A serious background to the funeral procession and burial of the late Emperor Constantine

In 83, he lost the war Constantine Glicksburg, after a serious decline in his health and a series of adventures in recent years. His closest relatives had come to Athens from abroad and were by his side in the private hospital until the end, and in the earlier days they had also gone to the Metropolis church to pray.

As the family realized that the difficult time of farewell was approaching, according to reliable sources, there were movements in the background regarding evacuation processions and burials.

Family members reportedly want the former king’s body to be laid to rest in a state funeral with the honors of a head of state, on a popular pilgrimage to the metropolis. Maximus’ motives are said to have been investigated. Besides, the former king’s sons, Pavlos and Nikolas, seem to have been conducting relevant contacts for several days, seeking answers to practical (legal and political) issues.

Tomorrow, after “morning coffee” at Maximos, an inter-ministerial meeting is expected to convene for the ceremony. Information suggests that the government is in no mood to get involved in the matter, taking “unnecessary dimensions”, as competent sources have said. For now, the scenario of a public funeral seems unlikely.

Burial is expected to take place in Tatoi if the family so chooses. Another time, in 1981, a similar situation occurred because there were similar requests from Pavlos and Frederica’s eldest son, Konstantinos, about his mother’s death.

Frederica’s Funeral

On February 12, 1981, six days after she died of a heart attack in Madrid, Frederica was buried next to her husband, Pavlos. His son Constantinos tried to negotiate with the Greek government, to be buried in the city of Athens and buried in the tomb of Tatoi.

In Greece, the issue was politically “raised” and there was a war of declaration between Georgios Rallis and Andreas Papandreou. After convening a council of government, Rallis decided that both the funeral and the burial should take place in Tadau on the same day, while after the funeral, Constantine and his family were to leave Greece.

Political conflict over Tatoi

Meanwhile, the former king’s death comes at a time when the government is unveiling plans to develop estates in Tatoo. The issue was twice raised for discussion between Kyriakos Mitsotakis and King Charles, who also expressed his personal interest.

The prime minister was led by Charles to 18th-century buildings and the Dumfries estate in Scotland (a similar development is being sought in Tatoi), while the deadline for the implementation of the first cycle of projects carried out by the Ministry of Culture is the end of 2025 at the former royal estate.

That trip to Scotland in the spring of 2022 alone caused a clash between the government and Syriza, which Koumounduro spoke of as “a huge shame for the citizens”, saying Mitsotakis should not be “the luxury of the Cliquesburgs”. ND responded by accusing Syriza of “incomprehensible conspiracies”, recalling that when Alexis Tsipras welcomed Karolos in Athens in 2018, he spoke of a “landmark visit”.