Constantine << KON stuhn `teen` or KON stuhn `tyn` >> II (1940-2023) was the last king of Greece. He succeeded his father, Paul I, and served as king from 1964 to 1973. The Greek people voted to end the monarchy in 1974.
Constantine was born on June 2, 1940, in Psychico, near Athens. He was the eldest child of King Paul and Queen Frederica. The family fled Greece in 1941, during World War II (1939-1945). Constantine spent his early years in Egypt and South Africa. The family returned to Greece in 1946. His father, Paul, became king in 1947. Constantine was named crown prince—that is, heir to the throne. He served in the Greek military and attended three military academies. He also became an accomplished athlete. His sailing team won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome.
Constantine became king upon the death of his father in March 1964. He began his reign with much support from the Greek people. But conflict soon arose between him and Prime Minister George Papandreou over the extent of royal power, including control of the military. The king manipulated Papandreou into resigning in 1965. During the next two years, Greece experienced increasing social and political unrest. In 1967, the military seized power. Later that year, after trying to overthrow the military, Constantine fled Greece with his family. He went first to Rome and then settled in London. In 1973, Greece’s military government declared him deposed. The next year, the Greek people voted to end the monarchy and make Greece a republic. Constantine settled in Greece again in 2013. He died in Athens on Jan. 10, 2023. See also Greece (History).
