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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Constantine, the erstwhile and past king of Greece, who won an Olympic golden medal earlier becoming entangled successful his country’s volatile authorities successful the 1960s arsenic king and spent decades successful exile, has died. He was 82.
Doctors astatine the backstage Hygeia Hospital successful Athens confirmed to The Associated Press that Constantine died precocious Tuesday aft attraction successful an intensive attraction portion but had nary further details pending an authoritative announcement.
When helium acceded to the throne arsenic Constantine II 1964 astatine the property of 23, the youthful monarch, who had already achieved glory arsenic an Olympic golden medalist successful sailing, was hugely popular. By the pursuing twelvemonth helium had squandered overmuch of that enactment with his progressive engagement successful the machinations that brought down the elected Center Union authorities of premier curate George Papandreou.
The occurrence involving the defection from the ruling enactment of respective lawmakers, inactive wide known successful Greece arsenic the “apostasy,” destabilized the law bid and led to a subject coup successful 1967. Constantine yet clashed with the subject rulers and was forced into exile.
The dictatorship abolished the monarchy successful 1973, portion a referendum aft ideology was restored successful 1974 dashed immoderate hopes that Constantine had of ever reigning again.
Reduced successful the pursuing decades to lone fleeting visits to Greece that raised a governmental and media tempest each time, helium was capable to settee again successful his location state successful his waning years erstwhile opposing his beingness nary longer held currency arsenic a badge of vigilant republicanism. With minimal nostalgia for the monarchy successful Greece, Constantine became a comparatively uncontroversial figure.
Constantine was calved June 2, 1940 successful Athens, to Prince Paul, younger member to King George II and heir presumptive to the throne, and princess Frederica of Hanover. His older sister Sophia is the woman of erstwhile King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The Greek-born Prince Philip, the precocious Duke of Edinburgh and hubby of the precocious Queen Elizabeth II, was an uncle.
The family, which had ruled successful Greece from 1863 isolated from a 12-year enactment interlude betwixt 1922-1935, was descended from Prince Christian, aboriginal Christian IX of Denmark, of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg subdivision of the Danish ruling family.
Before Constantine’s archetypal birthday, the royal household was forced to fly Greece during the German penetration successful World War II, moving to Alexandria successful Egypt, South Africa and backmost to Alexandria. King George II returned to Greece successful 1946, pursuing a disputed referendum, but died a fewer months later, making Constantine the heir to King Paul I.
Constantine was educated astatine a boarding schoolhouse and past attended 3 subject academies arsenic good arsenic Athens Law School classes arsenic mentation for his aboriginal role. He besides competed successful assorted sports, including sailing and karate, successful which helium held a achromatic belt.
In 1960, aged 20, helium and 2 different Greek sailors won a golden medal successful the Dragon Class — present nary longer an Olympic people — astatine the Rome Olympics. While inactive a prince, Constantine was elected a subordinate of the International Olympic Committee and became an honorary subordinate for beingness successful 1974.
King Paul I died of crab connected March 6, 1964 and Constantine succeeded him, weeks aft the Center Union enactment had triumphed implicit the conservatives with 53% of the vote.
The premier minister, George Papandreou, and Constantine initially had a precise adjacent relationship, but it soon soured implicit Constantine’s insistence that power of the equipped forces was the monarch’s prerogative.
With galore officers toying with the thought of a dictatorship and viewing immoderate non-conservative authorities arsenic brushed connected communism, Papandreou wanted to power the ministry of defence and yet demanded to beryllium appointed defence minister. After an acrimonious speech of letters with Constantine, Papandreou resigned successful July 1965.
Constantine’s insistence connected appointing a authorities composed of centrist defectors that won a constrictive parliamentary bulk connected the 3rd effort was hugely unpopular. Many viewed him arsenic being manipulated by his scheming mother, dowager Queen Frederica.
“The radical don’t privation you, instrumentality your parent and go!” became the rallying outcry successful the protests that rocked Greece successful the summertime of 1965.
Eventually, Constantine made a truce of sorts with Papandreou and, with his agreement, appointed a authorities of technocrats and, then, a conservative-led authorities to clasp an predetermination successful May 1967.
But, with the polls heavy favoring the Center Union and with Papandreou’s left-leaning son, Andreas, gaining successful popularity, Constantine and his courtiers feared revenge and with the assistance of high-ranking officers prepared a coup.
However, a radical of lower-ranking officers, led by colonels, were preparing their ain coup and, apprised of Constantine’s plans by a mole, proclaimed a dictatorship connected April 21, 1967.
Constantine was taken by astonishment and his feelings toward the caller rulers were evident successful the authoritative photograph of the caller government. He pretended to spell on with them, portion preparing a counter-coup with the assistance of troops successful bluish Greece and the navy, which was loyal to him.
On Dec. 13, 1967, Constantine and his household flew to the bluish metropolis of Kavala with the volition of marching connected Thessaloniki and mounting up a authorities there. The counter-coup, severely managed and infiltrated, collapsed and Constantine was forced to fly to Rome the pursuing day. He would ne'er instrumentality arsenic reigning king.
The junta appointed a regent and, aft an abortive Navy counter-coup successful May 1973, abolished the monarchy connected June 1, 1973. A July plebiscite, wide considered rigged, confirmed the decision.
When the dictatorship collapsed successful July 1974, Constantine was anxious to instrumentality to Greece but was advised against it by seasoned person Constantine Karamanlis, who returned from exile to caput a civilian government. Karamanlis, who had besides headed the authorities betwixt 1955-63, was a blimpish but had clashed with the tribunal implicit what helium considered its excessive interference successful politics.
After his triumphal triumph successful November elections, Karamanlis called for a plebiscite connected the monarchy successful 1974. Constantine was not allowed successful the state to campaign, but the effect was unambiguous and wide accepted: 69.2% voted successful favour of a republic.
Soon after, Karamanlis famously said the federation had escaped itself of a cancerous growth. Constantine said connected the time pursuing the referendum that “national unity indispensable instrumentality precedence ... I wholeheartedly privation that developments volition warrant the effect of yesterday’s vote.”
To his last days, Constantine, portion accepting that Greece was present a republic, continued to benignant himself King of Greece and his children arsenic princes and princesses adjacent though Greece nary longer recognized titles of nobility.
For astir of his years successful exile helium lived successful Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, and was said to beryllium particularly adjacent to his 2nd relative Charles, the Prince of Wales and present King Charles III.
While it took Constantine 14 years to instrumentality to his country, briefly, to hide his mother, Queen Frederica successful 1981, helium multiplied his visits thereafter and, from 2010, made his location there. There were continued disputes: successful 1994, the past socialist authorities stripped him of his nationality and expropriated what remained of the royal family’s property. Constantine sued astatine the European Court of Human Rights and was awarded 12 cardinal euros successful 2002, a fraction of the 500 cardinal helium had sought.
He is survived by his wife, the erstwhile Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, youngest sister of Queen Margrethe II; 5 children, Alexia, Pavlos, Nikolaos, Theodora and Philippos; and 9 grandchildren. ___ Derek Gatopoulos successful Athens contributed.
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