Editing Constantine II of Greece (section)

===Visits to Greece===
====12 February 1981====
The first visit of Constantine and the former royal family to Greece took place on 12 February 1981, on the occasion of the funeral of his mother, Frederica. She had died in Madrid on 6 February, and it was the wish of both her and her descendants that she be buried next to her husband in the cemetery of [[Tatoi]]. As soon as Constantine's communication with the government of then Prime Minister [[George Rallis]] about the details of the funeral became known to the press, an intense political dispute erupted. Only six years had passed since the referendum and the controversies between the two sides - pro-royalist and anti-royalist - were still fresh. The opposition even raised the issue of a burial ban, a demand that was clearly illegal but indicative of the polarisation that existed.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=15 January 2023 |title=1981: Το ΠΑΣΟΚ, ο Ανδρέας , η "Αλλαγή" και ο θάνατος της Φρειδερίκης: "Να μην παραστεί κανείς Υπουργός" |url=https://thesocialist.gr/1981-to-pasok-o-andreas-i-allagi-kai-o-thanatos-tis-freiderikis-na-min-parastei-kaneis-ypourgos/ |website=thesocialist.gr |language=Greek |publisher= |trans-title=1981: PASOK, Andreas, "Change" and the death of Frederica: "No Minister should attend"}}</ref> The Rallis government was therefore asked to find a compromise solution.
Although the royal entourage's preference for a [[Lying in state|lay-in-state ceremony]] in [[Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens|Athens metropolitan cathedral]]  followed by a burial in Tatoi, the Rallis government, in the midst of fierce confrontations with the opposition, decided that both the funeral and the burial should take place in Tatoi to avoid the possibility of violent clashes between pro- and anti-royal supporters.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=12 January 2023 |title=Τέως Βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Η κηδεία της μητέρας του, Φρειδερίκης, είχε ανάψει φωτιές |url=https://www.in.gr/2023/01/12/stories/teos-vasilias-konstantinos-kideia-tis-miteras-tou-freiderikis-eixe-anapsei-foties/ |website=in.gr |language=Greek |publisher= |trans-title=Former King Constantine: The funeral of his mother, Frederica, was a firestorm}}</ref> Constantine and his family could only stay on Greek soil for six hours, as long as they needed to carry out their duties. The former royal family arrived at [[Ellinikon International Airport|Ellinikon airport]] and Constantine disembarked, bent down and kissed the ground.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=13 February 1981 |title=Constantine Returns To Greece for 5 Hours For Burial of Mother |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/13/world/constantine-returns-to-greece-for-5-hours-for-burial-of-mother.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |location= |publisher= }}</ref> This token gesture added new fuel to the controversy, with some interpreting it as genuine love of country and others as hypocrisy. The funeral and burial took place under police protection. However, the police were unable to keep the crowds of  supporters of the former king away from the site.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=15 January 2023 |title=Η τελευταία κηδεία στο Τατόι: Η Φρειδερίκη αναπαύθηκε εν πολέμω - Τεθωρακισμένα, βολές του Τύπου και το ΠΑΣΟΚ στα χαρακώματα με την κυβέρνηση Ράλλη |url=https://www.ethnos.gr/history/article/241779/hteleytaiakhdeiastotatoihfreiderikhanapaythhkeenpolemotethorakismenabolestoytypoykaitopasokstaxarakomatamethnkybernhshrallh |website=ethnos.gr |language=Greek |publisher= |trans-title=The last funeral in Tatoi: Frederick rested in war - Armoured vehicles, press shots and PASOK in the trenches with the Rallis government}}</ref>

====August 1993====
{{One source|section|date=January 2025}}
[[File:1993 trip of Constantine II of Greece.png|thumb|right|220px|Map of Constantine's 1993 journey in Greece, starting in Thessaloniki and ending in Neapoli Voion.]]
At the funeral of King [[Baudouin of Belgium]], a private agreement was made between Constantine and the new conservative Greek prime minister, [[Konstantinos Mitsotakis]], that allowed Constantine and his family to temporarily return to Greece on a holiday.<ref name="1993trip">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkA7CC1Y8pA|people=Constantine II; Anne-Marie; Scott, Selina|title=Once A King|date=1993|work=[[Sky News]] via [[YouTube]]|access-date=23 December 2023}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}} Constantine was accompanied by his wife Anne-Marie, their five children, and his sister Irene. The family had decided that yachting around Greece would be the best way to showcase the country to their children, who were unable to grow up within Greece.<ref name="1993trip"/> The opposition claimed that the government was attempting to reinstate the monarchy.<ref name="1993trip"/> On 9 August 1993, the family departed from the UK on two planes, including a jet donated to Constantine by King [[Hussein of Jordan]]. The Greek government was unaware of Constantine and his family's holiday, which had been planned and charted by [[Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark|Princess Alexia]]. Constantine, and then his family a few hours later, landed in Thessaloniki, before boarding a yacht.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}}

The family's yacht then travelled 300 metres off the shore of [[Mount Athos]]. Constantine and his two eldest sons, [[Crown Prince Pavlos]] and [[Prince Nikolaos]], travelled upon a dinghy to get to the mainland, where women were not allowed to visit.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}} Upon arriving, Constantine noticed his portrait in every monastery and learnt that the monks there had been praying for him every day since his exile. Nine monks followed Constantine back to their yacht to bless the rest of his family, display holy relics and present gifts.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}} Constantine then took a helicopter and landed on a soccer pitch in [[Florina]], where "hundreds" of people greeted him with handshakes and flowers. Constantine's decision to land in Florina was named a "politically sensitive spot to appear in" in view of the region's greater support for the monarchy over other regions and due to the [[Macedonia naming dispute]]. Constantine and his family took a van north in order see the northernmost part of Greece, and were reportedly followed by between 50 and 100 cars. However, the Greek government had organised for the police to block the road, claiming that Constantine's journey was "a political step", rather than touristic.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}} Protestors attempted to open up the road, but failed. In the next village the family stopped at, a local government official told Constantine that he would be kicked out of Greece if he did not act like a tourist.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}}

Following this clash between police and protestors in support of Constantine, Mitsotakis made a public statement explaining that the government "had no prior knowledge of the visit and had never agreed to it. Strong action will be taken if the ex-king violates our conditions."<ref name="1993trip"/> Afterwards, Constantine and his family returned to Athens to visit Tatoi Palace and his parents' graves, where a short memorial service was held. During this trip, Constantine chose where his future tomb would be. Telling [[Sky News]] presenter Selina Scott, Constantine said that having to leave his belongings when going into exile taught him that "material things are not that important".<ref name="1993trip"/> He also expressed his wishes to move back into the property and clean up the land surrounding it. Constantine was then warned by the government to move on from Tatoi and alerted them of protestors who were threatening to burn Tatoi's forestry down.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}}

Whilst travelling to [[Spetses]], the government ordered that Constantine should not travel to heavily populated areas, to which Constantine said, "It's a free country".<ref name="1993trip"/> When he arrived at a port in Spetses, a harbour policeman jumped onto their boat, but Constantine pushed him to the side and set foot on the mainland. A crowd greeted Constantine and his family, but at night and during the following day, their yacht was surrounded by government ships and flown over by military planes. Constantine then contacted [[Sky News UK]] and was interviewed by presenter David Blaine, to whom Constantine told on live air that he was being harassed by the government, who had "frightened the daylights" out of his children.<ref name="1993trip"/> Constantine's yacht was on course to stop at [[Gytheio]], where a reported 5,000 to 10,000 people were waiting for him. Military warships were denying the yacht's progress towards the town, so Constantine stopped in [[Neapoli Voion]], where there was a crowd of a few hundred people, but also many anti-monarchists. Following this stop, Constantine and his family returned to the UK.<ref name="1993trip"/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025}}