Constantine II of Greece

Constantine II (Greek ???????????? ?', born June 2, 1940), was the last King of Greece from March 6, 1964 to June 1, 1973. His official title was King of the Hellenes (???????? ??? ???????).

After the abolition

Constantine was not formally exiled nor stripped of his property or citizenship after the referendum. Still, it seems he was formally discouraged from visiting Greece as he did so only once, very briefly, in February 1981 for the funeral of his mother, Queen Frederika. There were also legal disputes with the Greek state, since Constantine was unable or unwilling to pay the heavy taxes on his property in Greece. In the early 1990s Constantine started appearing more in the newly created private television channels and thus became more "visible" in Greece. In 1992 he concluded an agreement with the government under Constantine Mitsotakis ceding most of his land in Greece to a non-profit foundation in exchange for the former palace of Tatoi and the right to export a large number of movables from Greece. In 1993 he attempted a first visit to Greece which however did not end well as the government, irritated by his "tour" around Greece and by increasingly loud protests from the opposition, asked him to leave. In 1994, the government of PASOK which had by then succeeded Mitsotakis passed new legislation reversing the 1992 "deal" and stripping Constantine of his property in Greece and his Greek citizenship.

Related Topics:
Constantine Mitsotakis - PASOK

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Constantine has since sued Greece before the European Court of Human Rights, claiming ownership of lands worth in excess of ?550 million. He won only partially, receiving only ?4 million for the lost property. The Greek government paid this sum (out of the "disasters of nature" budget, as a means of making a public statement), but was not obliged by the court decision to return any lands.

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A law stating that Constantine cannot be granted a Greek passport unless he signs a formal declaration recognising the Republic still remains in force. Constantine refuses to comply as a matter of principle. However, he now travels in and out of Greece without problems, on a Danish passport (as "Constantine de Grecia"), and has done so several times in the past few years. Because of the Schengen agreements the Greek government cannot refuse him entry.

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