Princess Irene of Greece (1942)

[Principessa]

Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (Greek: Ειρήνη)(11 May 1942) is the youngest child and second daughter of King Paul of Greece and his wife Queen Frederica. She is the younger sister of Queen Sofía of Spain and of the deposed King Constantine II of Greece

Irene was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on 11 May 1942. She was a pupil of concert pianist Gina Bachauer and, for a while, she was a professional concert pianist herself.

Irene was dating Prince Michel of Orléans, comte d'Évreux, a younger son of the Orléanist pretender Henri, Count of Paris, until he met French noblewoman Béatrice Marie Pasquier de Franclieu, whom he married on 18 November 1967 in Casablanca, Morocco, without his father's consent.


After her brother was dethroned, Irene moved to India with her mother. Since her mother's death in 1981, she has lived in Spain in an apartment at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, the residence of her sister and brother-in-law, Queen Sofía and King Juan Carlos.

On 16 March 2018, Princess Irene obtained the Spanish nationality and renounced her Greek nationality.


Source: Wikipedia

[Principessa]

There were rumours about a match or perhaps a desired match between Irene and then Crown Prince Harald of Norway (21 February 1937) back in the days.

[Principessa]

[Principessa]

http://www.1066.co.nz/Mos...Greece_and_Denmark[1].htm


"...Princess Irene has never married though she is believed to have had a long time relationship with a married Greek man, close to her brother Constantine. The late King Olav V of Norway had hoped that his son, now King Harald V, would marry her and make her Queen of Norway. However, King Harald desired to marry Sonja Haraldsen (now Queen Sonja). It is said that Princess Irene learned to speak fluent Norwegian due to this projected future role as Queen of Norway.."

[Principessa]

@The Royal Forums about Irene:

https://www.theroyalforum...ing-constantine-1142.html

[Principessa]

"....In 1976 Point de Vue speculated that Irene might become engaged to Don Gonzalo de Borbon y Dampierre, a first cousin of Irene's brother-in-law Juan Carlos...."

[Gemsheal]

I always wondered if, with Irene, that old "Victorian" rule came into play, where a younger daughter had to be responsible for or to her mother - the "daughter of the house" I think it was termed, where one daughter was guilted into not marrying, & was influenced into staying at home to care for a widowed mother, or her parents.

But Queen Frederika didn't seem to be that kind of mother - she was a pretty independent person and didn't seem to require a daughter in the house.   Also, Frederika seemed to be the type of Royalty who wanted her children married off very well.   I suppose THAT could have played a part - maybe when Harald didn't come up to scratch, no lesser man was considered worthy?   But even that seems a stretch.   

Probably just safer to assume Irene liked an independent life and/or just never met that special someone she wanted to marry.   And good for her if that's true.  I have a "spinster"  sister and let me tell you, she has a great life.   

[Celia]

I think a lot of the royal "fiancés" were dreamt up by the newspapers. I have read from a reputable source (and of course can't remember where or who) that she wanted to marry a commoner (pianist?  Greek?  Spanish?) and of course her mother wouldn't let her.

[LongMaySheReign]

I've always heard that she is/was in a longtime relationship with a wealthy and married Greek friend of her brother.

[Principessa]

I've always heard that she is/was in a longtime relationship with a wealthy and married Greek friend of her brother.

Indeed, I have heard the same. And that he was deceased.

[Gemsheal]

I've always heard that she is/was in a longtime relationship with a wealthy and married Greek friend of her brother.

Indeed, I have heard the same. And that he was deceased.

Probably like Jackie O. and Maurice Tempelsman.   If Irene's friend was unable to be divorced, they may have just decided to live their lives together, quietly.   

[CyrilSebastian]

Princess Irene at the White House with Lynda Johnson in 1967   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0RFfS5EIM0