Former King Constantine: The moments that stood out at his funeral

On the shoulders of his three sons and his grandsons, the late King Constantine was led to his final abode near the graves of his parents and other ancestors, in Tatoi.

During the long ceremony leading up to his burial, there were moments that stood out, such as when his wife, Anna Maria, entered the Metropolis and stood in front of the coffin, or the funeral (with political messages) of their son, Pavlos. Also noteworthy was the participation of a large number of people in the pilgrimage to the body of the former king, while the wreath made of "lilies of the valley" with which Anna Maria said goodbye to Constantine was also special.

The former king was buried

The burial of the former king was preceded by a service at the Church of the Resurrection, in the complex of royal tombs in which Archbishop Hieronymos officiated, as well as at the funereal procession in the Metropolis. The members of Constantine's immediate family, Anna Maria, children, grandchildren, his sisters Irene and Sofia, together with her husband Juan Carlos, and her three children - the King of Spain, Felipe and her daughters.

Despite the family's initial decision not to allow the public to enter the site of Tatoi, the assembled were finally allowed to enter on foot after the burial.

The funereal liturgy

The body of the former king had been placed in a popular pilgrimage since dawn Monday at the chapel of the Metropolis of Athens. The coffin was covered with the Greek Flag, while the citizens who wanted to say goodbye to the former King Constantine were more than the police had estimated, as a result of which a small extension was given to the time of lying in state in Agios Eleftherios.

The procession started after 12 noon. The three sons of...