European royalty arriving in Athens bid farewell to the last king of Greece.

Former King Constantine II passed away last week at the age of 82. A funeral ritual was held in Athens, attended by European royals. Constantine II, who is the cousin of Britain's King Charles and godfather of heir to the throne Prince William, spent most of his life abroad but returned to his homeland in recent years. He died in an Athens hospital last week at the age of 82.

Constantine II was related to the German house of Glucksburg, which had ties to royal families throughout Europe. He was the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. He is buried on the Tatoi estate, the family's former family estate north of Athens, where his ancestors are also interred. His sons and grandsons carried the coffin while singing the national anthem. As the coffin was lowered, people chanted "Immortal!".

The ceremony was attended by members of royal families from Europe, including Princess Anne of the United Kingdom, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain. Among the guests were also representatives of the royal families of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Serbia and Monaco. Many of them are relatives. Constantine II's son Pavlos hugged Felipe, his cousin, on the steps of the cathedral just before the ceremony began. Constantine II's sister, Queen Mother Sofia of Spain, looked visibly upset during the hour-long ceremony.

Thousands of people spent hours in line to say goodbye to the former king.

Constantine was 27 years old and had been king for only three years when he was forced into exile in 1967 along with his wife Princess Anne-Marie, the youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark, and his family. He was extremely unpopular because of his decision to swear allegiance to the military junta that seized power in April of that year. He briefly cooperated with them before a failed counter-coup attempt that led to his exile. The junta abolished the monarchy in 1973, and in a referendum after its fall in 1974, Greece again rejected the kingdom.

Monday's funeral, conducted by the country's Archbishop Jerome, was private, reflecting Constantine's status as a former king. Some onlookers booed the culture minister, expressing their outrage that the funeral was not more formal. In 1994, the state stripped Constantine of his Greek citizenship unless he recognized the end of the monarchy and included his middle name in official documents. It also confiscated Tatoi, the family residence, and the palace on the island of Corfu where Britain's Prince Philip was born. In interviews over the years, Constantine recalled that he was not allowed to return to Greece to speak in his defense during the referendum. But he seemed reconciled to the result. "If the Greek people decide they want a republic, they are entitled to it and should be left alone to enjoy it," Time magazine quoted him as saying in 2002.