Constantine II, the last king of Greece, who reigned from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in the country in late 1974, has died in Athens. He died at the Igea hospital on the evening of Jan. 10 aged 82, AP reported.

He was admitted to the hospital last week, the Guardian, citing Greek media, specifies that he had suffered a stroke.

Constantine was born on June 2, 1940 into the family of the future King Paul I and Frederica of Hanover and belonged to one of the branches of the Danish Glucksburg dynasty, which had ruled in Greece since 1863 with a break between 1922 and 1935 when the country was a republic.

He came to the throne in 1964.

The king lived in London for many years. In 1994 he was deprived of Greek citizenship and real estate, which had remained in his possession. Only in the last years of his life was he able to move to his homeland.

A 2008 poll showed that only 12% of Greeks favor the restoration of a constitutional monarchy, AP recalls. More than 43% of those polled held the king responsible for the "black colonels" coming to power.

Before ascending the throne, Constantine was an Olympic gold medalist in sailing.