by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2019
Princess Irene of Greece
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark is the youngest child of King Paul of the Hellenes and Princess Friederike of Hanover. She was born on May 11, 1942, in Cape Town, South Africa, and has two older siblings:
- Princess Sophia (born 1938) – married King Juan Carlos of Spain, had three children
- King Constantine II of the Hellenes (1940 -2023) – married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, had five children
Irene was born in Cape Town, where her family was living in exile during World War II. They returned to Greece in 1946, and the following year, Irene’s father became King of the Hellenes. Irene was given a very diverse education, studying philosophy and archeology, as well as becoming fluent in several languages. She also developed a remarkable talent as a pianist, training with the famed concert pianist Gina Bachauer, and later performing for charitable causes in Europe and the United States. From the time of her father’s death, and brother’s accession to the throne, in March 1964, until the birth of Constantine’s daughter Alexia in July 1965, Irene was the heiress presumptive to the Greek throne. Her elder sister Sophia had relinquished her succession rights upon her marriage in 1962.
Following the overthrow of the Greek monarchy in 1967, Irene and her mother lived for several years in Rome before moving to India in 1969. Here, Irene studied Vedanta philosophy and religion. By the time of her mother’s death in 1981, Irene had also been spending large amounts of time in Spain, which soon became her permanent residence. She lives in an apartment at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, the home of her sister Sophia.
In the mid-1980s, she became involved in several philanthropic ventures. When, in 1985, the European Community planned to slaughter several million cattle to artificially reduce milk production, the Princess organized for thousands of cows to be shipped to India, where they would be protected. The following year, she established Mundo en Armonía (World in Harmony Foundation), a non-profit foundation that promotes compassion for animals and harmony between people. She continues to serve as the organization’s president to this day. In 1994, she joined her brother in filing a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights over properties and assets which has been confiscated by the Greek Republic.
In 2002, Princess Irene received a share of the compensation made to the Greek Royal Family for these properties and assets. She used the money to establish a Greek branch of World in Harmony to promote causes in Greece. In 2018, Princess Irene was granted Spanish citizenship, by Royal Decree.
In addition to her work with World in Harmony, the Princess is involved with numerous organizations, including:
- Patron, African Cultural Organization of South Africa (ACOSA)
- Patron, Ashram International
- Patron, Banco Santander Central Hispano Foundation
- Honorary President – Spanish Chapter, European String Professors Association (ESTA)
- Vice President, Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan Foundation
- Patron – Spanish Chapter, Yehudi Menuhin Foundation
- Vice Chair, Sarvodaya International Trust
- Member of the Honorary Council, The Peres Center for Peace Association in Spain
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