Summary of translated interview in Billed Bladet #32, 2020.
Interviewer: Aris Kavatzikis.
The interview took place at Porto Heli and was likely conducted in Greek, then translated to English, to Danish and now back to English.
Part one.
King Constantine. (KC)
Q: The 80th birthday is a significant point in the life of any person. Do You feel complete, full of experiences and happy?
KC: "I have lived for 80 wonderful years. Of course there have been disappointments, but I have always been able to overcome then with the help and love from my family."
Q: Will You describe Yourself as a fortunate/lucky person after all You so far has experienced?
KC: "Yes, I have a very happy life with my wife (formal word) and our children and it's wonderful to be back in my homeland."
Q: If You could live Your life all over again and the change the outcome of one moment while You ruled, what would that be?
KC: "The 13th December 1967."
Q: Of all the persons in the political and military life that You have met, are there anyone special You would like to point out?
KC: "It would be unfair to point out or name someone special. I'm just grateful for all in the armed forces who supported me on this tremendously difficult day in December."
Q: If there were someone or some who "betrayed" You, have You then deep down forgiven them?
KC: "I have forgiven them, but I will never forget that they didn't abide by their oath."
Q: What do You appreciate with the Greek people and what do You think is our biggest flaw?
KC: "I think the Greeks have been very resourceful since the Antiquity, there are many references in the works of Homer, The Iliad and the Odyssey about the inventive Odysseus.
The greatest flaw of the Greeks is the fear of taking responsibility and
that makes them different."
Q: Do You still recall Your first thoughts and and first conversation with Queen Anne-Marie when You met?
KC: "When I met the Queen, she was just a little girl of thirteen. We fell in love when we met a few years later."
Q: Has the loss of the highest position in the land had an influence on the balance within Yourself and Your family? Have Your bonds as a couple ever been threatened?
KC: "We have never been in such a situation. On the contrary, it has strengthened our bonds even more. My wife (formal) have always supported my to the fullest in my personal adventures. I can only say that I have been incredibly lucky."
Q: Who among Your five children do You think have inherited most traits from You?
KC: "They have all inherited something from each of us. Perhaps I might say that their love for the country is something they have inherited from me and loyalty to the family from their mother."
Q: You supported Greece with all Your power in order to get the Olympic Games to the country in 2004 - is there anything else, You wish to do for the country, but which hasn't been possible in the current situation?
KC: "The well-being of my country has always been on my mind and I will always support any initiative in that direction with all my power."
Q: If we ask You to point out five important turning points from Your life, both personal or during the period of King of the Greeks, what would they be?
KC: "When I won a gold medal for Greece (in 1960), my wedding, the birth of each of my children, my first visit back to Greece and several years of exile and finally loving back to live in my homeland."
- The second part also includes Queen Anne-Marie being interviewed.
Part two.
Q: If You hadn't been born to the specific position You were, what occupation would You have had?
KC: "I've never thought about it, but when I went to school I appeared in various school plays and really liked it. So back then I got the thought that it could be amusing to be an actor. Perhaps that's where she's got, my daughter Theodora."
Q: Honestly, was it the Your love for the sea and sailing that made You choose Porto Heli as Your home?
KC: "I have always loved the sea. We have had so many fantastic summers here and then it's at the same time so close to Athens, that we can get in there pretty easily."
Q: What has frightened (odd choice of word!) You the most during the pandemic? Do You think that what we are all experiencing will mean a new era for mankind?
KC: "My wife (formal) and I hope that our children and the rest of the family will remain healthy and well and that Greece will not suffer the fate with huge and tragic loss of lives as we have seen in other countries.
Particularly because it comes after all those years where we have had an economic crisis. It has been and still is a concern both my wife (formal) and me. And yes, I think we have already entered a new ear for mankind after this ordeal which will make room for a new, I hope, and better situation.
I'm very optimistic, not least because Greek science and the state did so much for our safety."
Q: Due to the pandemic the wedding of Princess Theodora was cancelled and postponed, is there a new wedding date?
KC: "Alas, due to the situation we have at present not a date. When everything is settled again, God willing, then the wedding will take place in Greece."
Q: For someone like You, who has experienced so extremely difficult situations, is there anything that can scare You today?
KC: "A lot of things scare me, but I hope and believe Greece will again find greatness and will again be a pioneer."
Q: What are the thoughts and feelings of the Queen after 56 years of living together with King Constantine?
QAM: "I feel so fortunate that we found each other and that we have had such a wholesome and happy life together with five children and nine grandchildren - so far!
Q: How is the King as husband (formal word) and father?
QAM: "The fact that we have remained together for 56 years and that we have such a large family, does show I suppose, how strong and loving bonds we share."
Q: You learned to speak Greek and love Greece as your homeland. What has the country really given You, that has put such a mark in Your heart?
QAM: "I was very young when I came to Greece, but I fell in love with the country right away and has as such always felt at home."
- That's it.
Scans to follow. Probably tomorrow.
And here are the scans to the article:
https://app.box.com/s/i1cu5d8lepi1aayhjuwmv1qbxxx0gyva