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| Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection |
"Their Majesties the King and Queen and Her Majesty Queen Sofia regret to announce the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Irene of Greece at 11:40 today at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid."
This announcement was followed by a press release from the Greek Royal Family:
"It is with deep sadness that the Greek Royal Family announces that HRH Princess Irene, beloved sister and aunt, passed away on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 11:40 local time, in Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, surrounded by loved ones.
Details will follow regarding the funeral procession."
HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark was the youngest of three children of the late King Paul I of the Hellenes (1901-1964) and HRH Princess Friederike of Hanover (1917-1981). She was born on May 11, 1942, in Cape Town, South Africa, where her family was living in exile after the German invasion of Greece.
The family returned to Greece in 1946. The following, Paul succeeded to the throne following the death of his older brother, King George II.
In her memoir, A Measure of Understanding, Queen Frederika wrote: "The house I had founded and rented for three months was lovely. At least Irene was born in beautiful surroundings. We asked General Smuts to become a baby's godfather."
Although the King and Queen had met Smuts only once, when they arrived in South Africa, the family was "grateful" for the hospitality he extended after the Egyptian government had asked the royal family to leave that country.
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Princess Irene's christening
Back row: L-R Richard Brandram, Prince George of Greece, Crown Prince Paul of Greece, General Jan Smuts, holding Irene
Front row: L-R Isie Smuts Princess Katharine of Greece, Crown Princess Frederika, Princess Marie of Greece. Children in front: Princess Tatiana Radziwill, Princess Sophie, and Prince Constantine of Greece (Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection) |
Smuts held Irene during the christening ceremony. Frederika described General Jan Smus as a "great man," adding, "I like to believe that the greatness of soul will always remain my youngest daughter's greatest gift."
Irene's other godparents were King George II of the Hellenes, Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, Queen Mary, and the Duchess of Kent (Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark).
The name Irene was not Frederika's first choice. "We wanted to call our little daughter, Alexia. In Greek, this means 'the prevention of evil.' We changed our minds as we, mistakenly, thought the name was associated with Alexander, an unlucky name for us."
[Twenty-three years later, the name Alexia would be chosen for King Constantine II and Queen Anne Marie's first child.]
In 1944, the family returned to Egypt, where they remained for two years. The Greek monarchy was restored by referendum in September 1946, which saw the the return of King George II and other members of the Royal Family, including the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and their children.
King George II died on April 1, 1947, and Paul succeeded to the Greek throne.
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@Marlene A. Eilers Koenig
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After the death of King George II (1947 Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection
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Irene was nearly ten years old when she joined her older sister, Princess Sophie, at the Schloss Salem school in Germany. Frederika's brother, Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover, was in charge of the school, which was founded by Kurt Hahm and Prince Max of Baden, whose Berthold was married to Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark.
"She bravely left us and I saw her walking happily into the building with a whole bunch of other children. After three days I decided to see how she was getting on, so before leaving Athens," Fredrika wrote, "I passed by her school and looked through a classroom window where I saw her sitting among the other children writing a letter. She did not see me and, to my horror, she was crying. She had wanted to go to school so badly that against our will we had let her, and here she sat crying heartbrokenly.
The tears were "momentary." Irene had spotted her mother and came out of the room. She "sobbingly pushed the letter into my hand." Ferderica read it aloud: "Dear Mama, I am very happy here at school. Don't worry about me. Everyone is nice to me. I know I chose well. Love, Irene."
Frederica asked her: "What do you want me to believe, your letter or your tears?" Irene pointed to the letter.
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After they graduated from Salem, Sophie and Irene returned to Greece, where they were tutored by a "highly educated Greek lady professor, who taught them ancient Greek, literature, history, and archeology."
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She was always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Irene was one of the bridesmaids when her sister, Sophie, married the future King Juan Carlos of Spain in May 1963, and again in September 1964, when her brother, King Constantine II, married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark. In the 1960s, there were reports that Princess was going to marry Crown Prince Harald of Norway. She was also linked to Prince Michael of Kent and Prince Michel d'Orléans, Count of Evereux, the latter of whom chose to marry another woman.
It is understood that the late Princess was involved in a long-term relationship with one of her brother's aides.
Unlike her two older siblings, Sophie and Constantine, Princess Irene lived most of her life away from the glare of the press. In August 1958, she and Princess Désirée of Sweden were injured in a car accident "along a country road in Corfu." According to The Times, Désiree, who was driving the car, suffered a "broken wrist and a bruised left knee." Irene had only "minor cuts and bruises." The Swedish princess and her sister, Princess Birgitta, were on a private visit to Corfu.
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Sailing on the SS United States, Irene, then 21 years old, accompanied her mother for a 17-day unofficial visit to America. The primary reason for the visit was Queen Frederika receiving an honorary Doctorate of Law degree from Columbia University. More than 100 reporters gathered in one of the ship's lounges, where the Queen said, "Now, just fire away." The press conference lasted for about an hour. The majority of questions were directed toward the Queen, but several reporters asked Princess Irene what she would like to see in New York. She admitted to being excited about her first visit to the United States, and admitted her "prime wish" was to see the Empire State Building and go shopping.
On January 23, while her mother had a quiet day in New York, Irene went shopping on Fifth Avenue and also saw a movie, though the film's title was not released to the press. She had also wanted to meet film stars, so came an invitation to dine with Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, his wife, and Tony Perkins.
The Queen and her daughter traveled by special train to Washington. D.C., where they spent three days. On their first full day, Frederika and Irene were invited to lunch at the White House by President and Mrs. Johnson, which was preceded by a press conference at the Greek Embassy. Frederika admitted that "Irene's completely dotty about music!
Then it was back to New York for a purely private visit, but it was cut short when the Queen and Princess Irene left for Greece on February 2. It was believed that the premature departure was due to the political situation in Cyprus, although the official announcement did not refer to the island.
More likely, the real reason for the departure was King Paul's declining health. On February 21, King Paul signed a decree naming Crown Prince Constantine as regent. According to press reports, Paul would undergo surgery for a stomach ulcer.
By March 4, the King's condition had "seriously deteriorated" as he also had blood clots in his right leg and left lung. The Queen and her three children remained at his bedside.
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| Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
From her father's death on March 6, 1964, until the birth of her niece, Princess Alexia, on July 10, 1965, Irene was the Crown Princess of Greece.
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Irene also caught the attention of the Times in June 1965, when she visited Euboea (Evia), where she met with the North Euboea Foundation, a voluntary British project supporting development on the second-largest Greek Island. The princess was the foundation's Patron.
Princess Irene was a gifted pianist, as was her late father, King Paul. The accomplished Greek pianist, Gina Bachauer, often gave recitals at the palace in Athens. Irene was one of her pupils. She was once "accompanied by Bauhauer in a piano recital they gave together at the Grand Bretagne Hotel in Athens," according to Frederica's biographer, Lilika S. Papanicolaou.
In 1967, the music-loving princess paid her second visit to the United States, during which she was scheduled to attend concerts in 17 cities. The tour was "at the invitation of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with coordination of the State Department," reported the New York Times.
"We've never arranged a tour like this for anyone, but then there aren't many important people or royalty who have the tremendous interest and musical ability of the Princess, "said a Lincoln Center spokesperson.
The princess was accompanied by Gina Bachauer, who told reporters: "She inherited her father's musicality and his beautiful hands -- big and supple."
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| Marlene A. Eilers Koenig Collection |
Princess Irene said she "always loved music" and was eager to "visit some musical activities and learn some of their tricks." She was also "keenly interested in archaeology. "You can't help with it at home. Wherever you go, there are archeological finds."
The five-week tour included Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C, where the Princess was the guest of honor at a private party hosted by President Johnson's daughter, Lynda. Irene and Lynda Johnson first met in 1964 when the princess accompanied her mother to the United States. She wore "a white chiffon gown with turquoise beading circling the neck and sleeves."
Guests, who "braved one of Washington's severe snowstorms," were greeted by Johnson and Irene. The New York Times noted Irene "made a modest attempt at the newer dances."
The Princess returned to Greece on February 19. Two months later, on April 21 -- and one month before the general election -- a group of colonels overthrew the government, installing a military dictatorship that lasted until 1974. Although Irene's brother, King Constantine II, would later regret his decision to support the Junta, he was inexperienced and unprepared for what followed. On December 13, he flew to Kavala, Greece, with his wife, two young children, his mother, and his younger sister, believing that the royalist troops would support him. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old King was too naive to expect that a large percentage of the military supported the junta. The pro-junta military arrested Constantine's royalist generals. King Constantine II and his family went into exile, arriving in Rome, Italy, the following day.
The Princess joined Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at the St. Cecilia's Day concert at the Albert Hall in November 1968. Her presence was not a surprise, as Gina Bachauer was one of the performers.
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| With Gina Bachauer, Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection |
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In exile, Princess Irene continued with her piano lessons and prepared for concerts. Two years after her 1967 tour, the princess made her debut as a concert pianist in Seattle, Washington, on January 19, 1969. She and Gina Bachauer performed Bach's Concerto No. 2 for two pianos and a string orchestra with the Seattle Symphony. After her performance, she "crossed the footlights" to sit with Washington State's Governor Dan Evans and his wife.
The New York Times noted the princess "performed credibility." The Seattle Times' music critic, however, was less complimentary, noting her performance "was not sufficient to indicate whether Princess Irene is more than competent."
Irene captivated the Mormons when she and Gina performed the same Bach piece with the Utah ceremony in the "acoustically acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle on February 9. According to a New York Times report, "the exceedingly sedate Mormons got just a little excited" by the performance and "Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, one of the loftiest Mormons of them all, was so impressed with the concert that he stayed up long past his bedtime." The 93-year-old Smith pronouced the performance as "excellent."
In Salt Lake City, she told the audience: "Music brings you as close as possible to God."
At the reception that followed the concert, the "shy vitamin-conscious vegetarian" princess avoided the buffet table, "refused the champagne, the ouzo, and the orange juice," preferring a glass of water. Another concert was scheduled for April in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Princess earned $ 2,000 from the concerts and said she would use the money for music scholarships.
There would be a quick trip to Washington, D.C., to see her brother, Constantine, who had attended services for the late President Dwight David Eisenhower. The siblings joined the Chief of Protocol Emil Mosbacher and his wife for dinner at the Sans Souci restaurant.
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In the presence of her cousin, the Prince of Wales, Irene and Gina Bachauer performed Bach's Concerto for Two Pianos at London's Festival Hall with the Cincinnati Symphony, conducted by Max Rudolf in June 1969.
The Evening Standard's music critic effused about Irene's performance: "She has an admirable technique, lively sense of rhythm, judgment, and, almost above all, can convey an intensity of feeling."
That same year, in November, Irene and her brother were among the guests at a "black tie buffet supper" for Prince Charles' 21st birthday, held at Buckingham Palace.
The Princess returned to Washington, D.C., in September 1971, to attend Gina Bachauer's concert at the Kennedy Center. She traveled by train from Philadelphia, where she met conductor Max Rudolf at the Curtiss Institute of Music. She spent two weeks in the US, attending concerts and "visiting with friends in the music world. The Princess described the Kennedy Center as "divine."
In 1971, when the Dallas Symphony Orchestra was in financial straits, they contacted Bachauer, perhaps the greatest classical pianist of the 20th century. She responded by performing in Dallas with Princess Irene as a part of the symphony's program. The two women performed a two-piano concerto with the symphony and raised $100,000 for the orchestra.
The princess's career faded after Bachauer's death in 1976. Gina was "impressed with the dedication" of her pupil, with whom she started lessons in 1962. Years later, the acclaimed pianist said about Irene: "Even though I am a close friend of the princess's family, I would not hesitate to tell anyone if I felt she was anything less than professional."
In October 1973, the Greek government announced it would pay $4 million to Constantine and his family for the seizure of their properties. $400,000 was earmarked for Irene. A referendum ended the Greek monarchy that same year.
After the family went into exile, Irene and her mother lived in Rome for a while, then moved to Madras, India, where they focused on spiritual matters. After her mother settled in England, to be closer to King Constantine and his family, Irene remained in Madras, studying philosophy at the University of Madras. She also "embraced Hindu culture and a deep spirituality that guided her from then on."
Music was always an important part of her life, but her time in India brought a new focus on humanitarian and spiritual needs.
On February 6, 1981, Queen Frederika, 63, died of heart failure following eyelid surgery in a Madrid hospital. The Greek government allowed for Frederika's remains to be interred at Tatoi. The funeral took place in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi on February 12. It was the first time Irene, now 39, had returned to Greece.
She accompanied her older sister, Queen Sofia, back to Madrid. Some years later, Irene spoke to Sofia's biographer, Pilar Urbano, telling her: "I came to Madrid for five days and stayed for five years. And as time went by, I understood that my place was by Sofia's side."
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Irene settled into a comfortable room at Zarzuela Palace. She eschewed luxury and rarely wore jewelry. She founded Mundo en Armonia (World in Harmony) in 1986. She was the organization's president from its inception until 2024, when Mundo en Armonia was shut down because the Princess could no longer run it. In 2002, the Princess was awarded £500,000 by the European Court of Human Rights as compensation for the loss of Greek properties. She used the money to support a Greek branch of Mundo en Armonia.
In its 38 years, the charity funded numerous projects "aimed at the moral, spiritual and material well-being of all living beings." One of her projects was transporting "healthy, productive cows to India," to provide milk to famished children.
She said: "The goal is not to save the world, but to offer it a bit of relief, a bit of hope, a bit of harmony. where there is suffering."
Music remained important in her life, calling it "one of the faces of God." In 1996, she was the Honorary Patron of the London String Quartet Foundation and joined the Duke of Gloucester at a gala evening to celebrate Lord Menuhin's 80th birthday. The Foundation arranged the event, which took place at Mansion House. She was also present (with Queen Sofia, King Constantine, and Queen Anne Marie) at Lord Menuhin's memorial service three years later.
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Irene was very close to her older sister, always playing a supportive role, especially when King Juan Carlos's adultery became public knowledge. She was devoted to her nieces and nephews, who lovingly called her Aunt Pecu. Infanta Cristina named her daughter Irene after her beloved aunt.
In 2018, she was granted Spanish citizenship. The process, however, was not through the normal naturalization route, but rather through the Spanish government by Royal Decree. She received the citizenship due to "exceptional circumstances, as she maintains close personal ties with all members of the Spanish Royal Family and has a special bond with our country."
In 2002, Princess Irene was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her recovery and treatment were coordinated with discretion.
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More recently, the princess suffered from cognitive decline, although with Sofia's support, Irene attended the weddings of Princess Theodora in 2024 and Prince Nikolaos in 2025.
Less than a month ago, Queen Sofia lost her life-long best friend, Princess Tatiana Radziwill, and now her beloved sister.
Princess Irene is survived by her sister, Queen Sofia of Spain, eight nieces and nephews, Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina and King Felipe VI of Spain, Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, and 15 great nieces and nephews: Froilán and Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón, Pablo, Juan, Irene and Miguel UrdangarÃn y de Borbón, the Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofia of Spain, Arietta, Carlos, Amelia and Ana Maria Morales y de Grecia, Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Constantine-Alexios, Prince Achileas-Andrea, Prince Odysseas-Kimon, and Prince Aristides-Stavros of Greece and Denmark.
Irene was a double descendant of Queen Victoria
Victoria - Victoria - Wilhelm II - Victoria Luise - Friederike - Irene
Victoria - Victoria - Sophie - Paul I - Irene
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The Greek Royal Family has released a statement about the funeral:
The funeral service of HRH Princess Irene will be held on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 12.00pm, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The burial will take place at the Tatoi Cemetery.
Preceding the service, from 08.00am to 10.30am, the coffin will lie in repose in the Chapel of Saint Eleftherios.
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