27 February 2024 , 11:18
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Prince Andrew has arrived for a memorial service at Windsor Castle for the late King Constantine of Greece – after Prince William pulled out at late notice citing personal reasons.
The disgraced royal is believed to have joined his daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, for the event this morning. The Prince of Wales had been scheduled to be at the event this morning alongside but was unable to attend. He had been due to give a reading before the change of schedule. The King also missed out as he is not carrying out royal duties during his cancer treatment.
Constantine, who died at the age of 82 in January last year, had a close bond with the British royals. He was one of William's six godparents, who also include Lady Susan Hussey and Princess Alexandra, and attended his confirmation in March 1997. He was also the godfather for the daughter of Prince and Princess of Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella Kingston. He was also a close friend of King Charles and William's godfather.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson arriving at Windsor Castle today (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Constantine had been suffering from ill health and had been treated in an intensive care unit at the private Hygeia Hospital in Athens before his death in January last year. When he acceded to the throne as Constantine II at the age of 23 in 1964, the youthful monarch, who had already achieved glory as an Olympic gold medallist in sailing, was hugely popular.
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However, by the following year, he had squandered much of that support with his active involvement in the machinations that brought down the popularly elected Centre Union government of prime minister George Papandreou. The episode, still widely known in Greece as the "apostasy" or defection from the ruling party of several politicians, destabilised the constitutional order and led to a military coup in 1967. Constantine eventually clashed with the military rulers and was forced into exile.
The dictatorship abolished the monarchy in 1973, while a referendum after democracy was restored in 1974 dashed any hopes Constantine had of reigning again.
Reduced in the following decades to only fleeting visits to Greece, which raised a political and media storm each time, he was able in his waning years to settle again in his home country, when opposing his presence no longer held currency as a badge of vigilant republicanism. For most of his years in exile, he lived in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, and was said to be especially close to the now-King Charles. He was said to be too unwell to attend the Queen's funeral last September.