A beloved princess who had connections to various Royal Families has passed away at 83 years old, it was confirmed today. The Zarzuela Palace in Madrid announced the death of Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, who had been experiencing poor health recently. She was the sister of former Queen of Spain, Sofia.
The official statement revealed, “It is with great sorrow that the Greek Royal Family informs of the passing of HRH Princess Irene, a beloved sister and aunt, who passed away on Thursday, January 15, 2016, at 11:40 local time, in Zarzuela Palace in Madrid surrounded by her loved ones. Further details about the funeral arrangements will be provided.”
Queen Sofia had canceled all her scheduled commitments earlier this week due to her sister’s deteriorating health, described as ‘fragile’. Both sisters were daughters of the late King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. Their brother, former King Constatine of Greece, passed away in 2023.
Princess Irene, who never married, lived near her sister in Spain after Sofia married former Spanish King Juan Carlos. She was last seen in public about a year ago at the wedding of her nephew Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Chrysi Vardinogiánni in Athens, attending the event in a wheelchair. In better health, she was frequently seen with her nephew, the current King Felipe of Spain, and his family, including Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Princess Sofia. Details about her funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.
The former Greek Royal Family had strong ties to the British royals, with the late Prince Philip, who was born on the island of Corfu and was a first cousin to Irene’s father, King Paul. Irene’s late brother, King Constantine, was a close friend of King Charles and the godfather to Prince William. He also served as the godfather to Lady Gabriella Kingston, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
A memorial service was held for King Constantine in Windsor in February 2024, a year after his passing. Due to prior commitments, King Charles could not attend Constantine’s funeral in Athens, with Princess Anne representing him at the service. Constantine, who died in an Athens hospital, became king at 23 in 1964. Initially popular, he faced challenges after becoming involved in political events that led to a military coup in 1967.
He married Princess Anne-Marie, the youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark, when she turned 18. The couple had five children: Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora (an actress known as Theodora Greece), and Prince Philippos. They reside in Europe and New York.
King Constantine’s involvement in political turmoil led to his exile and the abolition of the monarchy in 1973 by a military dictatorship. Despite hopes of restoration after democracy returned in 1974, a referendum dashed Constantine’s chances of reclaiming the throne. He spent years in exile in London before returning to Greece in 2013.
WHATSAPP GROUP: Stay updated on the latest royal news and exclusives by joining our Royal WhatsApp group here.
We offer special offers, promotions, and advertisements to our community members and partners. If you wish to leave our community, you can do so at any time. For more information, you can review our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Sign up for the Mirror’s Royal newsletter to receive the latest royal updates and exclusive content directly in your inbox.
At Reach and within our entities, we and our partners collect and use information obtained through cookies and other identifiers on your device to enhance your site experience, analyze usage, and provide personalized advertisements. You can opt out of data sharing or sales at any time by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the page. Please be aware