King Constantine (1940 - 2023)

[iceflower]

* *

Welcome to the thread for late King Constantine.

* Psychiko, Athens, Greece, June 2, 1940 - Athens, Greece, January 10, 2023 *
​

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[Adda]

Today, at noon, the family will hold a memorial service in King Konstantinos' memory on the occasion of the nine-day anniversary of his death.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

They had the Trisagion at the 3 day mark, and traditionally there is another ceremony marking 40 days.

But 9 days? I had no idea. I am curious to know how many post death funeral rites the Orthodox observe....

 

[Adda]

In Orthodoxy, the numbers 3, 9, 40 have a sacred meaning, the commemoration of the deceased is arranged for 9 days after the moment of the departure in honor of nine angels who protect the soul of the deceased and ask the Almighty for its salvation.
Sorry for the oversimplification, but long story short: If a person was righteous, led a pious life, then it is believed that after 9 days the soul can be transferred to the Holy Place.

 

[TLLK]

In Orthodoxy, the numbers 3, 9, 40 have a sacred meaning, the commemoration of the deceased is arranged for 9 days after the moment of the departure in honor of nine angels who protect the soul of the deceased and ask the Almighty for its salvation.
Sorry for the oversimplification, but long story short: If a person was righteous, led a pious life, then it is believed that after 9 days the soul can be transferred to the Holy Place.

Thank you for explaining the rite.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

In Orthodoxy, the numbers 3, 9, 40 have a sacred meaning, the commemoration of the deceased is arranged for 9 days after the moment of the departure in honor of nine angels who protect the soul of the deceased and ask the Almighty for its salvation.
Sorry for the oversimplification, but long story short: If a person was righteous, led a pious life, then it is believed that after 9 days the soul can be transferred to the Holy Place.

Clear and wonderful explanation. I am Roman Catholic but have always been attracted to Orthodoxy. I find the symbolism and sense of mystery fascinating.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[leidi]

Clear and wonderful explanation. I am Roman Catholic but have always been attracted to Orthodoxy. I find the symbolism and sense of mystery fascinating.

Thanks for the explanation.

I am Roman Catholic as well and in some countries (specially the Spanish speaking ones), you do something called a "novena", nine days of prayer after the person is buried, then a mass.
Then you go with the mass every month for the first year and from then on, a mass yearly on the anniversary of death.
The 40 days thing is probably related to the years Moses and his people spent in the desert and the days Jesus spent being tempted by the devil, that's why both Lent and Advent are 40 days long as well, it's a very symbolic number for Christianity in general.

 

[fandesacs2003]

And coming back to the coverage, in 15 minutes is the 9 days mass in Tatoi. Despite CP Pavlos asked to be private.... press is there

Sent from my SM-A426B using The Royals Community mobile app

 

[eya]

Pictures and Videos from the arrivals today

Τέως βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Στο Τατόι για το τρισάγιο η οικογένειά του
Τέως Βασιλιάς Κωνσταντίνος: Παύλος, Νικόλαος, Μαρί Σαντάλ καθ' οδόν για το μνημόσυνο στο Τατόι - Φωτογραφίες TLIFE

 

[An Ard Ri]

I am Roman Catholic as well and in some countries (specially the Spanish speaking ones), you do something called a "novena", nine days of prayer after the person is buried, then a mass.
Then you go with the mass every month for the first year and from then on, a mass yearly on the anniversary of death.
The 40 days thing is probably related to the years Moses and his people spent in the desert and the days Jesus spent being tempted by the devil, that's why both Lent and Advent are 40 days long as well, it's a very symbolic number for Christianity in general.

In Ireland we have a Months Mind Mass which normally takes place 30 days after the death and then is marked each year as an Anniversary Mass.

I've never actually heard of the Nine Days of Prayer which is new to me.

 

[suztav]

All eastern faiths -- Orthodox and Catholic -- have the 9 and 40 day masses. I'm from one of the eastern Catholic rites and we have both.

 

[Adda]

I am Roman Catholic as well and in some countries (specially the Spanish speaking ones), you do something called a "novena", nine days of prayer after the person is buried, then a mass.
Then you go with the mass every month for the first year and from then on, a mass yearly on the anniversary of death.

I was raised Roman Catholic and accompanied my Mormor (grandma) to many novenas. It's a beautiful tradition and a huge source of consolation.

__
Back on topic, the press is turning the whole affair into a circus, they've found something to be entertained about. It's absolutely disrespectful to show up at Tatoi when the service held today was a PRIVATE family event. If Pavlos ever really considered moving to Athens, then he must have ditched that idea altogether.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Sorry, I didn't understand...who is showing up at what private family events?

 

[Adda]

The press.

Photos from yesterday's Trisagio, all of K&AM's children were present, as were Pavlos' kids. Princess Irene did not attend.

https://i1.prth.gr/images/640x360/_webp/files/2023-01-20/vasilias_trisagio_xr.jpg

https://i1.prth.gr/images/w640/_webp/files/2023-01-20/vasilias_trisagio_in__1_.jpg


Στον τάφο του τέως βασιλιά Κωνσταντίνου η οικογένειά του – Δείτε φωτογραφίες

 

[yukari]

From Hello!

Prince Pavlos to leave Greece - details of royal's future plans revealed

Their report is based on Andreas Megos' Instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn1eYLlIdDZ/?hl=en

Tomorrow Prince Pavlos departs from Greece for New York. In a brief conversation, he said that he will not give any interviews or make statements until the 40-day memorial service for King Constantine's death as it is his family's mourning period.

The memorial service for the late King will be held on Sunday 19 February after the Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens in the presence of the Synodal hierarchs, followed by a trisagion at the late King's tomb in Tatoi.

A second memorial service will follow in London, for all those who wished to attend but were unable to be in our country for the funeral service and burial of the King.
Both Memorial Services will be attended by all members of the Greek Royal Family.

Until the 40-day memorial service, Prince Pavlos will divide his time between New York, London and Greece, being close to his mother Queen Anne-Marie.

 

[Adda]

Andreas Megos is reporting that the 40-day memorial service in honour of the late King Konstantinos will be held at 11:00am on 18 February at the Cathedral of Athens. It will be followed by a Trisagion at the late King's tomb in Tatoi.

 

[eya]

The final preperations in Tatoi for the 40th memorial service of the King

"The stones fell and the plaque was placed today, Monday, 13 February 2023, at the tomb of the late King Constantine in a charged atmosphere in the presence of workers and police.

Weather damage has been repaired while the entire area is being cleaned."

https://www.ekklisiaonline.gr/nea/t...-psychosavvato-trisagio-vasilia-konstantinou/




Complaints from Queen Sofia in Lina Mendoni Minister of Culture- The conversation in low tones, but with spikes, about the burial of the king


"The following incident happened one day before the funeral of the late King Constantine , but it remained a secret until it reached our ears from a very authoritative source: While in Tatoi work was being carried out at a super-intensive pace under the supervision of the Minister of Culture, Linas Mendoni, so that the burial place would be rudimentarily decent, the former Queen Sofia of Spain arrived there .

At some point, Konstantinou's sister approached Mrs. Mendonis and began to express to her in low tones, but in a sharp manner, her complaints about how the Ministry of Culture handled the burial issues, but also about the delay with which the work began in the area, since it was known weeks before that the former king was in a very bad state of health, very difficult to reverse."


https://www.parapolitika.gr/parapol...iseis-se-hailous-tonous-alla-e-aihiro-tropo-/

 

[Adda]

Standing ovation to Doña Sofía.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Standing ovation to Doña Sofía.

I'd imagine Queen Sofia was utterly appalled at the complete disregard and disrespect shown to her brother and ancestors buried there.

 

[fandesacs2003]

More official information about the 40 days memorial mass for His Late Majesty.
From Instagram page of Andreas Megos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CorWy94oXtc/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=



Sent from my SM-A426B using The Royals Community mobile app

 

[eya]

This afternoon Pavlos and Marie Chantal arrived in Athens and will stay at the Great Britain hotel

"According to the information, the children of Pavlos and Marie Chantal will not attend the memorial service...
among the total of 250 guests, are Konstantinos' classmates and friends, many of whom had not attended his funeral.

As the show "Live News" reports, after the memorial service the family will welcome their guests to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for coffee."

https://www.protothema.gr/greece/ar...s-kai-mari-sadal-menoun-sti-megali-vretannia/

 

[Adda]

It's a "private", family gathering, so the grandchildren
not attending leaves me...perplexed.

 

[IRIS1983]

The absence of the grandchildren, especially the children of Pavlos and MC, does not seem correct to me, it is very easy to boast in magazines and newspapers of the title of "Princes". I think that the minimum would be to attend these tributes to their grandfather, it is a way to maintain the historical legacy of their grandfather.....

 

[kalnel]

I'm not surprised about the grandchildren not attending. Most of them are in school, so being there would mean missing quite a few days of classes. They all just missed a week last month, so another week out of school would be difficult to make up.

 

[Adda]

Konstantinos-Alexios and Maria-Olympia have graduated from college, I'd guess Arrietta has too. But you're right, maybe they didn't get permission to leave their 9 to 5 jobs. The struggle is real, lol.

 

[Stefanie]

I wonder anyway how close the relationship between C and AM and their grandchildren was after moving from London to Greece.
MC and her parents-in- law never seemed very close IMO and the grandchildren preferred other locations during holidays IMO.
We never saw them f.i. visiting Lanzarote where Alexia lives.
Alexia IMO had practically no relation to Pavlos and family.
All of C' s and AM' s children live so far away in different countries so it must be difficult to keep steady contact.

 

[capri]

I 've read that next day, in February 19, another memorial will take place in London. Is it true?

 

[stef]

This is not true, on Sunday the family will celebrate a trisagion, it is a prayer, before the tomb of King Constantine in tatoi, afterwards, the guests, family and very close people have been invited to have a coffee.

(..)

 

[Adda]

New updates about the Memorial: Three hundred policemen will patrol the area, from early Saturday morning, Mitropoleos will be closed while there will be traffic regulations on the surrounding streets with the guests moving in vans. As of Thursday afternoon, parking will be prohibited in places close to the church.

According to Protothema, the Infantas are in town accompanying Doña Sofía and Princess Eiríni.

 

[Lipe]

This is my opinion, I think that the police deployment is a bit exaggerated, in this event there will be no members of Royal Houses who are Heads of State, this is a mass with guests as friends... however it is curious that now a private mass, for the soul of the King, arouse so much interest in the Greek authorities.

A person has written today in the facebook group, the greek royal family, that he has contacted people close to the king's office and they have informed him that this weekend there will be no mass in London for King Constantine,