Former princess Irene, younger sister of Queen Sofia of Spain and sister of Constantine, the late former king of Greece, died Thursday at the Palace of Zarzuela in Madrid, the former Greek royal family has announced. She was 83.

In recent days, 87-year-old Queen Sofia canceled all public obligations to remain by her sister’s side as Irene’s health declined.

The former princess, daughter of former King Paul and Queen Frederika, had withdrawn from public life after her last appearance at the wedding of Nicolas De Gres, the third child of Constantine, last February. She never married and had no children, dedicating her life to spiritual pursuits, philosophy and humanitarian work.

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1942, Irene was heir to the Greek throne between 1964 to 1965. She went into exile with her brother Constantine II in 1967 after the monarchy’s political crisis and later settled in Spain near her sister, Queen Sofia.

Her burial will take place at Tatoi Cemetery, within the former Tatoi Royal Estate, north of Athens, alongside her brother and parents.

Constantine was deposed following the abolition of the Greek monarchy in 1974. In recent years, members of the former royal family have used the surname De Grès, meaning “of Greece,” for official and civil purposes, particularly after acquiring Greek citizenship. They do not hold any constitutional or political role in Greece.

Source: Ekathimerini.com