Prince William’s godfather Constantine, the former and last King of Greece, has died at age 82, doctors announced on Tuesday. The former monarch ruled the Greek people from 1964 to 1973 until a 1974 referendum abolished the monarchy. Constantine reportedly died “of a stroke”, according to Greek public broadcaster ERT. Constantine was the second cousin to King Charles and known to be a close friend. He was also the brother to Queen Sophie of Spain and brother in law to Queen Margrethe of Denmark. He was last seen in public in October 2022 dining with his wife and sisters in the centre of Athens, the capital of Greece.
The former king has struggled with various health problems in recent years after being treated for a stroke in 2018 that left him largely wheelchair-bound.
His poor state became evident when he was unable to attend the funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II last September.
In December 2021, he was hospitalised with pneumonia. Prior to that, he had suffered a mild heart attack and pulmonary edema, as well as a severe case of Covid-19.
Constantine was last seen in public dining with his wife, Anne-Marie, and his sisters, Sofia and Irene, at a restaurant in the centre of Athens in October 2022.
His accession to the throne in Greece was similar to that of Her late Majesty; both assumed their roles in the twenties.
Constantine became the monarch when he was just 23, while the Queen became Britain’s sovereign when she was 25.
Constantine and his wife, Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, lived in Hampstead in north London for many years before he sold his property in 2013.
He was known to be a close friend of his second cousin King Charles III and godfather to the monarch’s eldest son and heir to the British throne, Prince William.
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