King Constantine appears in public for the first time in several months

Constantine of Greece

It has become a rare sight to see the former monarch of Hellenes, His Majesty King Constantine II. His Majesty has struggled with health problems after suffering a stroke in December last year. Earlier this week, the Greeks received a rare sight of their former monarch when he attended the funeral of former municipal councillor and actress, Zoï Láskari; this was first reported by the International Monarchist Conference.

Zoï Láskari died at the age of 72 earlier this month, and King Constantine wanted to pay tribute to her. The King was in good shape but had some trouble walking. He was, therefore, accompanied by his son, Prince Nikolaos. When the ordinary Greeks caught a sight of their former King, they came running and shouted: “Long live the King!” Many also kissed his hands.

It was early in December 2016 that King Constantine should have been with his wife in Denmark. Queen Margrethe and many in the Danish Royal Family were present at the premiere of the Nutcracker at the Copenhagen amusement park, Tivoli. It became known that the King was in hospital after having had a stroke. The hospital stay was short, and it was confirmed that he had returned home after a short period.


Former King Constantine With Wife and Children

King Constantine appeared publicly on the streets of Athens with his wife in mid-December. The two were seen when they were out, looking to buy Christmas gifts for their family. According to witnesses, they visited one of the finest jewellery stores in Athens and some other shops. The news that the former Greek King was out in the streets spread quickly both in the media and among Athens residents. Not long after the King was first observed, a small group of Greeks had gathered outside the store the King was in and cheered when the King came out. This, again, says something about the King’s popularity.

King Constantine was born on 2 June 1940 in Athens. King Constantine is the last reigning monarch of Greece. He followed King Paul in 1964 when he died of cancer. In June 1973, the Greek dictator condemned the King as an enemy of the Greek people. Constantine remained in exile for almost forty years. He did not return until February 1981 when the government only allowed him to go back to attend the funeral of his mother, Queen Frederica. In the recent years, the King has returned and now spends extended periods of the year in Greece.