The ex-king of Greece, Constantine, pulled a public relations coup over the weekend by appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live show and telling one of television’s top presenters the sorrow of exile.

“I think definitely the worst thing of all is missing your country, missing the people in the country, missing taking your family and showing them the country, seeing your children grow up in your own homeland, living in your own house, being in your own environment,” Constantine said. The former royal family has lived in England after fleeing Greece in late 1967, when Constantine led a failed countercoup against a junta that he had sworn in that April.

“The Greek people in 1974 had a referendum. They decided they wanted to have a republic, and that is totally acceptable to me. And I have repeatedly said that I accept the republic and I accept the laws of the land,” Constantine said.

He spoke of the Greek government’s confiscation of his family’s former property and declared that he would definitely be in Greece for the Athens 2004 Olympics. The European Court of Human Rights is in the process of discussing compensation for Constantine’s property at Monodendri in central Greece, Tatoi north of Athens and Mon Repos on Corfu. Constantine said that an evaluation ordered by the government came to $470 million.

The response from the Greek government was the same as it has been whenever the former king raises the issue of his property or his own return to Greece.

“The subject is closed,” said government spokesman Christos Protopappas, adding that the properties now belonged to the Greek people. “All that we are discussing now is compensation. And we are determined to defend the Greek people’s interests in this,” he added.