The newly widowed Queen Anne-Marie of Greece paid tribute to her late husband, King Constantine II, in subtle yet poignant fashion as she led mourners at his royal-studded funeral in Athens on Monday.
The former queen, 76, who was married to Constantine from 1964 until his death last Tuesday, was supported by her five children and their partners, grandchildren and extended family, including her older sister Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, as she bid a final farewell to the former Greek monarch at the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral.
The queen, the eldest child of King Paul of Greece and Frederica of Hanover, left a touching note to Constantine, writing: ‘Your beloved Ana Maria’. She also nodded to one of the most important days of their lives, their romantic and extravagant wedding, in two key ways, according to Vanity Fair Spain.
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Firstly, Anne-Marie wore the same Crucifix pendant she donned as a bride to exchange vows with Constantine on 18 September 1964, just two weeks after her 18th birthday. The ceremony came two years after the groom’s sister, the then Princess Sofia, wed Juan Carlos, the then Crown Prince of Spain. The couple, who attended the funeral, ruled over Spain until Juan Carlos' abdication in 2014.
On her wedding day, Anne-Marie wore the Crucifix on a delicate chain, which fell elegantly over her simple wedding gown featuring a nipped in waistband, three-quarter length sleeves and modest boat neckline. On Monday, she wore the Crucifix on a chunkier pearl chain that clung to her neck. Anne-Marie also laid a wreath made up of white lilies of the valley, the same flower that she chose for her bridal bouquet.
The last King of Greece had family ties to Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Norway and Britain
As well as mourning a fellow ruler, many of the royals were also paying tribute to a late family member, thanks to the sprawling web of complex ties that connect many of the historic thrones of Europe. King Charles III, Constantine's second cousin, was represented by his sister, Princess Anne.
Queen Sofia of Spain, Constantine’s sister and wife of former King Juan Carlos I of Spain, looked sombre as she remembered her sibling alongside her husband, son King Felipe VI and daughter-in-law Queen Letizia. Felipe’s sister, Princess Cristina, was joined by her four children, arriving alongside her maternal aunt, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark.
It comes amid news that Anne-Marie’s eldest son, Crown Prince Pavlos, could soon be moving to Athens with his wife, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal.
