Prince William did not attend a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece – his godfather – because of a personal matter, people familiar with the developments told CNN.
The 41-year-old UK royal was expected to attend the remembrance event at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. The news report which cited a person familiar with developments related to the UK royal family did not tell why the plans were changed and did not elaborate further on the last-minute change of plans.
The person, however, did point out that William’s wife, the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who is recuperating after abdominal surgery in January is doing well. The person also said that Prince William called the family to inform them that he is not attending the event.
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, remains out of the public eye as she continues to recover at home. She may not return to royal duties until after Easter holidays.
King Charles III remained absent from the service as well. He is continuing his treatment from an undisclosed form of cancer.
The memorial service remembered the former King Constantine, William’s godfather, who died last year. Crown Prince Pavlos, his eldest son, gave the reading instead of Prince William, who was originally scheduled to give a reading, according to a report by the BBC.
The person mentioned above also said that there was no reason to connect Prince of Wales’ personal matter and the King’s health. Queen Camilla led the family for the gathering at St. George’s Chapel which honoured the life and times of the last Greek monarch.
Constantine II of Greece, is the second cousin to King Charles III. He died at the age of 82 in January 2023. Both of them enjoyed a close relationship and Charles named Constantine godfather to his firstborn son, William.
Constantine and his family fled to Rome following a military coup in 1967. The military regime then installed a regent in his place. The military abolished the Greek monarchy on June 1, 1973 and proclaimed the country a republic. A referendum was held which backed the decision.
Constantine abided by the move after another referendum was conducted by an elected civilian government in 1974.
