Queen Letizia of Spain, alongside her husband King Felipe VI, attended a solemn prayer service honoring the memory of Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, who was King Felipe’s aunt.
The 83-year-old Princess Irene passed away on Thursday, with her sister, former Queen of Spain Sofia, by her side. Sofia is 87 years old and a former queen consort of Spain.
Today, a significant gathering of royals came together at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Andrew and Demetrius in Madrid to pay their respects to Princess Irene.
The Spanish royal family announced the sad news via a statement released on Thursday. It read: “Their Majesties the King and Queen, along with Her Majesty Queen Sofía, regret to announce the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Irene of Greece at 11:40 am today at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.”
The funeral for Princess Irene is set to take place on January 19.
In addition to King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, his mother Sofia, and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, were seen arriving at the chapel to honor the late princess.
Heavy rain did not keep the family away, many of whom carried large black umbrellas as they entered the cathedral.
Irene, the daughter of of King Paul and Queen Frederica of the Hellenes, was born on May 11, 1942, in Cape Town, South Africa – where her parents had been living in exile, after Greece fell to the Axis Powers during World War II.
Queen Letizia of Spain and her husband King Felipe VI have attended a prayer service for his aunt, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
Princess Leonor de Borbon and Infanta Sofia de Borbon attend the service for the late Princess Irene
Spain’s Queen Letizia (right) and former Queen Sofia attend a memorial service for Princess Irene of Greece at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Andrew and Saint Demetrius in Madrid on Saturday
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark – the aunt of King Felipe of Spain- passed away on Thursday aged 83. She is pictured in 1963
Military personnel carry the coffin of Princess Irene of Greece into the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Andrew and Demetrius
A talented pianist, she was trained to play from a young age by renowned musician Gina Bachauer. Irene herself was a professional concert pianist for some time in the 70s, earning a three-minute ovation after performing at the Royal Festival Hall in 1969.
The beloved royal had never married or had children but was known for her bond with her siblings: Sofía and the late Constantine II, known as the last King of Greece.
She was known fondly by her nieces and nephews as ‘Aunt Pecu’ – short for ‘peculiar’, due to her ‘eccentric’ nature.
While Irene shied away from the spotlight, and was known for a myriad of interests, from music to philosophy – she dealt with a turbulent upbringing, moving back and forth from Greece due to political unrest.
Her family were able to return to Greece by 1947, where her father King Paul’s reign began.
He passed away 17 years later, following a battle with stomach cancer – placing her brother Constantine in power, aged just 23.
However, public support for him waned and civil unrest followed. A military coup in 1967 saw him deposed and eventually fleeing to Italy. Just a few years later, the Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973.
Princess Irene and her mother moved to India in wake of the chaos.
Today the King and Queen were among a large royal delegation to attend a service in remembrance of Princess Irene at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Andrew and Demetrius in Madrid
Queen Letizia, Princess Eleanor de Borbon and Infanta Sofia de Borbon attend the prayer service in Madrid
Victoria de Marichalar, daughter of Princess Elena de Borbon, waits for the prayer service to begin inside the cathedral on Saturday
Irene Urdangarin (left), daughter of Princess Cristina de Borbon, and Victoria de Marichalar (ight), daughter of Princess Elena of Borbon, arrive at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Infanta Cristina also attended the service for the late Princess Irene, who died aged 83 this week
Infanta Margarita and Carlos Zurita were among the royals to turn out despite heavy rain
The family were dressed to mourn and many carried black umbrellas to shelter them from the rain
Queen Letizia, Princess Eleanor de Borbon and Infanta Sofia de Borbon attend the prayer service today
Queen Sofia and her granddaughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, attend the service in honour of the late Princess Irene
Crown Princess Leonor reaches out an arm to former Queen Sofia ahead of the prayer service on Saturday
Pablo Urdangarin y de Borbon (left) and Miguel Urdangarin y de Borbon (right) arrive at the service in Madrid earlier today
After her mother passed away in 1981, Irene, then 39, joined her sister – who had by that point married King Juan Carlos – in Spain.
‘I came to Madrid for five days and stayed for five years,’ she told Hello!. ‘And as time went on, I understood that my place was beside Sofia.’
She had honoured the sentiment for the rest of her life, often appearing alongside her family at public engagements but never taking to the spotlight.
Despite this, she had been an ardent philanthropist, and donated her inheritance to an NGO she founded in 1986.
‘I have no status; I am the Queen’s sister, nothing more, and I am not an official,’ she said. ‘They are the official ones.’
In 2018, she had became a Spanish national. Princess Irene had suffered from cancer in 2002, and has in recent years been pictured attending events in a wheelchair.
