From the Archives: The Passing of Princess Margarita of Baden

 

[Note: This obituary was written upon the passing of Princess Margarita in 2013 by Arturo E. Beéche.]

HRH Princess Margarita of Baden died in Farnham in the evening of 15 January 2013. Her death brought to an end a long illness that had seriously undermined the princess' health.

Margarita was born at Schloß Salem on July 14, 1932. She was the firstborn child of Margrave Berthold of Baden and of his wife, the former Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. Berthold, the well-respected Head of the Grand Ducal House of Baden, was the only son of Margrave Max of Baden (Imperial Germany's last chancellor) and of his wife Princess Marie Louise of Cumberland, eldest daughter of the Duke of Cumberland, Ernst August of Hannover, and of his Danish wife, Princess Thyra. Princess Theodora was the second daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and of his wife, the former Princess Alice of Battenberg, the parents of three other daughters and a son, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. She was the eldest granddaughter of both sets of grandparents.

The princess was raised at Schloß Salem, where her family sponsored a renowned educational center built along the progressive policies proposed by Kurt Hahn, a widely respected educator of Jewish extraction. Berthold and Hahn were the heart of the Salem School, both also standing as bulwarks against the National Socialist overtake of Germany. Eventually, Hahn was forced to leave Germany and seek refuge in England, where he founded Gordonstoun, the school attended by Prince Philipp and the Prince of Wales.

After their daughter Margarita's birth, Berthold and Theodora had two more children: Maximilian (Max), born in 1933, and Ludwig, born in 1937.

The Badens experienced increasing pressure to join the nascent Nazi Party, as some of their other cousins and friends had. Berthold, however, stood steadfast and declined all pressure to betray his conscience.

After the end of the war, the Badens reestablished contacts with their English family. Although they were not invited to the wedding of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth in 1947, they were part of the official coronation celebration for Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

Wanting to study nursing, Princess Margarita relocated to London in the 1950s. It was while there that she met Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia (1928-2000), the second son of the late King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and of his wife, the former Princess Marie of Romania. Both Tomislav and Margarita were descendants of Queen Victoria. The wedding date was announced from Salem on April 8, 1957, and the wedding date set for June 6.

The wedding festivities provided the extended Gotha with another opportunity to gather and repair links damaged by the debacle of the Second World War. Present at Schloß Baden to witness the ceremony were, among many others: the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Marie of Yugoslavia, Queen Frederica of Greece, King Umberto II of Italy, King Simeon of Bulgaria, King Peter II of Yugoslavia, The Earl and countess Mountbatten of Burma, and even the elderly Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Jr., who by then lived at Schloß Mainau, her son Lennart's island paradise on Lake Konstanz.

Tomislav and Margarita settled in the UK, where he owned a fruit farm. It was there that their two children were born: Nicholas in 1958, and Katerina the following year. Margarita remained close to her English family and she was frequently a guest of The Queen and Prince Philip.

Unfortunately, the marriage that had began with such promise of mutual happiness experienced much turmoil. Tomislav's financial situation was terribly unstable and the fruit farm a source of much worry and concern. In the end the enterprise was closed. Margarita tried as much as she could to lend a hand, but eventually the writing was on the wall. In 1982 their marriage ended in divorce and most ungraciously, Tomislav remarried his lady friend later that same year. He went on to have two sons with Ms Linda Bonney, his second wife.

Princess Margarita remained living in London, where her two children were raised under the kind support of their royal cousins. She never remarried. Margarita's links to the English royal family were not affected by her divorce, which had not been the case with many others who had incurred in such course of action.

In 1987 Princess Katerina married a prominent lawyer of Sri Lanka extraction, Desmond de Silva, with whom he had one daughter. Five years later Prince Nicholas married a Yugoslav-born lady by the name of Ljiljana Licánin, by whom he had a daughter, Marija, in 1993. Nicholoas is estranged from his wife. Victoria de Silva and Marija of Yugoslavia are Princess Margarita's only grandchildren. She also has a great-grandson from her granddaughter Marija.

It was common to see Margarita attend various family gatherings in Germany, from weddings, to baptisms and even some funerals. She traveled frequently from her London residence and she was always seen sporting a nice smile and a twinkle in her eye. I met Princess Margarita a few times and she always seemed to have a good time, even when confined to a wheelchair. In fact, once at Schoß Langenburg I helped carry the princess, who was seated in her wheelchair. "Your poor man, to come from so far to help carry me," she said. "Madame," I replied, "to me, it is a pleasure to be able to help you and not a bother whatsoever."

I last saw Princess Margarita at Schloß Salem in 2007. It was far too busy for us to sit and chat. But she nodded and smiled when I asked if I could take some pictures. Her smile, I will never forget. It beamed and made any room shine with light. that twinkle, she never lost.

My condolences to her brothers and the entire family...May She Rest in Peace...

 Prince Tomislav, Princess Margarita and Prince Nicholas of Yugoslavia

 Wedding of Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia and

Princess Margarita of Baden

The Duke of Edinburgh with Prince Tomislav and Princess Margarita

of Yugoslavia. Behind Prince Philip is Margravine Theodora of Baden. 

From left: Hereditary Prince Max, Prince Ludwig and Princess Margarita of Baden. 

Prince Tomislav and Princess Margarita

of Yugoslavia. 

Margrave Berthold and Margravine Theodora of Baden with their

 children: Margarita, Max and Ludwig.

The baptism of Princess Margarita of Baden, September 1932.

Princess Margarita of Baden with ehr sister-in-law Princess Marianne

of Baden, Langenburg 2004. 

Fürstin Eilika of Leiningen and Princess Margarita of Baden,

Schloß Salem 2007.  

Princess Margarita of Baden with her daughter Princess Katerina

of Yugoslavia, Mr Desmond de Siliva and Victoria de Silva, Schloß Salem, 2007. 

Princess Margarita of Baden with Prince Ernst August of Hannover,

Schloß Salem 2007.

Tino - The Godfather of Europe

 

The passing of King Constantine II of the Hellenes leaves a great void in his immediate family, as well as for his many relatives and friends. The late king was the godfather to many of Europe's royals, including the Prince of Wales, and the heirs to the Hanoverian, Serbian, and Russian dynasties. 

Prince Contanijn of the Netherlands 

The christening of Prince Contanijn of the Netherlands, 1967.

On 21 February 1970, Prince Constantijn "Tijn" Christof Frederik Aschwin of the Netherlands was christened at St Martin’s Cathedral in Utrecht. Born on 11 October 1969 at Utrecht University Hospital, Prince Constantijn was the third son of Crown Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and Prince Claus (né van Amsberg). The prince received as his godparents King Constantine II of the Hellenes, Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Baron Axel von dem Bussche-Streithorst, Max Kohnstamm, and Corinne de Beaufort-Sickinghe.

King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia -> Princess Alexandrine of Prussia -> Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin -> Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin -> Queen Juliana of the Netherlands -> Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands -> Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands

King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia -> German Emperor Wilhelm I -> German Emperor Friedrich III -> German Emperor Wilhelm II -> Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia -> Princess Friederike of Hannover -> King Constantine II of the Hellenes

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia

Archbishop Anthony of Los Angeles prepares to baptise Grand Duke George, who is held by his grandfather Grand Duke Vladimir.

On 6 May 1981, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was baptised in Madrid. The baby Romanov was born on 13 March 1981 in the Spanish capital. George was the first and only child of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia and Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia (né Prince Franz-Wilhelm of Prussia). Archbishop Antony Sinkevitch of Los Angeles, who officiated at the wedding of Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duke Michael, presided over the baptism of their son. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich received as his godparents King Constantine II of Greece (as the king was unable to attend, the infant's grandfather Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich acted as proxy) and Helen Louise Kirby, Countess Dvinskaya. 

German Emperor Wilhelm II -> Prince Joachim of Prussia -> Prince Karl Franz Josef of Prussia -> Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia -> Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia

German Emperor Wilhelm II -> Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia -> Princess Friederike of Hannover -> King Constantine II of the Hellenes

Lady Gabriella Kingston

The christening of Lady Gabriella Windsor, 1981.

On 8 June 1981, Lady Gabriella "Ella" Marina Alexandra Ophelia Windsor was christened at the Chapel Royal, St James Palace. Lady Gabriella Windsor was born on 23 April 1981 at St Mary's Hospital, London, as the second child and only daughter of Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, the former Baroness Marie-Christine Miss Marina Ogilvy, the Marchioness of Douro (future Duchess of Westminster), Lady Elizabeth Shakerley (née Litchfield; formerly Litchfield), King Constantine of the Hellenes, and Prince Hugo zu Windisch-Grätz.

King George I of the Hellenes -> Prince Nicholas of Greece -> Princess Marina of Greece -> Prince Michael of Kent -> Lady Gabriella Windsor 

King George I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine I of the Hellenes -> King Pavlos I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine II of the Hellenes

Hereditary Prince Philip and Prince Alexander of Serbia 

Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria, and King Constantine II of the Hellenes with Prince Philip and Prince Alexander during their baptism. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain as well as Queen Anne-Marie of Greece watch the ceremony.

In July 1982, the twins Prince Philip and Prince Alexander of Serbia were baptised at Villamanrique, Spain; the boys were the second and third sons of Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria da Glória of Orleans-Braganza. Philip and Alexander received as their godparents King Constantine II of the Hellenes and Princess Anne, Duchess of Calabria. When their mother was asked who she and her husband had chosen to be the princes' godparents, Princess Maria da Gloria responded: "They are the same for the two children. Because we had only thought of one child and we asked our cousin King Constantine [of Greece] and my cousin Anita of Bourbon-Sicilies [Duchess of Calabria] to be the godfather and godmother. When the twins arrived, we did not want to ask those we had chosen to share these responsibilities, but they [the King of Greece and the Duchess of Calabria] are so wonderful that they insisted on remaining godfather and godmother of the two children. This is why Philip and Alexander have the same godfather and the same godmother."

King George I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine I of the Hellenes -> King Alexander I of the Hellenes -> Princess Alexandra of Greece -> Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia -> Hereditary Prince Philip and Prince Alexander of Serbia

King George I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine I of the Hellenes -> King Pavlos I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine II of the Hellenes

The Prince of Wales

The christening of Prince William, 1982.

On 4 August 1982, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales was christened at Buckingham Palace. Born on 21 June 1982 at Paddington, London, Prince William was the first child of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The prince received as his godparents King Constantine II of the Hellenes, Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Duchess of Westminster, the Lord Romsey (now Earl Mountbatten of Burma), Lady Susan Hussey, and Sir Laurens van der Post. 

King George I of the Hellenes -> Prince Andreas of Greece -> Prince Philippos of Greece -> King Charles III of the United Kingdom -> The Prince of Wales

King George I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine I of the Hellenes -> King Pavlos I of the Hellenes -> King Constantine II of the Hellenes

Hereditary Prince Ernst August of Hannover 

The christening of Prince Ernst August of Hannover, 1983.

On 15 October 1983 at Schloss Marienburg, Prince Ernst August Andreas Philipp Constantin Maximilian Rolf Stephan Ludwig Rudolph of Hannover was christened in Germany. Born on 19 July 1983 at Hildesheim, Prince Ernst August was the first child of Prince Ernst August of Hannover and Princess Chantal (née Hochuli). The prince received as his godparents King Constantine II of the Hellenes, Princess Alexandra of Hannover (née Princess zu Ysenburg und Büdingen in Wächtersbach), the Prince of Asturias (now King Felipe VI of Spain), Fürst Philipp Ernst zu Schaumburg-Lippe, Hereditary Prince (now Fürst) Andreas zu Leiningen, Margrave Maximilian of Baden, and Prince Ludwig Rudolph of Hannover.

Prince Ernst August of Hannover -> Prince Ernst August of Hannover -> Prince Ernst August of Hannover -> Prince Ernst August of Hannover 

Prince Ernst August of Hannover -> Princess Friederike of Hannover -> King Constantine II of the Hellenes

Constantine and Anne-Marie of Greece: A Love Story for the Ages

 

The King and Queen.
Photo (c) Greek Royal Family.

Yesterday, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece lost her husband and life partner of six decades. The love story between King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie is truly one of the most beautiful in modern times.

The eventual King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece first met during a visit of the Greek royal family, including then Crown Prince Constantine, to Denmark in 1959. Anne-Marie's father King Frederick took his daughter and eventual son-in-law, as well as other royal youngsters, to see the Benneweis Circus in Jutland. Constantine was the only son of King Paul I of Greece and Queen Frederica (née Princess of Hannover). Anne-Marie was the youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and Queen Ingrid (née Princess of Sweden).

Constantine and Anne-Marie met again in 1961. The following year, 1962, Anne-Marie was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Constantine's older sister Sophia to Juan Carlos of Spain. Later that same year, Anne-Marie was on holiday with her governess in Norway, where  Constantine was attending a yacht racing event. He proposed and she accepted. They did not initially tell her parents. 

In his biography of King Constantine II, entitled H.M. Konstantine XIII King of the Hellenes, the author G. Nicholas Tantzos wrote: 

"The wedding of Sophie and Juan Carlos took place on May 14, 1962, and had even broader romantic consequences. The Crown Prince re-met his third cousin, the sixteen year-old Princess Anne-Marie. more than a hundred of Europe's royals attended the wedding, but Konstantine had eyes for no one else, and danced dance after dance with her, until his mother finally told him to give some of the other Princesses a break. Konstantine was having none of it, stating that he wanted no one else. Without telling his parents, Konstantine proposed to Anne-Marie during the summer of 1962 while they were all in Norway. She accepted, and the Prince immediately went and told his parents. 

Several years before, while visiting Denmark, King Paul had also noticed the twelve-year-old Princess, and remarked to Frederika, 'She is like a butterfly. If and when he marries, I hope Konstantine marries her!' 

King Frederick IX, Princess Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Constantine, King Paul, Queen Frederica, and Queen Ingrid in Copenhagen.

While Frederika and Paul approved of the marriage, all was not so well in Denmark. Anne-Marie's father was delighted, but a number of legal questions were raised. Such a marriage would reunite the Danish and Greek Royal Houses. A hundred years before, the Danish Prince William, second in line to the Danish throne, had been elected King of the Hellenes as King George I. He had deferred his rights in the Danish succession to those of his younger brothers, but he, and his descendants, were still styled Princes of Denmark. Besides the close blood relationship, Danish law did not allow a girl to marry until she attained the age of eighteen. In order to marry, Anne-Marie required a letter of permission from her father, King Frederick IX, which also had to be approved by his Minister of Justice. Circumstances made this unnecessary. The death of King Paul required waiting through a period of mourning, and by the time the date was set, Anne-Marie was eighteen. 

For six months the engagement had to be kept secret, much to the anguish of the Crown Prince, who lamented that it was '...unfair, since most engaged couples can see each other as often as they wish, while I have to sneak around, pretending that I am going to Denmark for the sailing.'"

Constantine and Anne-Marie on the balcony of Amalienborg.

The royal couple recounted their courtship in the Danish documentary A Royal Family.

Crown Prince Constantine and Paul Elvstrøm.

King Constantine: "I actually saw a picture of her in a magazine. And I said: 'That's it.' And I said: 'Well, I want to go to Denmark and meet her.' And my father said: 'How are you going to do that?' And I said: 'Well, I'll write a letter to the king and say I'm going to be in Denmark for a sailing meeting with Mr. Paul Elvstrøm, which was feasible.' I don't know if I ever told Paul that I used him as an excuse to go see this girl." 

Queen Anne-Marie: "We spent, whatever it was, four or five days in Athens for the wedding [of Princess Sophia of Greece and Infante Juan Carlos of Spain], which was a wonderful occasion. And I think probably there it was that we fell in love."

Queen Anne-Marie on their engagement: "I said: 'For goodness sake, do not not tell my parents, because they will have a fit!' Which he couldn't understand, but I persuaded him, and I think he realized that they probably would have had a fit. So it wasn't until, in fact, six months after we had got engaged unofficially that we did tell my parents."

King Frederick IX, Queen Ingrid, Princess Anne-Marie, and Crown Prince Constantine.

King Constantine: "The biggest shock was for my father-in-law. I asked him if I could marry his daughter. And the poor man got such a shock that he got up, he never said a word to me, he just got up, took me by the hand, and put me in a room and locked me in there with no lights. So I had to sort of grope around to find a light, and then I found the light and opened it, and I found out I was in his toilet. And I couldn't understand what I was doing in there. And he had gone off to find his wife and tell her 'this fellow wants to marry our daughter - what do we do with him?'"

Hand in hand: Anne-Marie and Constantine on Corfu.

The engagement of Crown Prince Constantine of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark was officially announced on 23 January 1963 by the Danish and Greek courts. A friend of the princess was quoted by the press: "She is the charmer and humorist of the Royal Family. Life is always fun when she is around."

King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie on their wedding day, 1964.

King Constantine II of the Hellenes and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark were married on 18 September 1964 at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. 

The Royal Couple on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary, 2014.
Photo (c) Greek Royal Family / Studio Kominis.

The King and Queen of Greece were married for fifty-nine years. On 18 September 2014, they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary with a dinner at the Yacht Club of Greece. Following are the remarks that King Constantine gave to those gathered to join the couple in commemorating their fifty years of marriage.

Twenty-five years ago, most of you came to Denmark to celebrate our Silver Wedding anniversary. I cannot forget that I had then invited you to come in another 25 years. I then turned to my wife and said- let’s go for gold! Some of us have survived.

When I plucked up the courage to ask the late King of Denmark permission to marry his daughter, little did I expect that I would end up being locked up in his toilet. He walked off with the key to find my future mother-in-law. She gently asked him- where is he? He told her that I was locked up in the toilet.. She suggested that I be released and that he should order some champagne. When they both gave me their consent, my parents were invited to Denmark and we made the official announcement.

50 years ago, I had fallen in love with, -in my opinion-, the most beautiful girl in the world. 50 years later, I still have the same feeling.

She was also responsible for bringing up five wonderful children, whom we both love and are very proud of. Three of them married into our Family exceptional young people.

She turned out to be the most unselfish and patient human being and the Greek people took her to their hearts, where she remains ever since. That made me very happy and proud.

Those days were also very difficult because of the tension between our neighbours and our country, and also the turbulent politics of those days. I would not be able to go through that period without my young wife at my side.

After I tried to restore democracy in the country and we went to Rome on the 13th December 1967, we also suffered a very personal loss, -the loss of a baby.

This morning the Queen and I went to the Mitropolis, just as we had done 50 years ago. We were greeted by His Eminence the Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece, Mr. Ieronimos, who prayed for the health and well-being of our Family.

The Queen and I made a special prayer for our nation and the Greek people.

I thank you all for being with us tonight and hope to see you here in another 25 years!

Queen Anne-Marie's speech was equally poignant:

It is astonishing to think that 50 years have gone by since that beautiful day in Athens.

I remember so well walking into the Mitropolis on the arm of my father. I was so proud to become your wife. I was so proud to become Greek and so deliriously happy.

We have walked a long road together since that day. We have experienced incredible happiness. We have experienced difficult times, but also good times. And always we could rely on each other!

We found strength in each other. We encouraged and helped each other.

We were incredibly blessed to have our five wonderful children. You in turn have given us nine grandchildren -and counting?

The happiness you have given us is indescribable. We looked after you and worried about you when you were little.

Now the roles are somewhat changing. You look out for Papa and me and help us. Mind you, we still worry about you!

You have encouraged us to start our life again in this heavenly country. It really is the most beautiful country on earth.

We did come home after all these years, as we knew we always would.

And we are so happy.

Our condolences to Her Majesty Queen Anna-Maria of the Hellenes.

King Constantine II of the Hellenes (1940-2023)

 

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, with their grandson Constantine, at the wedding of their son Philippos. 

Today, 10 January, King Constantine II of Greece died at Hygeia Hospital in Marousi, a suburb of Athens. The king was eighty-two years-old.

Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Frederica with their children Princess Sophia and Prince Constantine.

The King and Queen of Greece with their three children.

Prince Constantine of Greece and Denmark was born at the villa of Psychiko, home of his parents, on 2 June 1940. A 101 gun salute from Mount Lycabettus at 6pm that evening announced to Athens that a new prince had arrived into the world. Crown Princess Frederica recalled: "My two elder children, Sophie and Constantine, were born in my sitting-room in our small house. My parents came for Sophie's birth but, when Tino was born, the war had already started and they could not come. Palo [Paul] stayed with me all the time and held my hand. The Prime Minister sat downstairs with the King, because it was the custom that the Prime Minister should be in the house." The Acropolis was floodlighted in celebration of the prince's birth, and guns were fired in salute throughout the country. The baby boy was named after his paternal grandfather King Constantine I of Greece; Prince Constantine was christening on 20 July 1940 at the Metropolitan Cathedral. The prince was the first son and second child of Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Crown Princess Frederica (born Princess of Hannover), who wed in 1938. Constantine joined an older sister, Princess Sophia (b.1938); he was followed by a younger sister, Princess Irene (b.1942). At the time of his arrival, Constantine's uncle George II was King of Greece; the infant prince was second in the line of succession after his father Paul.

The King and Queen of Greece with their children.

King George II of the Hellenes passed away at Athens on 1 April 1947 at the age of fifty-six. He was succeeded by his last surviving brother, who became King Paul I. At the time, the new Crown Prince Constantine of Greece was only six years-old. The crown prince accompanied his father during the funeral of his uncle. Constantine was educated at a preparatory school and later a boarding school, the Victoria College of Alexandria, Egypt, where his classmates included King Hussein of Jordan. A fellow student recalled him as "a good chap, a young man with all the right instincts. He was at his best on the playing fields." Constantine was also a pupil at Anavryta, a secondary school established at Sygnros in Kifissia; the prince attended this institution for nine years. Crown Prince Constantine served in all three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces and attended the requisite military academies. The Greek heir also attended the NATO Air Force Special Weapons School in Germany, as well as the University of Athens, where he undertook courses in the school of law.

The Greek Royal Family in 1959
Left to right: Crown Prince Constantine, Princess Irene, Queen Frederica, King Paul, Princess Sophia, and Prince Michael.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Dean Loomis.

When Crown Prince Constantine came of age in 1958, he swore allegiance to his father and to the Greek people. On the crown prince's eighteenth birthday on 2 June 1958, King Paul delivered this address to his only son:

Constantine, 

God has graciously destined you to reign over this glorious, gallant and noble Nation of ours. 

This sacred favour given to you, is an outstanding mark of honour and a legacy of great responsibility.  

As from this day, you shall be my partner in the endeavour to further the progress and well-being of my people. 

I am confident that your love of the Greek People, equal as it is to my own profound affection for them, will bring you as great happiness as it brings to me. In paying the price of their glorious history and enduring the consequences of their age-long struggles even to this day, in defence of mankind, the Greek People have not as yet been able to develop their capabilities to the full and achieve the standard of well-being to which they are justly entitled. For this very reason, they deserve every mark of affection and regard and every act of sacrifice on your part. 

Be a just, kind and indefatigable worker for the advance and glory of Greece.
Uphold steadfastly the Democratic Principles of our institutions and the Constitutional Liberties of our People. 

Devote your life to the happiness of the Country. There is no task more noble and more important than this. Always remember that it is preferable that the King should suffer than that the suffering should fall on the Nation and the Country. Endeavour to show yourself worthy of the Greek Soldier whose leader you will be in the future. When the time comes, you will take your place at the head of the Greek Armed Forces, the bearers of a heroic and glorious tradition. 

Keep them devoted to duty and battle-worthy, the guardians of our tradition, respected by our friends and feared by our foes, the priceless jewel of a proud Nation.
May they never be forced to strike. 

Be the protector and guardian of our Holy Church.
Draw your strength from the love between you and your people.
Redress offence by pardon,
Discord by unity,
Error by truth,
Doubt by faith. 

I pray that you and my People may know days of glory in the noble struggle for progress and civilisation. 

May God Almighty make you an instrument of peace and always keep guard over Greece and over your, Constantine, my son.  

In 1959, at the age of nineteen, Constantine met his future wife, his third cousin Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, aged thirteen, on a visit to Denmark. Anne-Marie was the third and last daughter of King Frederik IX of Denmark and Queen Ingrid. Constantine and Anne-Marie met a second time in Denmark in 1961, when Constantine declared to her parents his intention to marry Anne-Marie; at this point King Frederik briefly locked Constantine in the toilet. They met again in Athens in May 1962 at the marriage of Constantine's sister Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark to Prince Juan Carlos of Spain at which Anne-Marie was a bridesmaid: and again in 1963 at the centenary celebrations of the Greek monarchy.

Crown Prince Constantine.

When he was on a tour of the United States, Constantine spent time with his cousin King Simeon II of Bulgaria, who at that time was a student at the military school at Valley Forge. The two royals were pulled over by a policeman. Though neither Constantine nor Simeon had identification on them, they presented themselves as "Crown Prince of Greece" and "King of Bulgaria." Needless to say, they were briefly arrested before the Greek embassy intervened and verified their identities. In 1960, aged twenty, Crown Prince Constantine won an Olympic gold medal in sailing, which was the first Greek gold medal in sailing since the Stockholm 1912 Summer Olympics. He was also a strong swimmer and had a black belt in karate.

King Constantine II of Greece with Queen Mother Frederica at the funeral of King Paul.
Pictured behind them is Princess Irene.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Jack Garofalo.

King Constantine II of Greece with his mother Queen Frederica at the funeral of King Paul.
Photograph (c) Getty Images / Keystone.

Aged sixty-two, King Paul I of Greece died at Athens on 6 March 1964, and Constantine succeeded to the throne. In his biography of the new king, entitled HM Konstantine XIII, G. Nicholas Tantzos presented Constantine's daily routine once he became monarch: "The King's average day commenced about 7:30 AM with a breakfast of coffee, boiled eggs and toast, after which he read the newspapers and smoked his first cigarette. Unless there were formal meetings, the King dressed casually in slacks and sweater. By 9 AM he commenced conferences with his staff, going over state papers, and holding audiences, and attending meetings. Lunch was scheduled for 1:30 PM, but the King was usually late. In the afternoon he sometimes played squash with the Assistant Military Attache from the American Embassy, then returned to his office. There were many royal duties: opening factories, trade fairs, presiding over international functions and charitable institutions, reviewing military parades and such. His day usually ended after 9:30 PM in the evening, when he returned to the Palace. Sometimes he listened to music or watched a movie in the Palace basement, or had friends around for drinks."

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece on their wedding day, 1964.
Photo (c) Getty Images / David Lees.

On 18 September 1964, King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark were wed at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens. In 1967, following political instability, the King and Queen, with their two eldest children, fled from Greece to Rome, where they lived for a time. In 1974, the Greek monarchy was abolished. In 1980, Constantine and Anne-Marie established the Hellenic College of London, where their children were educated in Greek and English. 

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, holding the infant Princess Alexia, are surrounded by Princess Margrethe of Denmark, King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Queen Mother Frederica of Greece, and Princess Irene, 1965.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Keystone.

King Constantine, Queen Anne-Marie holding Crown Prince Pavlos, Queen Mother Frederica, and Princess Irene of Greece photographed in Rome, 1967.
Photo (c) Rolls Press / Popperfoto.

King Constantine holding Prince Nikolaos and Queen Anne-Marie in Rome, 1969.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Rolls Press / Popperfoto.

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, holding Princess Theodora, on the occasion of the christening of the princess. The couple are shown with their children Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Alexia as well as Queen Elizabeth II, 1983.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Hutton Archive.

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie, holding Prince Philippos, at the prince's christening in 1986. They are shown with Diana, Princess of Wales, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Tim Graham.

The King and Queen had five children: Princess Alexia (b.1965), Crown Prince Pavlos (b.1967), Prince Nikolaos (b.1969), Princess Theodora (b.1983), and Prince Philippos (b.1986). In 1995, Crown Prince Pavlos married Marie-Chantal Miller; the couple have five children: Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Constantine-Alexois, Prince Achileas-Andreas, Prince Odyseus Kimon, and Prince Aristidis-Stavros. In 1999, Princess Alexia married Carlos Morales y Quintana; the couple have four children: Arrietta Morales y de Grecia, Anna Maria Morales y de Grecia, Carlos Morales y de Grecia, and Amelia Morales y de Grecia. In 2010, Prince Nikolaos married Tatiana Blatnik. In 2020/2021, Prince Philippos married Nina Flohr. Princess Theodora is engaged to Matthew Kumar.

King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary, 2014.
Photo (c) Getty Images / Milos Bicanski.

In 2013, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie returned to live in Greece. They made their home at Porto Heli; they moved to Athens in recent years. The king suffered a stroke in 2018. In December 2021, he was admitted to an Athens hospital for treatment of pneumonia and subsequent pulmonary edema caused by aspiration. In January 2022, the king spent several days in hospital after contracting the coronavirus. 

May His Majesty Rest in Peace.