Prince William Asks Lady Gabriella Windsor to Represent Him at Funeral for Greece's King Constantine

getty (2) Prince William and Lady Gabriella Windsor

Prince William and King Charles III are remembering King Constantine of Greece as royal families across Europe gather for the funeral.

William, 40, asked his relative Lady Gabriella Windsor to represent him at the funeral of Constantine, while Princess Anne stood in for her brother King Charles at the solemn ceremony in Athens on Monday.

Anne, who attended the service alongside her husband Sir Tim Laurence, was greeted on the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens by Constantine's eldest son, Prince Pavlos, who wore a dark suit and black tie for the occasion. Lady Gabriella was a few steps behind them.

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.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images Queen Anne Marie of Greece and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece attend the funeral of Former King Constantine II of Greece

Constantine's wife, childrenswear entrepreneur and writer Princess Marie-Chantal, and his eldest son Prince Pavlos led the grieving Greek family at the service on Monday. Pavlos and his brothers Prince Nikolaos and Prince Philippos were at the head of the mourners, immediately behind the coffin as it was carried into the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral. Constantine was also father to Princes Alexia and Princess Theodora.

Nieboer/PPE/DDP/INSTARimages.com The funeral of King Constantine

Prince Albert of Monaco was among the mourners joining royals from all over Europe paying tribute to Constantine. King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia were also in attendance, as was Queen Margrethe of Denmark, the late King's sister-in-law.

Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were among the congregation along with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, as well as Prince Haakon of Norway and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock Lady Gabriella Windsor

It was no surprise to see so many heads of royal families from across the continent as Constantine, who was the last King of Greece, was well-connected throughout Europe. He was a first cousin to the late Prince Philip, William's grandfather. His wife, Queen Anne-Marie was a Danish princess when they wed — her sister is Queen Sofia of Spain, the mother of current King Felipe.

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Choosing Lady Gabriella to represent him and his wife Princess Kate was a poignant choice for William. She 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.

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Constantine died, aged 82, on January 10. According to Reuters, the former King suffered from chronic heart and mobility problems. His condition had worsened, and he had been hospitalized in recent months. He died of a stroke after being admitted to the private Hygeia Hospital in Athens the previous week with breathing problems, according to Greek media outlets, The Guardian reported.

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The King only reigned for about a decade from 1964 to 1973, when the monarchy was abolished. He fled initially to Rome but spent most of his exile living in Hampstead, in London. In 2010 he returned to Greece.