Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta

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Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta was born on this day in 1904. The daughter of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophie of Prussia, she was the sister of King George, King Alexander, and King Paul of Greece, and Queen Helen of Romania, aunt of Queen Alexandra of YugoslaviaQueen Sofia of SpainKing Constantine II of Greece, and King Michael of Romania, and first cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh,  Princess Marina, Duchess of KentPrincess Paul of YugoslaviaPrincess Margarita of Hohenlohe-LangenburgPrincess Theodora, Margravine of BadenGrand Duchess Cecile of HessePrincess Sophie of Hanover, Princess Eugenie of Greece, and Prince Michael of Greece. Born in Greece, she spent much of her early life in Florence, during the Greek Royal Family’s frequent bouts of exile. In 1939, she married Prince Aimone, Duke of Spoleto, who became the Duke of Aosta after the death of his brother in 1942, and was proclaimed King Tomislav II of Croatia, though he never visited the territory. The couple had one son, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta. After the Allied Armistice with Italy, the Duchess of Aosta, along with her sister-in-law, the former Duchess, and their children were interned in Austria for almost a year until being liberated in May 1945. After the Italian Monarchy was abolished in 1946, the family went into exile, where the Duke died in Buenos Aires in 1948. A few months later, they were allowed to return to Italy, where Princess Irene spent the rest of her life. Close to her siblings and relatives across Europe, she was a frequent guest at glittering royal events, in the UK, Greece, and Portugal. She died in Italy in 1974, after a long illness.

Diamond Tiara | Empress Frederick’s Pearl Earrings

Diamond Tiara

Empress Frederick’s Pearl Earrings

2 thoughts on “Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta

  1. Irene and her husband were largely estranged by the time she was interned. He had a mistress, and he chose to find a new life in South America.

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