Princess Leonor Shows Dignity as Future Queen at Great-Aunt Irene's Funeral

King Felipe of Spain led mourners at the funeral of his aunt, Princess Irene of Greece, who died on 15 January at the age of 83. The Spanish King was joined by his wife, Queen Letizia, and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, with the quartet dressed in sombre black coats as they gathered at the Metropolis Cathedral of Athens on 19 January. It will have been an emotional day for the Spanish royals, who gathered to support Queen Sofia, Princess Irene’s sister. Irene and Sofia grew up in South Africa with their parents, King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece, and their brother, the late King Constantine. For the final years of her life, Princess Irene moved to Madrid, where she moved into Zarazuela Palace and lived alongside Queen Sofia, King Juan Carlos, and the royal family. Remembering Princess Irene of Greece: the concert pianist Princess who grew up in exile and donated her fortune to charity Read More The Spanish royal household issued a statement sharing the news on Thursday afternoon, writing, ‘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.’ Royals from around the world arrived in Athens for the funeral, including Princess Irene’s nephews, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Prince Philippos of Greece, and Prince Nikolaos of Greece. The Crown Prince – who was joined by his sons, Princes Constantine Alexios, Achileas-Andreas, and Aristidis-Stavros of Greece – greeted the guests and delivered a moving speech, in which he paid tribute to the ‘gentle and unyielding’ Princess Irene. He said: ‘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. ‘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. ‘May she rest in eternal peace, reunited with those she loved.’ Happy birthday, Mia Tindall! Celebrate Mike and Zara's eldest daughter as she turns 12 Read More The Greek and Spanish royal families were joined by a number of other royals, including Infanta Elena of Spain, Infanta Christina of Spain, Princess Alexia of Greece, Princess Michael of Greece, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Princess Sophie of Romania, Prince Christian of Hanover, Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria, and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia did not stay long in Athens, leaving the funeral ceremonies early in order to return to Spain following a deadly train crash in Andalucia. Speaking of the tragedy, which has killed at least 39 people and injured 150, the King and Queen extended their condolences and said that ‘the priority now is to attend to, to accompany, to help, to assist all the people who have been affected by this accident.’ 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 The daughter of King Paul and Queen Frederica of the Hellenes, Princess Irene was born on 11 May 1942 in South Africa, where her family were living in exile following the outbreak of the Second World War. Her godparents included British consort Queen Mary, wife of King George V, and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. A virtuosic pianist, she studied under Gina Bachauer, dubbed the ‘Queen of Pianists’, and played many concerts herself, including one at London's Royal Festival Hall.