Irene of Greece, Duchess of Aosta

Infobox Italian Royalty|princess|consort
name = Irene of Greece
title = Queen consort of Croatia
Duchess of Aosta
styles ="HRH" The Dowager Duchess of Aosta
"HRH" The Duchess of Aosta
"HM" The Queen of Croatia
"HRH" The Duchess of Spoleto
"HRH" Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
royal house = House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
House of Savoy
date of birth = birth date|1904|2|13|df=yes
place of birth =
date of death = death date and age|1974|4|15|1904|2|13|df=yes
place of death = Fiesole, Italy
spouse = Tomislav II of Croatia
issue = Amadeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
father = Constantine I of Greece
mother = Sophia of Prussia

Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (Greek: "Irini") (13 February, 1904 - 15 April, 1974) was the fifth child and second daughter of Constantine I of Greece and his wife, the former Princess Sophie of Prussia.

Her paternal grandparents were George I of Greece and Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Her maternal grandparents were Friedrich III, German Emperor, and his Empress consort Victoria. Victoria was a daughter of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Queen regnant Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Irene was born in Athens, preceded in birth by three brothers, Prince Georgios (1890), Prince Alexandros (1893) and Prince Pavlos (1901), and one sister, Princess Eleni (1896). Another sister, Princess Ekaterini was born in 1913.

On 1 July, 1939, Princess Irene married Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Spoleto (b. 9 March, 1900 in Florence, Italy) They had one child:

* Prince Amadeo Umberto Constantino Giorgio Paolo Elena Maria Fiorenzo Zvonimir of Savoy, born 27 September, 1943

Prince Aimone became 4th Duke of Aosta on 3 March, 1942, following the death of his elder brother Prince Amadeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta. On 18 May 1941, taking the name Tomislav II, he was proclaimed King of the Independent State of Croatia, a German/Italian puppet state covering most of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He never had any power or even set foot on the territory of the state, and subsequently abandoned the crown on 12 October 1943, after the Italian withdrawal from the war. Prince Aimone died on 29 January 1948 in Buenos Aires. Upon his death, his son Amedeo succeeded him as the 5th Duke of Aosta.

Princess Irene died on 15 April, 1974 in Fiesole.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

*13 February 1904 – 1 July 1939: "Her Royal Highness" Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
*1 July 1939 - 18 May 1941: "Her Royal Highness" The Duchess of Spoleto
*18 May 1941 - 31 July 1943: "Her Majesty" The Queen of Croatia
*3 March 1942 - 29 January 1948: "Her Royal Highness" The Duchess of Aosta
*29 January 1948 - 15 April 1974: "Her Royal Highness" Irene, Duchess of Aosta

Ancestry

ahnentafel-compact5
style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%;
border=1
boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
1= 1. Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
2= 2. Constantine I, King of the Hellenes
3= 3. Princess Sophia of Prussia
4= 4. George I, King of the Hellenes
5= 5. Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
6= 6. Frederick III, German Emperor
7= 7. Victoria, Princess Royal
8= 8. Christian IX of Denmark
9= 9. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
10= 10. Grand Duke Konstantine Nicholaievich of Russia
11= 11. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg
12= 12. William I, German Emperor
13= 13. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar and Eisenach
14= 14. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
15= 15. Victoria of the United Kingdom
16= 16. Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
17= 17. Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
18= 18. Prince William of Hesse
19= 19. Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark
20= 20. Nicholas I of Russia
21= 21. Princess Charlotte of Prussia
22= 22. Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
23= 23. Amelia of Württemberg
24= 24. Frederick William III of Prussia
25= 25. Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
26= 26. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
27= 27. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia
28= 28. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
29= 29. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
30= 30. Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
31= 31. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld