The Spanish royal family, led by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, gathered in Madrid on Saturday to pay their respects at a memorial service for Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark. The 83-year-old princess, who was the aunt of King Felipe, passed away peacefully on Thursday at the Zarzuela Palace.
A Solemn Gathering in the Rain
Despite heavy rainfall in the Spanish capital, a significant royal delegation assembled at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Andrew and Demetrius. The congregation included the King and Queen, the former Queen Sofía—Princess Irene's sister—and the young heirs, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. Many family members carried large black umbrellas as they entered the cathedral for the prayer service, dressed sombrely in mourning attire.
The Spanish royal household had confirmed the princess's passing in an official statement released on Thursday, noting she died at 11.40am with her sister Queen Sofía by her side. Her funeral is scheduled to take place on January 19.
The Life and Legacy of Princess Irene
Born on May 11, 1942, in Cape Town, South Africa, Princess Irene's early life was marked by exile. Her parents, King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, had fled after the Axis Powers occupied Greece during the Second World War. The family eventually returned to Greece in 1947.
A woman of considerable talent, Irene was a professional concert pianist. Trained from a young age by the renowned Gina Bachauer, she earned a standing ovation after a performance at London's Royal Festival Hall in 1969. Despite her artistic success, she largely shied away from the public spotlight, described by her nieces and nephews as 'Aunt Pecu'—short for 'peculiar'—due to her eccentric nature.
Her life was further shaped by political turmoil. After her father King Paul died of stomach cancer, her brother Constantine became King of Greece in 1964, only to be deposed by a military coup in 1967. The monarchy was abolished in 1973. In the wake of this chaos, Irene and her mother moved to India. Following her mother's death in 1981, Irene, then 39, joined her sister Sofía in Spain, where she remained for the rest of her life, becoming a Spanish national in 2018.
A Quiet Force of Philanthropy
Princess Irene never married or had children but was known for her close bond with her siblings. She was also a dedicated philanthropist. In a significant act of generosity, she donated her entire inheritance to establish an NGO in 1986. She consistently downplayed her own royal status, once stating, "I have no status; I am the Queen's sister, nothing more."
In her later years, the princess faced health challenges, including a battle with cancer in 2002, and had been seen attending events in a wheelchair. Her death marks the passing of a unique figure within European royalty—a gifted musician and a private woman who found her home beside her sister in Spain.
The memorial service served as a poignant testament to her life, bringing together multiple generations of the Spanish royal family to honour her memory, from Queen Sofía to her young granddaughters, ensuring her legacy was remembered with dignity and respect.
