Royalty from Spain and Greece unite for funeral of Princess Irene the 'princess of the poor'

Members of the Greek and Spanish royal families have come together in Athens to mourn the loss of Princess Irene, who died last week aged 83.

A funeral service was held inside the Metropolitan Cathedral on Monday, attended by Spain's King Felipe and his wife, Queen Letizia and their two daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia.

Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and Denmark was there, along with Crown Prince Pavlos who was without his wife, Crown Princess Marie Chantal who could not attend due to her mother's recent surgery in New York.

King Felipe of Spain with Queen Letizia and Queen Sofia at the funeral of Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark.

Princess Irene died on January 15 in Spain, where she had been living inside the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid for the past 45 years.

Cousin to Britain's King Charles III, Princess Irene was the sister of Spain's Queen Sofia, who is 87, and the late King Constantine II of Greece, who died in 2023 – Greece's last King.

When Constantine ascended the throne in 1964, Irene was heir until the birth of her niece, Princess Alexia, in 1965.

Irene's sister, Sofia, married the future King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962, and in 1975, she became Queen Sofia.

Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia of Spain arrive for the funeral of Princess Irene in Athens.

Princess Irene had a close relationship with Queen Sofia, who had cancelled all her recent engagements to be with her in her final days.

Both had been mourning their cousin, Princess Tatiana Radziwill, who died in December.

Queen Sofia was visibly emotional at the funeral service, where she was supported by Queen Anne-Marie, who was married to King Constantine.

Princess Irene was the sister of Greece's last King, Constantine II, and Queen Sofia of Spain.

Following the service, Princess Irene was laid to rest in the royal burial ground at Tatoi, the former royal residence of Greece's royal family, located just outside of Athens.

In announcing the death of Princess Irene last week, the Greek royal family described her as "quiet, unconventional, and interesting, with a spiritual and humorous side".

She was widely known as "princess of the poor" and devoted herself to humanitarian causes, educational projects in India, the study of comparative religions and animal welfare, under the influence of her mother, Queen Frederika.

Members of Spain and Greece's royal families gathered in Athens for the funeral on Monday.

In 2002, the European Court of Human Rights awarded Irene £500,000 compensation for her share of the loss of the Greek royal family's property.

But she donated the entire amount to establish a Greek branch of humanitarian organisation Mundo en Armonia (World in Harmony) to promote good causes in h​er homeland.

Irene was also a celebrated musician and was the first European royal to perform as a professional pianist in the United States. She also appeared at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1969.

In a moving speech at her funeral, Crown Prince Pavlos said of his late aunty: "[She was] a woman of quiet strength, deep faith and steadfast devotion to family".

He continued: "Her presence was at once gentle and unyielding and her values were not spoken, but lived – expressed in every act of devotion and care for those around her.

Princess Irene and Tatiana Radziwill pictured with the Spanish royals on holiday in August, 2024, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

"Irene was a wellspring of wisdom, loyalty and love, a steady anchor for our family across time. Her loss leaves a silence that cannot be filled, but her memory will remain forever in our hearts."

Princess Irene, who never married and had no children, was known to her younger relations as "Aunt Pecu".

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.