Members of Spain’s royal family gathered Saturday in Madrid for a special memorial service for Princess Irene of Greece, who died Thursday at age 83. Spanish emeritus Queen Sofia, who earlier this month had canceled her royal engagements to care for her ailing sister, was joined by son King Felipe and his wife, Queen Letizia, as well as their eldest daughter, Princess Leonor and her sister, Infanta Sofía of Spain.
The family came together at Madrid’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Andrew and St. Demetrius, at a prayer service also attended by relatives including Infanta Elena, Victoria Federica de Marichalar, Infanta Cristina, and Princess Alexia of Greece.
The Infanta Margarita and her husband, Carlos Zurita; Jaime de Marichalar; Kyril of Bulgaria; and Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida were also on hand for the memorial, which was held in advance of the official funeral for Princess Irene, planned for Monday in Athens.
Irene’s brother-in-law, emeritus King Juan Carlos, was not in attendance: According to El País, he decided yesterday not to make the trip from his some-time home of Abu Dhabi on the advice of his doctors. He will also miss Monday’s funeral, his representatives say.
