Unseen footage from inside the memorial service for the late King Constantine II of Greece has revealed the poignant moment his son and heir was forced to step in for Prince William at 45 minutes notice.
Crown Prince Pavlos, 56, the current head of the former Greek royal family, gave a reading at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in William’s stead this week.
The Prince of Wales, who met Holocaust survivors at a synagogue in London today, was due to read from Revelation 21:1-7, a popular verse of the Bible for funerals – but a moved Pavlos stood up instead to say: ‘God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’.
Video of the service has been released by the Greek royals including the moment Pavlos stepped in for William, who reportedly called the Crown Prince and apologised for his last minute absence.
The official YouTube film from inside St George’s Chapel, where Elizabeth II was laid to rest in September 2022, also showed the poignant moment Queen Camilla stood for the national anthem with her husband absent because he is battling cancer.
Earlier in the service, at one point, she appeared to wipe away a tear.
Charles III would have been there to lead the Royal Family but is receiving hospital treatment so has taken a complete break from royal duties. Buckingham Palace has said that his cancer has been caught early and His Majesty is ‘wholly positive’.
Crown Prince Pavlos gives the reading for his father – a role that was meant to have been taken by Prince William who had to miss the service at the 11th hour
In another poignant moment, the Queen and other royals stood for the national anthem – but King Charles is absent due to his cancer treatment
William, pictured on February 20, said he missed the service for ‘personal reasons’ – but no further details
The King has been seen at Sandringham going to church each Sunday but public duties have been paused
Charles III, then the Prince of Wales and Camilla, now Queen, greeting the late King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes as they arrive for a dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2012
Camilla stood at the front of the church next to the King’s sister Princess Anne throughout the service and looked serious as she stood for God Save The King.
Prince William, who lives in the grounds of Windsor Castle, is believed to have pulled out of the event just 45 minutes before with Kensington Palace stubbornly refusing to say what the reason was, other than it was a ‘personal matter’.
On the same day it emerged that Thomas Kingston had died.
The sudden death of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s son-in-law has left the Royal Family and friends in a state of deep shock. But this was not the reason for William’s absence, it later emerged.
The late Constantine II was William’s godfather, close to the Queen and a dear friend and sailing partner of Prince Philip.
Queen Camilla was instead the most senior member of the Royal Family in attendance – with Prince Andrew also enjoying a prominent role as he led fellow royals on foot to the service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
No further detail was given on William’s absence, and it is not known if it relates to his wife the Princess of Wales‘s recovery after her abdominal surgery last month, although royal sources insisted she was still ‘doing well’ at home.
William was last seen at the Baftas on February 18, while Kate has not been seen since Christmas at Sandringham.
Kate will remain away from official royal engagements until after Easter following her surgery.
As for Charles, he was at Windsor Castle earlier in the day but left before the service began – with the reception afterwards hosted by Camilla. The King was later photographed waving while being driven into Clarence House, his London residence.
Meanwhile Andrew was present front and centre with Sarah, Duchess of York and his daughter Princesses Beatrice – along with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – because it was deemed a personal family event.
It is also understood that the Duke of York was attending the service as a member of the British Royal Family and had been invited by the Greek Royal Family. Andrew’s other daughter Princess Eugenie was not in attendance.
In Charles’s absence from public duties, Camilla has become the most senior royal performing engagements. Another royal source said there was no connection between William’s personal matter and the King’s health.
Leading the way: Eyebrows were raised that Prince Andrew walked ahead of other royal mourners at the late King Constantine’s memorial service on Tuesday
(front row, left to right) Princess Alexandra the Honourable Lady of Ogilvy, Marina Ogilvy, Prince Andrew, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Gloucester, Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Princess Royal and Queen Camilla at St George’s Chapel in Windsor
Queen Camilla appears to wipe her eye at St George’s Chapel in Windsor during the thanksgiving service
Anne, Princess Royal, Queen Camilla, Queen Anne Marie of Greece and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece following yesterday’s service
This year has seen a sudden shortage of frontline royals after Charles and Kate both went into hospital around the same time last month. The family’s health woes have left William shouldering more of the burden of public duties while at the same time supporting Kate and helping care for their three children George, Charlotte and Louis.
Charles was admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition last month, but subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer. The monarch has withdrawn from public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment. Kate underwent abdominal surgery at the same time and is currently recuperating, following a two-week hospital stay.
The British Crown was represented by Princess Anne, Charles’s sister, at Constantine II’s funeral in Greece last year following his death in January 2023. Constantine was the last member of a century-long dynasty, and had reigned for just three years when an army dictatorship seized control of the country in 1967.
Nearly eight months after the junta seized power, Constantine organised a military counter-coup that failed. He fled to Rome with the rest of the royal family and later to London, living in Hampstead. The junta abolished the monarchy in 1973, and Greeks voted not to restore the royal family after the restoration of democracy in 1974.
Andrew led more minor family members including the Princess Royal and Zara and Mike Tindall, who arrived at the chapel after being driven to the castle quadrangle by coach.
The final member of the British royal family to arrive was Camilla, who was driven down from the castle to the 15th century chapel.
She was warmly greeted by the Dean of Windsor, the Right Rev Christopher Cocksworth, at the Galilee Porch.
The service at St George’s Chapel was held in honour of the King’s close friend and second cousin Constantine II, the former ruler and last king of Greece.
Unknown illness: William with Kate, who has had abdominal surgery. She will not return to public life until after Easter at the earliest
The tragic last photo of Thomas Kingston and his wife Lady Gabriella Windsor, taken at event in London on Valentine’s Day. He was found dead this week
The King missed the service as he continues treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Charles, who has been staying at Windsor Castle, left the Berkshire residence at some point this morning.
Dozens of foreign royals travelled to Windsor to attend the service but the King is not expected to meet them privately.
Constantine’s eldest son Crown Prince Pavlos stepped in to give the reading in William’s place.
The King was close to his second cousin Constantine, who was a first cousin once removed and sailing partner of the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Constantine died aged 82, decades after being toppled from the throne in a military coup.
The King has reportedly sought spiritual advice from his friend Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Greek Orthodox Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.
Abbot Ephraim is said to have told Greek media outlets: ‘Yes, he has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he’ll overcome it. Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life.’
Charles, 75, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer just over a fortnight ago, is not carrying out public duties while he has treatment.
Constantine was a first cousin once removed and sailing partner of the late Duke of Edinburgh, and died at the age of 82 in January last year, decades after being toppled from the throne in a military coup.
The King had a close friendship with Constantine, choosing him as a godfather for his son William, now the Prince of Wales.
The former king was also godfather to the daughter of Prince and Princess of Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella Kingston.
Camilla and other family members will be joined by the late king’s widow Queen Anne-Marie, their eldest son, Crown Prince Pavlos and other members of the Greek royal family for the service in the nave of the 15th century chapel.
Charles was unable to attend Constantine’s funeral in Athens last year because of commitments which included meeting the president of Cyprus. The Princess Royal represented him at the service.
Constantine, who died in an Athens hospital, acceded to the throne at the age of 23 in 1964.
The young king, who had won Olympic gold in sailing, was initially hugely popular.
By the following year he had squandered much of that support with his active involvement in the machinations that brought down the popularly elected Centre Union government of prime minister George Papandreou.
The episode, still widely known in Greece as the ‘apostasy’ or defection from the ruling party of several politicians, destabilised the constitutional order and led to a military coup in 1967.
Constantine eventually clashed with the military rulers and was forced into exile.
The dictatorship abolished the monarchy in 1973 and a referendum after democracy was restored in 1974 dashed any hopes Constantine had of reigning again.
He lived in exile for many years in Hampstead Garden Suburb in north London, before returning to his home country in 2013.
