Constantine II, the last king of Greece, has died. 82 years old, he had already been hospitalized in December 2021 after suffering an ischemic attack; his last public appearance dates back to last October 23 on the occasion of the wedding of his youngest son, Filippo.
The former monarch, cousin of the British king Charles III and godfather of Prince William, is the brother of Queen Sofia, wife of King Juan Carlos of Spain and mother of the current monarch, Felipe VI.
In addition to being an honorary member of the IOC, he had a particular bond with Italy: as an athlete he had won the Rome Olympics in 1960 in the sailing discipline (competitions held in Naples), and he was the first to enter the Olympic stadium in Rome during the opening ceremony of the 1960 Games, as designated flag bearer of Greece.
The last time he was in Italy was on 10 September 2010, in the capital, received by the then President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.
(Unioneonline/ss)
