rights Award.”
Pavlos and his wife, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, also represented the Greek monarchy on the international stage with their attendance, alongside Queen Anne-Marie, at King Charles’s Coronation and the 18th birthday celebrations of Prince Christian of Denmark.
Other members of the Greek Royal Family took part in charity events back in Greece, a subtle nod to their beloved father who now rests in a cemetery back in his homeland after years of exile.
As Crown Prince Pavlos told King Constantine during his eulogy at the late monarch’s funeral, “This is not the end, father.”
The end it is not. The Greek Royal Family honored King Constantine’s legacy throughout 2023 and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the years ahead.
