Princess Irene of Greece, the younger sister of Queen Sofia of Spain and the late King Constantine of Greece has passed away at the age of 83.
The news was released in a statement from the Spanish Royal family.
Their Majesties the King and Queen and Her Majesty Queen Sofia regret to announce the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Irene of Greece at 11:40 a.m. today at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid,,” the statement read.
The news came just two days after Queen Sofia cancelled all her her official duties in order to stay with her sister as her health rapidly declined.
Who was Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark?
Born on May 11, 1942, Princess Irene was the youngest child of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. The family were in exile and her early years were spent in South Africa and Egypt. They would return to Greece in 1946 when a referendum restored her uncle, King George II to the throne. The following year, her father became King Paul II of Greece.
Irene studied piano from a young age and went on to be a concert pianist. Alongside her sister Princess Sofia she also had a passion for archaeology. The pair excavated the ancient city of Decelia near their childhood home, the Royal Palace of Tatoi. They would write two books together about their work.
When Princess Irene was about to turn 22, her father King Paul passed away. This loss would make her brother Constantine head of state. However in 1967 political instability would see the Greek monarchy once again forced to flee their homeland.
Irene – who never married – initially moved to Rome with her brother. But not long after she and her mother moved to India, where the pair embraced Hindu culture and philosophy.
With her sister by now married to King Juan Carlos and living in Madrid, when Princess Irene’s mother died in 1981 she decamped to Spain.
“I came to Madrid for five days and stayed for five years. And as time went on, I understood that my place was beside Sofia,” she said.
Settling into a room in the Zarzuela Palace she became incredibly close with her nieces and nephews. They affectionately called her Aunt Pecu, which is said to translate to “our whimsical aunt” in Greek.
Who is named after Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark?
Queen Sofia’s younger daughter, Infanta Cristina, named her only daughter Irene in honour of her aunt.
Princess Irene received several honors in the course of her life. Those included Denmark’s Order of the Elephant in 1964, the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George from the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1962, Italy’s Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1962, and Thailand’s Order of Chula Chom Klao. In addition, she was also Head of the Corps of Greek Girl Scouts.
In 1986, she founded humanitarian orgnaisation Mundo en Armonía (World in Harmony). The NGO aimed to find practical ways to show solidarity with those in need and compassion for animals. Over time, it would expand that scope. World in Harmony helpe to establish medical centres and schools in Africa and South Asia, as well as supporting a variety of educational programs.
In her later years, Princess Irene donated her entire inheritance to the organisation, of which she was president. In 2023 World Harmony ceased its operations when she was no longer able to oversee its work due to increasing ill health.
A vegetarian who practiced yoga, Princess Irene had been in good health for most of her life, bar a 2002 cancer battle. However in recent years she had been experiencing cognitive decline. During this stage of her life, Queen Sofia was always by her side. Princess Irene also continued to attend important family events.
The last time she would be seen in public was for the wedding of her great-nephew Prince Nikolaos of Greece in Athens in February 2025.
