Once upon a time, in a kingdom by the sea, a handsome
24-year-old king married a beautiful 18-year-old princess,
and the people of the kingdom rejoiced, and the king and
queen lived in a golden palace in the capital, surrounded
by royal gardens.
The king in this fairy tale was Constantine II of Greece.
His teenage bride was Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark.
But in 1967, three years after their wedding, after a coup
and a failed countercoup, the young couple and their two small
children were driven out of Greece, making a harrowing escape
that forced the family into more than four decades of exile. In 1974,
while Constantine was living in England and forbidden to speak
on his own behalf, the king's subjects abolished the monarchy and
stripped the royal family of its palaces, titles, property, and passports.
and the people of the kingdom rejoiced, and the king and
queen lived in a golden palace in the capital, surrounded
by royal gardens.
The king in this fairy tale was Constantine II of Greece.
His teenage bride was Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark.
But in 1967, three years after their wedding, after a coup
and a failed countercoup, the young couple and their two small
children were driven out of Greece, making a harrowing escape
that forced the family into more than four decades of exile. In 1974,
while Constantine was living in England and forbidden to speak
on his own behalf, the king's subjects abolished the monarchy and
stripped the royal family of its palaces, titles, property, and passports.
Now, almost 50 years after he left Greece, at a moment when the
eyes of the world regard the country with pity and sorrow,
when wealthy Greeks have long since stashed their money in
other countries, and when young Greeks are desperately seeking ways
to go anywhere else to find work, Constantine, no longer young,
has chosen to move back to his native land, investing heavily in a new
home for his remaining years and living as a commoner.
eyes of the world regard the country with pity and sorrow,
when wealthy Greeks have long since stashed their money in
other countries, and when young Greeks are desperately seeking ways
to go anywhere else to find work, Constantine, no longer young,
has chosen to move back to his native land, investing heavily in a new
home for his remaining years and living as a commoner.
It's not as if his life of exile gave him no pleasure.
Constantine has thrived for decades at the pinnacle of international
society,socializing with Europe's royals (most of them his relatives).
In 1986, to celebrate Queen Anne-Marie's 40th birthday,
Constantine took over Claridge's Hotel in London for a ball attended
by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (Constantine's cousin),
along with Prince Charles and Princess Diana, King Juan Carlos
of Spain and his wife Queen Sofía (Constantine's sister),
Queen Margrethe of Denmark (his sister-in-law), and virtually
all the other royals of Europe.
The glittering crowd danced to Lester Lanin's orchestra until dawn,
when breakfast was served.
Constantine has thrived for decades at the pinnacle of international
society,socializing with Europe's royals (most of them his relatives).
In 1986, to celebrate Queen Anne-Marie's 40th birthday,
Constantine took over Claridge's Hotel in London for a ball attended
by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (Constantine's cousin),
along with Prince Charles and Princess Diana, King Juan Carlos
of Spain and his wife Queen Sofía (Constantine's sister),
Queen Margrethe of Denmark (his sister-in-law), and virtually
all the other royals of Europe.
The glittering crowd danced to Lester Lanin's orchestra until dawn,
when breakfast was served.
When Constantine turned 60, in 2000, Prince Charles hosted
a gala at his country home, Highgrove. It was on that occasion
that Queen Elizabeth and Camilla Parker Bowles retired to a
convenient room for their first private conversation.
a gala at his country home, Highgrove. It was on that occasion
that Queen Elizabeth and Camilla Parker Bowles retired to a
convenient room for their first private conversation.
So the question must be asked: Why, at the moment of his country's
greatest economic turmoil, would Constantine elect to return
to a commoner's existence in Greece, the country that took away
his crown, and even his citizenship?
greatest economic turmoil, would Constantine elect to return
to a commoner's existence in Greece, the country that took away
his crown, and even his citizenship?
"It's a mystery to us," said Dino Anagnostopoulos, the king's lifelong
friend and former classmate. "I don't understand how a man who
knows everybody who is anybody in this world would choose
to go back to Greece—and especially now, when the country
is going through such hard times."
friend and former classmate. "I don't understand how a man who
knows everybody who is anybody in this world would choose
to go back to Greece—and especially now, when the country
is going through such hard times."
"Why" has become the central mystery of Constantine's life.
In person he comes across as a regular guy.
He speaks fluent English with a bit of a British accent, and he enjoys
hearing and telling a good joke, even at his own expense.
Yet despite his chatty bonhomie, it is difficult to pin down the reason
for the 75-year-old ex-king's decision to return to his place of birth.
In fact, it took three long interviews— two in Athens, one in London
—before he would address the topic.
DAVID LEES / LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION / GETTY
In person he comes across as a regular guy.
He speaks fluent English with a bit of a British accent, and he enjoys
hearing and telling a good joke, even at his own expense.
Yet despite his chatty bonhomie, it is difficult to pin down the reason
for the 75-year-old ex-king's decision to return to his place of birth.
In fact, it took three long interviews— two in Athens, one in London
—before he would address the topic.
DAVID LEES / LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION / GETTY
One would certainly understand if he never wanted to return,
given the often traumatic events of his young life, beginning
with his family's escape from Greece just ahead of the invading
Germans when he was a year old.
The family settled in Cairo, where the infant prince nearly died
after an intentional misdiagnosis by a doctor who was a communist
agent (a second doctor diagnosed acute appendicitis and
recommended a timely surgery).
A year after his family returned to Greece, when he was six,
he became the crown prince after his childless uncle, King George II,
died and his father assumed the throne as King Paul.
given the often traumatic events of his young life, beginning
with his family's escape from Greece just ahead of the invading
Germans when he was a year old.
The family settled in Cairo, where the infant prince nearly died
after an intentional misdiagnosis by a doctor who was a communist
agent (a second doctor diagnosed acute appendicitis and
recommended a timely surgery).
A year after his family returned to Greece, when he was six,
he became the crown prince after his childless uncle, King George II,
died and his father assumed the throne as King Paul.
The prince's parents created a rigorous boarding school, Anavryta,
for his education and handpicked 14 boys to be his classmates.
They became his closest friends for life. On weekends, away from
the spartan school's regime of cold showers and 6 a.m. runs,
the young prince would invite friends to the summer palace of Tatoi,
north of Athens, where his parents held opulent balls and well-born
Greek maidens dreamed of catching the eye of the handsome prince.
It was not to be. At 19, on a state visit to Denmark, he fell hard for
Princess Anne-Marie, youngest daughter of King Frederick IX
of Denmark and sister of the current queen, Margrethe II.
She was just 13. On their second meeting, in 1961,
when she was 15 and he was 21, he announced to his parents
that he was going to marry Anne-Marie. "I didn't ask or suggest.
I talked about it as a fait accompli," he recalled.
for his education and handpicked 14 boys to be his classmates.
They became his closest friends for life. On weekends, away from
the spartan school's regime of cold showers and 6 a.m. runs,
the young prince would invite friends to the summer palace of Tatoi,
north of Athens, where his parents held opulent balls and well-born
Greek maidens dreamed of catching the eye of the handsome prince.
It was not to be. At 19, on a state visit to Denmark, he fell hard for
Princess Anne-Marie, youngest daughter of King Frederick IX
of Denmark and sister of the current queen, Margrethe II.
She was just 13. On their second meeting, in 1961,
when she was 15 and he was 21, he announced to his parents
that he was going to marry Anne-Marie. "I didn't ask or suggest.
I talked about it as a fait accompli," he recalled.
Convincing Anne-Marie's father was more difficult.
When he asked Frederick IX for permission to marry his daughter,
the king locked Constantine in a nearby bathroom.
When Frederick told his wife, Queen Ingrid, of the proposal,
she suggested he release Constantine and open a bottle of champagne.
When he asked Frederick IX for permission to marry his daughter,
the king locked Constantine in a nearby bathroom.
When Frederick told his wife, Queen Ingrid, of the proposal,
she suggested he release Constantine and open a bottle of champagne.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
On December 13, 1967, before dawn, the king launched
a countercoup, flying with his pregnant wife, their two-year-old
daughter, Alexia, seven-month old Crown Prince Pavlos,
Constantine's mother Queen Frederica, and his sister Princess
Irene to Kavala, a city in northern Greece—a place where he
believed the army and its generals were loyal to him.
He intended to create an alternative government
in Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece.
The air force and navy immediately declared for the king
and mobilized, but the colonels in Athens put together a force
that advanced north, and within hours it was clear the countercoup
had failed. "I understood afterward, when you start something like this,
it has to work in the first hour, two hours maximum, or it's a waste of time,
" Constantine said. "You would have to enforce it with a lot of bloodshed.
The Greeks had been through a terrible civil war, and I wasn't going
to put them through that again."
a countercoup, flying with his pregnant wife, their two-year-old
daughter, Alexia, seven-month old Crown Prince Pavlos,
Constantine's mother Queen Frederica, and his sister Princess
Irene to Kavala, a city in northern Greece—a place where he
believed the army and its generals were loyal to him.
He intended to create an alternative government
in Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece.
The air force and navy immediately declared for the king
and mobilized, but the colonels in Athens put together a force
that advanced north, and within hours it was clear the countercoup
had failed. "I understood afterward, when you start something like this,
it has to work in the first hour, two hours maximum, or it's a waste of time,
" Constantine said. "You would have to enforce it with a lot of bloodshed.
The Greeks had been through a terrible civil war, and I wasn't going
to put them through that again."
That night, to avoid open conflict, Constantine flew his family out
of the country, toward Italy; he piloted the plane himself.
"We had less than three minutes of fuel when we touched down," he said.
"I had to borrow $300 from my valet to refuel the plane,
and my brother-in-law [King Juan Carlos] had to send me clothes."
of the country, toward Italy; he piloted the plane himself.
"We had less than three minutes of fuel when we touched down," he said.
"I had to borrow $300 from my valet to refuel the plane,
and my brother-in-law [King Juan Carlos] had to send me clothes."
On the heels of these agonizing events, Queen Anne-Marie
suffered a miscarriage. "It was a very dark period in our history,
" Constantine said, with obvious emotion.
"A lot of officers who supported me were badly treated by the
colonels when we failed. But at least we all made a major effort
to free our country from that dictatorship."
suffered a miscarriage. "It was a very dark period in our history,
" Constantine said, with obvious emotion.
"A lot of officers who supported me were badly treated by the
colonels when we failed. But at least we all made a major effort
to free our country from that dictatorship."
From Rome, Constantine declared, "I am sure I shall go back
the way my ancestors did." (Both his grandfather King Constantine
I and his uncle King George II spent large portions of their reigns
in exile during the world wars, which caused George II to remark,
"The most important tool for a king of Greece is a suitcase.")
Constantine and his family lived for two months in the Greek embassy
in Rome and then for five years in a house in a suburb.
the way my ancestors did." (Both his grandfather King Constantine
I and his uncle King George II spent large portions of their reigns
in exile during the world wars, which caused George II to remark,
"The most important tool for a king of Greece is a suitcase.")
Constantine and his family lived for two months in the Greek embassy
in Rome and then for five years in a house in a suburb.
Over the next year the junta sent feelers to the king, trying to negotiate
terms under which he would return, but he insisted on the restoration
of democracy.
He believes the colonels also engineered two attempts on his life.
terms under which he would return, but he insisted on the restoration
of democracy.
He believes the colonels also engineered two attempts on his life.
"The second time," he said, "I was going to Tehran to meet the shah.
When I got to Heathrow, I noticed that the flight was quite long,
with two stops, so I changed to a direct flight on British Airways.
When I got to Tehran the shah told me there had been an assassin
on the Frankfurt leg of the original flight, but his people had intercepted him.
'So what happened to the fellow?' I asked.
'Do you really want to know?' he said."
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When I got to Heathrow, I noticed that the flight was quite long,
with two stops, so I changed to a direct flight on British Airways.
When I got to Tehran the shah told me there had been an assassin
on the Frankfurt leg of the original flight, but his people had intercepted him.
'So what happened to the fellow?' I asked.
'Do you really want to know?' he said."
THANASSIS STAVRAKIS / AP PHOTO
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