Princess Irene (1942-), sister of King Constantine

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by iannis

Some quotes taken from an interview of Princess Irene's at the "Bimagazino" magazine some years ago, which has interviewed King Constantine as well, and can answer some of the questions set in this thread:

"Who would want to marry a crazy woman like me who runs here and there?"

"Our parents used to remind us (her and her siblings) that we are not something really important"

"Why should I regret not having children? The children of the whole world are my children"

Amazing person, isn't she?

All of her answers were exuding depth and wisdom. I was also impressed by her tenacity and magnanimous acceptance of the conclusion of the tragedy, "what happened had been destined to happen".
I believe that the involvement with music and philosophy has helped her to become an exceptional human being.

[*SofiaM*]

Originally Posted by Philippe Egalite'

Judging by their faces, the style and pattern of the dresses, and knowing the years of their respective births, I came up with the educated guess 1956 or 1957.

You're right. It was taken in 1957

Something interesting the caption says is:
''Left to right are: Princess Irene, Crown Prince Constantine, wearing Naval Cadet uniform, and Princess Sophie. Prince Constantine joined his two sisters from his training-ship 'Armatolo' which has just sailed from Hamburg. There are rumours in Greece that Princess Sophie is to wed the Duke of Kent.''

How times have changed!

[ladejesus]

Thank you Phillipe Egalite and sOfIa. I had never heard that rumor! Very interesting.

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by ...sOfIa....

You're right. It was taken in 1957

Something interesting the caption says is:
''Left to right are: Princess Irene, Crown Prince Constantine, wearing Naval Cadet uniform, and Princess Sophie. Prince Constantine joined his two sisters from his training-ship 'Armatolo' which has just sailed from Hamburg. There are rumours in Greece that Princess Sophie is to wed the Duke of Kent.''

How times have changed!

That might have been possible since princess Marina (dowager duchess of Kent), daughter of prince Nikolaos of Greece, was first cousin of king Paul and wanted her children to marry princes princesses of the blood.
What was widely publicized in the 60's was that queen Frederika and king Olav wanted princess Irene to marry prince Harald.

[Warren]

Sounds very much like the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburgs were doing their best to emulate the dynastic successes of the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas!

[*SofiaM*]

Originally Posted by Philippe Egalite'

What was widely publicized in the 60's was that queen Frederika and king Olav wanted princess Irene to marry prince Harald.

Of Norway? I thought Princess Sophie, (Sofia), wanted to marry him. Or was that just a passing interest?

I've got to say I know nothing about todays royals when they were younger. So it's fascinating to read what you have to say!

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by ...sOfIa....

Of Norway? I thought Princess Sophie, (Sofia), wanted to marry him. Or was that just a passing interest?

I've got to say I know nothing about todays royals when they were younger. So it's fascinating to read what you have to say!

Who knows, Sofia.
As you know, I am sure, the matchmaking started during the much publicized, famous cruise aboard the luxurious Agamemnon, that queen Frederika organized in 1954. I believe this was the first time that princess Sophia met Juan Carlos and, I guess, this was the only gain from the notorious cruise, as far as queen Frederika was concerned.

On the other hand, the monetary and, worse, the subsequent political cost and loss were immense.

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by Warren

Sounds very much like the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburgs were doing their best to emulate the dynastic successes of the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas!

Absolutely.
Have you ever thought of the fact that of the six children of king Constantine I and queen Sophia of the Hellenes, five (83.33%) became sovereigns or consorts to sovereigns or were constitutionally styled Majesties:

HM king Alexander of the Hellenes
HM king George II of the Hellenes
HM king Paul of the Hellenes
HM Queen-Mother Helen of Romania ["Regina Mama" by Law, 1940-1947]
Yriny, transiently Queen of Croatia [1941-43, during Musollini's fascism]

How about that!

[ilias of john]

Yes but three of them,the boys, were Kings of the Hellenes due to forced exiles, monkey bites and political instability's

[Warren]

The context was dynastic achievement, and the point was that four (and if we include the "Queen of Croatia", five) of Constantine's children became Majesties of sorts.

[Philippe Egalite']

Alexander, George II and Paul died as reigning monarchs due to, septicemia secondary to monkey bite (1922), heart failure (1947), and stomach cancer (1964), respectively.

[Her_Majesty]

Originally Posted by Philippe Egalite'

What was widely publicized in the 60's was that queen Frederika and king Olav wanted princess Irene to marry prince Harald.

Originally Posted by *SofiaM*

Of Norway? I thought Princess Sophie, (Sofia), wanted to marry him. Or was that just a passing interest?

First they wanted Sofia of Greece (now Queen Sofia of Spain) to marry Crown Prince Harald of Norway(around 1959/60).
Harald didn't want to marry just to content the Norwegian and Greek people.
Back then he already dated Sonja Haraldsen, who is now Queen Sonja.

Later they hoped for a wedding of CP Harald and Princess Irene of Greece.
Irene even learned Norwegian for this case.
Well, but Harald still dated Sonja.
So , also this marriage-wish didn't come true.

I also once heard that this was the reason why Irene never married. Who knows, who knows..

[iannis]

Originally Posted by Her_Majesty

Later they hoped for a wedding of CP Harald and Princess Irene of Greece.

I remember having read somewhere (can't quote unfortunately) that it was King Paul's (her father's) wish for Irene to marry Harald

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by Her_Majesty

.......Later they hoped for a wedding of CP Harald and Princess Irene of Greece.
Irene even learned Norwegian for this case.....................
So , also this marriage-wish didn't come true. I also once heard that this was the reason why Irene never married. Who knows, who knows..

As discussed earlier, a hope/wish for a wedding between Harald and Yriny was widely rumored and recorded on paper print, in the 60s, in Greece.

I would seriously doubt though that this was the reason she never married. There is no documentation, whatsoever, that Yriny was in love with Harald. If anything, this would have been an arranged marriage.

One easy and reasonable answer is that even in the tumultuous 60's it was still unusual for European royals to marry outside their world (except for the British who had already established the precedent of marrying into British noble, but non-royal, families from the early 20th century) and, in addition, Queen Frederika knew very well that marrying into a defunct royal or princely family would provide neither the exuberant lifestyle nor the prestige she had in mind for her children.

A good possibility would have been for Yriny to marry a Greek gentleman of standing but this would have raised eyebrows and caused resentment in Greece.

One rumour that circulated widely and intensely back then among upper class circles in Athens, was that there was a romance between Yriny and a member of the Nomikos Shipping Family and that Queen Frederika was very much against the idea.

In any event, it is quite interesting that 40 years later, a different member of that family, Mr. Markos Nomikos, married princess Victoria de Borbon y Dos Sicilias, daughter of prince Carlos de Borbon y Dos Sicilias, Infante of Spain. The couple and their children live very quietly in Greece. Indeed, no one in Greece has any clue that Mr. Nomikos is married to a princess who is very close to the Spanish royal family.

[Her_Majesty]

Originally Posted by Philippe Egalite'

I would seriously doubt though that this was the reason she never married. There is no documentation, whatsoever, that Yriny was in love with Harald. If anything, this would have been an arranged marriage.

I don't think so anyway.
I just guess this "She never married because of Harald"-story was a good and very Hollywoody excuse for the press...
the media always needs some heartbreaking stories.

[BELTRANEJA]

the day 8 april to the 24:00 in the greek tv, the journalist interviews to the princess Irene. It is the first interviews of the princess to a greek tv.
she will speak about the peace.........

[pedro1968]

I like very much princess Irene. She has been living in Spain since her mother died in 1981, she lives with king Juan Carlos and a queen Sofia, her sister. But she has a very discret life and you can see her in magazines just when she is on holidays with her family in Mallorca. She runs a charity fundation and it´s a woman who likes culture. I think she is a very interesting princess. Several months ago it was publised in Spain a book about her life, the writter had to "follow" her for longtime because she thought she was not so interesting and it´s was not necessary to write a book about her life. Finally the writer could get her desire and she wrote a lovely book about princess Irene. I said before, she is very discret.

[BELTRANEJA]

I have found this news on Princess Irene of Greece.
it is a summary of an interview to the television of Greece
the interview has two parts
the first part, she is in palace of tatoi, she remembers when she was small girl. she speak about her parents.
she learned to love to classic music of his father.
She was the first in the line of succession from 1964 to 1965 (born Princess Alexia)
She speak about career in classic music in Greece and then in exile.
in the second part, she speak about his humanitarian work with the children of Albania
She is the princess of the peace
Greece is their home.
Loipon - Ðñéãêßðéóóá ÅéñÞíç: ÌéëÜåé ãéá ðñþôç öïñÜ - áðïêáëõðôéêá

I am looking for the video of the interview but I can not find it

[Philippe Egalite']

Originally Posted by BELTRANEJA

..............Greece is their home..................

I do not follow your bizarre comment. Greece can be home to every EU citizen if she/he so chooses, if she/he so pleases. Further, as you very well know, citizens of European States co-signatories of the Schengen Accord may walk in and out of Greece without even producing a passport!

[BELTRANEJA]

I Have Commited An Error.
She Didn´t Say:
"greece Is Their House"
She Say, That She Feels Citizen Greek.
I Do Not Know As Is Passport Of Irene I Think That She Could Have A Passport Spanish Because She Live In Spain.if His Passport Is Spanish She Is Citizen European