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Constantine IIKing of greece
Date of Birth: 02.06.1940
Country:  Greece |
Content:
- Biography of Constantine II
- Educational Background
- Reign as King
- Conflict and Exile
- Attempted Counter-Coup
- Years in Exile and Return
- Later Years
- Current Life
Biography of Constantine II
Early LifeConstantine II, the King of Greece, was born in the suburbs of Athens, Greece. He was the sixth and last monarch from the Greek royal family. Constantine was the nephew of King George II and the only son and second child of Crown Prince Paul. At the age of one, Constantine and his family were forced into exile due to the invasion of Nazi occupiers. They spent the next four years in Egypt and Cape Town before returning to Greece in 1946. Upon the death of George II in 1947, Prince Paul ascended the throne, making Constantine the crown prince.
Educational Background
Constantine performed well in school and gained the respect of his friends. He also excelled in sports and received training in various military academies, including the NATO Air Force School in Germany and the Law Faculty of Athens University. In 1960, at the age of 20, he participated in the Summer Olympics in Rome and won a gold medal in sailing.
Reign as King
In 1965, Crown Prince Paul passed away, and Constantine, at the age of 23, became the new King of Greece. However, his reign was considered weak, as he lacked experience and often succumbed to his mother's influence. His time as king coincided with the rise of Georgios Papandreou, the leader of the centrist party. Initially, Constantine had a good relationship with Papandreou, but tensions arose when Papandreou's son, Andreas, leaned towards left-wing parties opposed to the monarchy.
Conflict and Exile
Constantine and Papandreou had a falling out when the king refused to appoint Andreas as Minister of Defense due to his involvement in a conflict surrounding the ministry. Papandreou resigned, and the subsequent governments struggled to maintain stability. New elections were scheduled for May 28, 1967, and the centrist party seemed poised for victory. However, on April 21, 1967, a group of right-wing officers staged a coup. Constantine met with the rebels at his residence in Tatoi, but eventually recognized their government.
Attempted Counter-Coup
The relationship between the king and the military regime was strained from the beginning. On December 13, 1967, Constantine attempted to stage his own counter-coup, but his plan was unsuccessful. The royalists were neutralized, and Constantine fled the country with his family and the prime minister on the royal plane. They arrived in Rome on the morning of December 14, where Constantine resided for the rest of his reign.
Years in Exile and Return
During his time in exile, Constantine remained the nominal king, although he had no real power. In June 1974, the military regime fell, and Constantine believed he would be invited back to the throne. However, a referendum held later that year resulted in the majority voting to maintain a republic. Constantine's previous association with the military junta and his perceived incompetence during his reign made him unpopular among the Greek people.
Later Years
Constantine was allowed to briefly return to Greece in 1981 for his mother's funeral, but he only stayed for a few hours. In 1992, he faced legal issues regarding taxes on his Greek properties. Although he initially refused to pay, he eventually reached an agreement to transfer most of his lands to a commercial fund in exchange for his former palace and the right to take some movable assets out of the country. In 1994, he won a lawsuit against the government, receiving a compensation of 4 million euros.
Current Life
Constantine currently resides in the suburbs of London and maintains close relations with the British royal family. He has publicly stated his full recognition of the Greek republic. In 2004, he briefly returned to Greece as a member of the International Olympic Committee, using his Danish diplomatic passport under the name "Constantino de Grecia."
