Prince William Withdraws from Godfather’s Memorial Service Due to Personal Reasons, Palace Confirms
Prince William Withdraws from Godfather’s Memorial Service Due to Personal Reasons, Palace Confirms
A palace source tells PEOPLE that Kate Middleton “continues to be doing well” amid her recovery from abdominal surgery
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Prince William dropped out of a ceremony to honor his godfather King Constantine of Greece due to a personal matter, Kensington Palace says.
The Prince of Wales, 41, pulled out of the service of Thanksgiving at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on Tuesday. The personal matter is not related to the health of his father, King Charles, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, PEOPLE understands.
William, who was reportedly due to give a reading at the service, was due to attend without his wife Kate Middleton, 42, who is recovering from her recent abdominal surgery at home in Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate. While the palace didn’t indicate whether William’s absence was due to Kate’s recovery, a palace source tells PEOPLE she “continues to be doing well.”
Constantine, who was the last King of Greece, died in January 2023 at age 82 and among the congregation for the service was King Constantine’s widow, Queen Anne-Marie, and their son Crown Prince Pavlos with his wife, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal. William informed the late King’s family he was unable to attend ahead of the event.
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Among the members of the British royal family walking into St. George’s Chapel on Tuesday morning were Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who live under the same roof at Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate. The big turnout of royals also included their eldest daughter Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
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Also there was King Charles’ sister Princess Anne, with her daughter Zara Tindall and son-in-law former rugby player Mike.
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The links between the British and Greek royal families are strong, and Constantine was a close friend of both King Charles and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. Her husband, Prince Philip, was born in Crete and was a first cousin of King Constantine’s father, King Paul I. Prince William is himself godfather to one of Prince Pavlos’ children.
Constantine acceded to the throne at the age of 23 in 1964, reported the Associated Press. By then, he was already an Olympic gold medalist in sailing.
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The Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, after which the last King lived in exile in Britain. Though he returned for some short visits, including in 2004 when Constantine returned to Greece temporarily during the Athens Olympic Games as a member of the International Olympic Committee, he was only able to live in his home country again in 2013.
After suffering from chronic heart and mobility problems, his condition worsened and he was hospitalized last January, according to Reuters. He died in Athens, the city of his birth, on January 10, 2023.
Prince William did not attend King Constantine’s funeral last year. Instead, he asked his relative Lady Gabriella Windsor to represent him. It was a poignant choice as Lady Gabriella is the daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth, to whom Constantine was a close friend. Gabriella and William also share another link: Constantine was a godfather to them both.
At the funeral, Princess Anne stood in for her brother King Charles at the solemn ceremony in Athens.
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It is customary for senior royals in Britain to send relatives or close friends and aides to funerals on their behalf. The late Queen Elizabeth only rarely attended funerals. King Charles appears to be following the same custom and sending a family member instead.
Other royals from around the world in attendance at the funeral included Prince Albert of Monaco, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Margrethe of Denmark (who was the late monarch’s sister-in-law), King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.
