Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta
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| Irene of Greece and Denmark | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of Croatia Duchess of Aosta |
|
| Spouse | Tomislav II of Croatia |
| Issue | |
| Amadeo, 5th Duke of Aosta | |
| House | House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg House of Savoy |
| Father | Constantine I of Greece |
| Mother | Sophia of Prussia |
| Born | 13 February 1904 Athens, Greece |
| Died | 15 April 1974 (aged 70) Fiesole, Italy |
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (Greek: Πριγκίπισσα Ειρήνη της Ελλάδας και Δανίας) (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, George (1890), Alexander (1893) and Paul (1901), and one sister, Helen (1896). Another sister, Katherine 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. He never 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 was not in favour of her husbands taking the Crown of Zvonimir, but supported his plans to get away from the duty of becoming the King of Croatia. After the Allied armistice' with the Kingdom of Italy, princess was captured by the Germans and taken to a labour camp in Austria and latter in Poland Amedeo, her son and heir, was in that time a small infant, often ill. The princess was liberated by the French.
Princess Irene died on 15 April 1974 in Fiesole, Italy.
[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms
[edit] Titles and styles
- 13 February 1904 – 1 July 1939: Her Royal Highness Princess Irine 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 The Dowager Duchess of Aosta
[edit] Ancestry
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