Peter Sissons interviewed ex King Constantine

On Sunday, 15 August 2004, Peter Sissons interviewed the former King of Greece

Please note "BBC Breakfast with Frost" must be credited if any part of this transcript is used.

The former King Constantine of Greece

PETER SISSONS: The city of Athens has been transformed for the Games, as we've heard, and it's being said that hosting them sets the seal on the transformation of Greece into a dynamic, modern nation.

That process arguably began three decades ago when a new democratic government was established, bringing an end to years of turbulence and military rule.

The monarchy was abolished, although King Constantine II was already in exile. The former king has been allowed back into Greece, however, for only the third time, to enjoy the Olympics.

He joined me a short time ago from Athens and I asked him how important are the Games to his homeland.

KING CONSTANTINE II: It's hugely important from the point of view of once Greece decided that they wanted to host the Games, and you remember we wanted them for the centenary in '96, and then we tried again for 2004, once that decision was taken it was important, first of all, for parliament to approve and to decide to support this and once that happened it was clear that the Greek people were going to be totally behind this event. And from that moment on everybody did their best to succeed.

PETER SISSONS: And were you at the opening ceremony as a guest of the Greek government?

KING CONSTANTINE II: Definitely not. I, my function is purely as a basis of the International Olympic Committee.

I'm now probably the second most senior member from the point of years of service on the International Olympic Committee - and that was my role here.

PETER SISSONS: So the government's attitude is still as hostile to you as it was?

KING CONSTANTINE II: The government attitude towards me is extremely friendly and polite and I have absolutely no problems with the government of Greece, whatsoever, and they are very, very courteous - and so are the members of the opposition, I have found no hostility from any sides or walks of the political spectrum or from the public. And we are having a fantastic time because people are very, very nice, very friendly and very, very polite.

PETER SISSONS: Do people recognise you still?

KING CONSTANTINE II: Every where I go, all, even late at night, all the time, and it's very, very comforting.

PETER SISSONS: Now you live in Britain, your sister is Queen of Spain, your sister-in-law is Queen of Denmark and of course you're Greek by birth - who do you cheer for at these Olympics?

KING CONSTANTINE II: Well I have got my whole family here with the Greek flag, we are going to all the venues where the Greek team is, we are losing our voice shouting for the Greek side so I think it's pretty clear, anybody who comes from the rest of the venues where Greeks are taking part you will hear us yelling our heads off.

PETER SISSONS: How has Athens changed since you were last there? How has this Olympics changed the face of Athens?

KING CONSTANTINE II: Well not only the Olympics have changed Athens, Athens has grown in the last 30 years enormously. Certain parts of it are unrecognisable. The Olympics have helped a lot in the sense that the town is very clean and it's shining at the moment.

The infrastructure has been upgraded enormously, with the trams and the trains and the roads and the new airports - but please take into consideration that these were going to happen anyway - what happens in these cases is they are speeded up because of Olympics.

And the tolerance in the public is there because they know there is a cut off date, they know that it is Olympics and then everything will be ready for that, so they are prepared to put up with quite a lot of hardship they have to do through the last few years because they know there is going to be the Olympics and it's going to be over.

PETER SISSONS: Could the vast sums involved have been better spent on improving Greece's hospitals and schools?

KING CONSTANTINE II: That's something that a lot of people talk about but these are decisions that have to be taken by the political leadership of a country and to put the priorities as to what they think is important for the country.

I do remember that, from the history books, that in 1896 when Baron Coubertin wanted to revive the Olympic Games, he went to my great-grandfather, King George I, who was the brother of Queen Alexandra of your country, and asked him if we could start the Games, because he knew without Greece you could never start the Olympic Games. And it was a big decision then, already, like it is today, could the money be spent better in other areas.

But you have to always have a measure in life and my great-grandfather and most of the Greek people thought that it is important for a country to start the Olympic Games - it focuses the world attention on a country, like it has done now these next two weeks, and it gives a sense of unity and purpose to the people, which I see now every day because everybody is supporting this and everybody wants to do well for the country. And I think that helps investments in the future and things of that nature.

PETER SISSONS: Now you're a former Olympic gold medallist in sailing. Gold medallists in the Olympics -

KING CONSTANTINE II: That was last century.

PETER SISSONS: Gold medallists in the Olympics are pretty special people in Greece - is that the reason there's been such public disillusionment with this national hero Kostas Kenteris being under a cloud for drug misuse?

KING CONSTANTINE II: Inevitably, inevitably when these things happen it's a disappointment for the people of the country if one of your athletes, and a good athlete, is under the cloud of that kind, and that makes, brings sadness to the people - it's happened to your athletes in the past and it's happened to many athletes in many countries. You know, we have to do our best to keep this as clean as possible - it's a difficult task, but people have to remember that there is a penalty to this and of course it's a tremendous disappointment to all of us.

PETER SISSONS: King Constantine, one final question, will you ever renounce your title?

KING CONSTANTINE II: I don't have one. I mean the country is a republic and I'm living here now, I'm looking for a house, I'm staying here with my family and everybody knows that I was the former king of the country and they address me as such. There is no reason to do anything other than just carry on with my life as I am.

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NB: this transcript was typed from a recording and not copied from an original script.

Because of the possibility of mis-hearing and the difficulty, in some cases, of identifying individual speakers, the BBC cannot vouch for its accuracy.

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