The funeral for Constantine II, the former king of Greece, took place in Athens on Monday, with royals from all of the European households in attendance to pay their respects.
The Princess Royal represented the British royal family at the service at the Metropolitan Cathedral, while Prince Michael of Kent’s daughter, Lady Gabriella Kingston, attended on behalf of the Prince of Wales.
Many royal watchers on social media wondered why King Charles and Prince William did not travel to Athens given their close family ties to the former Greek royal family – Constantine was Charles’ second cousin and William’s godfather.
While Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have not shared the reasons behind their absence, it’s common for royals to send representatives in their place to events such as large-scale weddings and funerals.
It’s also likely that their schedules clashed with the date of the funeral and the subsequent travel to and from Greece.
On Monday, Charles and Camilla held a meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, a photo of which was shared on his Twitter account.
Farewell meeting with His Majesty King Charles III, as always held in a truly friendly manner. Discussed the cooperation between Cyprus and the UK, the Commonwealth agenda, Environmental Sustainability, and Climate Change. I also informed HM of the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.
Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate carried out engagements in Merseyside last week, including opening the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, while the Princess held an early-year meeting on Friday.
Many heads of state attended Constantine’s funeral, including King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and Queen Margrethe of Denmark.
