The funeral of the former King Constantine of Greece served as the occasion for the four main members of the Spanish royal family to meet in public for the first time since Elizabeth II ‘s funeral last September. However, they did not sit down or be photographed together, as protocol dictates the separation of official members from fees. It is necessary to remember that Constantine was the blood brother of the emeritus queen of Spain, Sofía , therefore, the duel was extended to the Spanish royal family.
In a rare moment captured by the cameras, King Felipe affectionately hugged and kissed his father Juan Carlos , who due to mobility problems was transferred to the chapel in a small vehicle. However, the greatest moment that caused an impression in the Spanish media was the public reunion between the emeritus monarchs Juan Carlos and Sofía. Despite the king’s dozens of scandals with lovers, and the fact that Juan Carlos now permanently resides in Abu Dhabi, in self-imposed exile, the two spouses appeared together in the funeral procession.
The emeritus kings of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sofía, arrived at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens , where the funeral ceremony was held, just 15 minutes before the start, accompanied by Irene -sister of Sofía and Constantino- and their two daughters, the princesses Elena and Cristina with their children. They had also stayed at the same hotel at the foot of the Lycabettus and coincided at the dinner offered by the Constantine family for the royal couple of Spain, Felipe and Letizia, on Sunday night.
It is the second time that all the Bourbons led by Juan Carlos and Sofia appeared in public
Sofia and Juan Carlos were placed in the second row, behind the main members of the Greek family, while in front of them sat the official members of the Spanish royal family, Felipe with his wife, Letizia, along with other European monarchs. King Felipe arrived in Greece as head of state, accompanied by Queen Letizia , so they stayed at the “Great Britain” hotel, the “house” of foreign leaders these days.
For their part, Juan Carlos, Princess Elena with their two children and Princess Cristina with their four children stayed at the “King George” hotel, accompanying Queen Mother Sofía and Princess Irene. It was the second time that all the Bourbons had appeared in public since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last September in London. The previous time was at the funeral of Princess Pilar, Juan Carlos’s sister, who died in January 2020.
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