Greek Princes Pavlos, Nikolaos, and Philippos Mourn Aunt Princess Irene

There was a royal reunion at the funeral of Princess Irene of Greece on Monday, as the late royal’s nephews, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, and Prince Philippos of Greece all gathered to pay their respects at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. The Princess, who dedicated her life to music and philanthropy, died on 15 January at the age of 83. The three brothers stood side-by-side in mourning in front of their aunt’s coffin, which was draped in the Greek flag. Crown Prince Pavlos, the 58-year-old son of Princess Irene’s brother, the late King Constantine, led the tributes and welcomed a host of royals to the occasion. The Crown Prince had previously released a statement, explaining that his wife, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, would not be attending the funeral, as she was supporting her mother, who has recently undergone surgery in New York. Remembering Princess Irene of Greece: the concert pianist Princess who grew up in exile and donated her fortune to charity Read More His daughter, Princess Olympia, and his son, Prince Odysseas, were also absent, due to work engagements and studies, respectively. He was, however, joined by his sons, Prince Constantine Alexios, Prince Achilleas-Andreas, and Prince Aristidis-Stavros of Greece ‘The family shares in mourning and honours the memory of Princess Irene,’ he added. Crown Prince Pavlos made a moving speech in tribute to his late aunt, whom he described as a ‘wellspring of wisdom’ before taking to his seat next to his mother, Queen Anne Marie. ‘A woman of quiet strength, deep faith and steadfast devotion to family, her presence was at once gentle and unyielding and her values were not spoken, but lived—expressed in every act of devotion and care for those around her,’ he explained. Who's who at the funeral of Princess Irene of Greece? King Felipe of Spain and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece lead tributes to the ‘Princess of the Poor’ Read More ‘Irene was a wellspring of wisdom, loyalty and love, a steady anchor for our family across time. Her loss leaves a silence that cannot be filled, but her memory will remain forever in our hearts.’ Earlier, the heir to the defunct throne of Greece explained that his aunt lived ‘longer than we expected’ when considering her ill health. The royal had been suffering with ‘cognitive impairment’ for three years and had been described by Hola! as ‘gradually fading away’ over the past week, when Irene’s sister, Queen Sofia, cancelled her engagements to be by her side. Read More Meet Edward Bluemel: the star of Agatha Christie's Seven Dials and the most charming man on television, probably From the comfort of his bed, the star of The Seven Dials Mystery and My Lady Jane talks Shakespeare, snogs, and skin-tight suits ‘It was something we had been waiting for a long time for my aunt Irene. She was sick, had a strong heart and lived longer than we expected,’ the Prince said. ‘I must say that we were glad to see her a few months ago, when we had travelled for [Sofia's] birthday.’ The last time that Princess Irene was seen in public was at the wedding of her nephew and godson, Prince Nikolaos, 56, to Chrysi Vardinogiánni in Athens last August, which she attended in a wheelchair. Vardinogiánni was not photographed at the event, but Princess Diana’s godson, Prince Philippos, 39, was joined by his wife, Princess Nina, who is a close friend of Princess Beatrice and the godmother of her daughter, Athena. Read More In Cecil Beaton's show-stopping designs for My Fair Lady lies a story of tantrums and top hats In honour of the anniversary of Cecil Beaton's birth, rediscover the glamour of one of his greatest triumphs Princess Irene had been suffering from a ‘cognitive impairment’ that left her ‘gradually fading away’ over the past three years, and her health had been continuing to deteriorate. The news of her death was confirmed by the Spanish Royal Household, which issued the following statement on 15 January: ‘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 a.m. today at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.’ Read More Seven Queens, four Kings, three Dukes, two Grand Duchesses and a Prince: who's who in one of the most fabulously royal photos of all time? The Princess of Wales welcomed the Red Roses to the Crimson Drawing Room at Windsor Castle this week. But the room has played host to countless royal engagements, including this regal portrait from 2002 While the Princess never married and had no children, she was seen as a second mother to Queen Sofia’s children, King Felipe of Spain, Infanta Elena, and Infanta Christina. Irene spent the last years of her life living in the Zarazuela Palace alongside Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofia, whom she would occasionally join for a public outing or a private family celebration.