On Jan. 15, 2026, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, who was the cherished sister of Queen Sofia of Spain and the aunt of King Felipe, passed away at the age of 83. She died at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, surrounded by family. Her death followed a period of cognitive decline.
Princess Irene was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on May 11, 1942, while her family was in exile. She was the daughter of Crown Prince Paul and Princess Frederika, who later became King Paul I and Queen Frederica of Greece. The family had fled Athens due to the Nazi invasion of Greece during World War II. After a referendum in 1946 reinstated her uncle, King George II, to the throne, her family returned to Greece.
Under the guidance of the famous musician Gina Bachauer, Princess Irene made a name for herself as an esteemed concert pianist. She performed professionally in the 1960s and 1970s and received a standing ovation following her 1969 performance at the Royal Festival Hall in London with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where she and her teacher, Gina Bachauer, performed Bach’s Concerto for Two Pianos. Alongside her interest in music, she also had a deep fascination with archaeology.
Princess Irene worked alongside Queen Sofia on archaeological digs at the ancient site of Decelea (near the Royal Palace of Tatoi) and co-authored the Archaeological Digest in 1960 with Greek scholar Theophano Arvanitopoulou. The sisters maintained a strong bond throughout their lives, with Irene often acting as a second mother to Sofia’s children.
In 1964, Princess Irene’s life took a dramatic turn when King Paul succumbed to illness, leading to her brother Constantine ascending the throne as King Constantine II of Greece at the age of 23. At first, he enjoyed public support, but later faced political unrest. A military coup took over in 1967, resulting in Constantine’s exile. The Greek monarchy was officially abolished in 1973.
During the turbulent 1970s, Princess Irene relocated to India with her mother to study Hindu culture. It is known that during this time, she cultivated a profound spiritual connection to Hinduism that guided her for the rest of her life. After Queen Frederica died in 1981, the then-39-year-old princess moved to Spain to be closer to her sister.
In an interview with HOLA magazine, Princess Irene humorously stated, “I came to Madrid for five days and stayed for five years.” Ultimately, she chose to stay with Sofia and took up residence in an apartment at Zarzuela Palace, which is also the home of King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofia.
Despite her royal lineage, Princess Irene chose to avoid public attention, instead devoting herself to philanthropic endeavors. She founded the World in Harmony (Mundo en Armonía) organization in 1986, serving as its president until 2023. During the 1980s BSE outbreak, she arranged for thousands of surplus cows from Europe and the United States to be shipped to India to avoid slaughter, where they provided milk for malnourished children. She donated her entire inheritance to her humanitarian organization.
“I have no status; I am the Queen’s sister, nothing more, and I am not an official,” Princess Irene once stated. She maintained that her sister and the king were the official representatives, not her. In 2018, she became a Spanish national and renounced her Greek nationality.
Her relatives affectionately called her “Aunt Pecu,” a shorthand for peculiar, highlighting her unique and non-traditional personality. Princess Irene accepted this moniker with good humor, acknowledging in interviews that even Queen Sofia often jokingly referred to her as the unconventional one in the family.
She maintained close ties with multiple generations of European royalty. Her father, King Paul, was a first cousin of Prince Philip, who was born as Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark. Her late brother, King Constantine II, was Prince William’s godfather and remained a close friend of King Charles throughout his life.
Her last public appearance was at the second wedding of her nephew and godson, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, to Greek socialite Chrysi Vardinogiánni, to Chrysi Vardinogiánni in Athens in February 2025. She attended the event in a wheelchair due to her declining health.
As Princess Irene’s health deteriorated, Queen Sofia cancelled royal engagements in Palma de Mallorca in January 2026 to be by her sister’s side. The former queen was with Princess Irene when she passed away.
Survivors include Queen Sofia, King Felipe of Spain, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, and many nieces, nephews, and their families. Infanta Cristina of Spain named her daughter, born in 2005, Irene, in honor of her aunt.
Throughout her 83 years, Princess Irene faced exile and political upheaval while remaining dedicated to her family and philanthropy. Her life journey took her from wartime South Africa to post-war Greece, from India to her final home in Spain, where she remained a quiet but steady presence in the lives of her loved ones.