Editing Constantine II of Greece (section)

==Later life==
[[File:Constantine II of Greece (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Constantine at the [[wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling]], 2010]]

Following the abolition of the monarchy, Constantine repeatedly stated that he recognised the republic, the laws and the constitution of Greece. He told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', "If the Greek people decide that they want a republic, they are entitled to have that and should be left in peace to enjoy it."<ref name="ReferenceA">"Throneless abroad: The men who would be king". ''Time''. 3 June 2002. Vol. 159 No. 22.</ref> Constantine and Anne-Marie for many years lived in [[Hampstead Garden Suburb]], London. Constantine was a close friend of his second cousin [[Charles III]], then Prince of Wales, and a godfather to Charles's son, [[Prince William]]. Constantine's 60th birthday lunch marked the first time that Charles and [[Camilla Parker Bowles]] were seen in public together in a relationship.<ref name="KingStory"/> In 2004, Constantine returned to Greece temporarily during the [[2004 Summer Olympics|Athens Olympic Games]] as a member of the International Olympic Committee.<ref>{{cite news|title=The return of the King of Greece for the games in ''Today''|newspaper=[[NBC]]|date=18 August 2004|url=https://www.today.com/id/wbna5723866#.VszNUfnhDIU|access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> Later that year, when asked whether he thought he would be the last monarch of Greece, Constantine said that it is "very hard" to determine the future.<ref name="KingStory"/> Constantine served as patron of [[Box Hill School]], a private school in [[Mickleham, Surrey|Mickleham]], in the south of England until his death.

According to a nationwide 2007 survey of 2,040 households in Greece conducted on behalf of the newspaper ''[[To Vima]]'', only 11.6% supported a constitutional monarchy. More than half of the respondents, 50.9%, considered that the dictatorship of the junta had brought benefits to Greece.<ref>{{cite web| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070425203217/http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=15044&m=A04&aa=1 | archive-date=25 April 2007 | url=http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=15044&m=A04&aa=1 | title=The Greeks are looking for a new strong leader | website=To Vima | access-date=19 November 2020 }}</ref> During the [[2008 Beijing]] and [[2012 London Olympics]], Constantine, in his role as honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, was the official presenter at the sailing medal ceremonies. He was Co-President of Honour of the [[International Sailing Federation]], along with [[Harald V of Norway]], from 1994 on.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HM King Constantine |url=http://www.greekroyalfamily.gr/profile.cfm?ItemID=27&get=family |website=GreekRoyalFamily.gr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217180736/http://www.greekroyalfamily.gr/profile.cfm?ItemID=27&get=family |archive-date=17 February 2012}}</ref>

In 2013, Constantine pledged in an interview with [[CNN]] that he would never become involved in restoring the monarchy. When asked by reporter [[Richard Quest]] whether he was content with never becoming the monarch again, Constantine said, "If the Greek people are happy with the system they have today, why should I be the one to change it? Just because I would like to be a king again? That would be crazy."<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo-AHfJMS0Q|people=Constantine II; Quest, Richard|title=King Constantine's Interview with Richard Quest, for CNN|date=2013|work=Via [[YouTube]]|access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref> Later that same year, Constantine returned to reside in Greece after selling his Hampstead house.<ref name=HS>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Helena|title=Greece's former king goes home after 46-year exile|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/15/greece-former-king-exile-constantine-ii-anne-marie|access-date=3 March 2016|work=The Guardian|date=15 December 2013|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126035531/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/15/greece-former-king-exile-constantine-ii-anne-marie|url-status=live}}</ref> From 2015 they lived in a villa in the coastal resort town of [[Porto Cheli]] in [[Argolis]] in the [[Peloponnese]] peninsula.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Meisner|first1=Pia|title=Sådan bor Anne-Marie og Konstantin|trans-title=This is how Anne-Marie and Konstantin live|url=https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/graekenland/saadan-bor-anne-marie-og-konstantin|access-date=17 July 2021|work=Billed-Bladet|date=5 August 2020|language=da}}</ref> In November 2015, his autobiography was published in three volumes by the national newspaper, ''[[To Vima]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Εξαντλήθηκε και κυκλοφορεί στα περίπτερα ο α' τόμος του «Βασιλεύς Κωνσταντίνος» |url=https://www.tovima.gr/2015/11/23/politics/eksantlithike-kai-kykloforei-sta-periptera-o-a-tomos-toy-basileys-kwnstantinos/ |website=To Vima |language=el |date=23 November 2015 |access-date=12 July 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106000910/http://www.tovima.gr/politics/article/?aid=756338 |archive-date=6 January 2017}}</ref> On 10 January 2022, he was admitted to the hospital after testing positive for [[COVID-19]], which he had been fully vaccinated against.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/01/10/king-constantine-ii-of-greece-admitted-to-hospital-with-covid-19/|title=King Constantine II Of Greece Admitted To Hospital With Covid-19|date=10 January 2022}}</ref>

===Death===
{{Main|Death and funeral of Constantine II of Greece}}
[[File:Constantine II funeral.jpg|thumb|right|Pallbearers carrying Constantine's coffin after his funeral]]
Constantine suffered multiple health problems in his final years, including heart conditions and decreased mobility.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-11/former-king-of-greece-constantine-ii-dies-at-82/101842932|title = Former king of Greece, Constantine II, dies at 82|work = [[ABC News (Australia)]]|date = 11 January 2023|access-date = 10 January 2023|agency = [[Reuters]]}}</ref> On 6 January 2023, he was admitted to the intensive care unit of the private Hygiea hospital in Athens in critical condition after suffering a stroke.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/562216108/teos-vasilias-konstantinos-epideinothike-i-ygeia-toy-nosileyetai-se-krisimi-katastasi/|title=Τέως βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Επιδεινώθηκε η υγεία του – Νοσηλεύεται σε κρίσιμη κατάσταση|website=Kathimerini|date=6 January 2023 }}</ref> He died 4 days later, on 10 January 2023, at the age of 82.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/10/last-king-of-greece-constantine-ii-dies-aged-82|title = Last king of Greece, Constantine II, dies aged 82|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]|date = 10 January 2023|access-date = 10 January 2023|archive-date = 11 January 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230111030217/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/10/last-king-of-greece-constantine-ii-dies-aged-82|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nellas |first=Demetris |title=Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, dies at 82 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/constantine-former-king-greece-dies-82-96346462 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111005217/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/constantine-former-king-greece-dies-82-96346462 |archive-date=11 January 2023 |access-date=11 January 2023 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> His death was leaked by [[Associated Press]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64232231|title=Constantine II, last king of Greece dies at 82|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> but was then announced by his private office.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/greece-last-king-constantine-ii-dies-at-age-82/|title=Greece's last king, Constantine II, dies at 82|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref> Constantine never formally renounced his title as King of the Hellenes due to Greek Orthodox anointment tradition, which states that a monarch will never lose their status until their death.<ref name="KingStory"/>

By the decision of the Greek government, in spite of the wishes of the family, the former monarch was not given a state funeral, but was buried as a private citizen.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.gr/politiki/story/345478/teos-vasilias-konstantinos-ti-apofasistike-sti-syskepsi-sto-maksimou-gia-tin-kideia-tou|title=Τέως βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Τι αποφασίστηκε στη σύσκεψη στο Μαξίμου για την κηδεία του|newspaper=CNN Greece|date=11 January 2023|access-date=8 February 2025|language=el}}</ref> The funeral took place on 16 January in the [[Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens]] in the presence of [[Archbishop Ieronymos II]] and a congregation of 200, including ten current and former European monarchs – [[Philippe of Belgium]], [[Simeon II of Bulgaria]], [[Margrethe II of Denmark]], [[Henri of Luxembourg]], [[Albert II of Monaco]], [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]] and [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands]], [[Juan Carlos I]] and [[Felipe VI of Spain]], and [[Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden]] – and members of the royal houses of Baden, Hanover, Iran, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Norway, Romania, Russia, Schleswig-Holstein, Serbia, and the United Kingdom. The Greek government was represented by Minister of Culture [[Lina Mendoni]] and Deputy Prime Minister [[Panagiotis Pikrammenos]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://greekreporter.com/2023/01/13/greece-royal-hub-former-king-constantine-funeral/|title=Greece to Become Royal Hub for Former King Constantine's Funeral|publisher=[[Greek Reporter]]|date=13 January 2023|last=Kokkinidis|first=Tasos|access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref> Constantine was buried in Tatoi next to his parents that same day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://orthodoxtimes.com/funeral-service-for-former-king-constantine-held-in-athens-upd/|title=Former King Constantine was buried in Tatoi next to his parents|work=Greek City Times|date=16 January 2023|access-date=16 January 2023}}</ref>
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