Queen Sofia has stepped back from her official duties to be by the side of her younger sister, Princess Irene of Greece, who is gravely ill.
The 87-year-old former Spanish queen was due to receive an award for her biodiversity conservation work at the Poema del Mar Aquarium in Palma de Mallorca on Wednesday.
A second engagement, where she was to be presented with an honorary doctorate at the University of Las Palmas, has likewise been called off.
According to HOLA! magazine, Princess Irene’s condition is “very fragile” and “critical”, prompting the sudden change to Queen Sofia’s schedule.
Queen Sofia has stepped back from her official duties to be by the side of her younger sister, Princess Irene of Greece, who is gravely ill.
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GETTY
The 83-year-old princess has been battling progressive cognitive impairment, a condition first reported by HOLA! three years ago that has steadily worsened over time.
Princess Irene has made her home within the grounds of Zarzuela Palace, the official residence of the Spanish royal family in Madrid, where she has lived since 1981.
The youngest daughter of the late King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, she never married but has maintained an exceptionally close relationship with Queen Sofia throughout her life.
Their only brother, Constantine II, who served as the last King of the Hellenes, died in January 2023.
The 87-year-old former Spanish queen was due to receive an award for her biodiversity conservation work at the Poema del Mar Aquarium in Palma de Mallorca on Wednesday.
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GETTY
Princess Irene has made her home within the grounds of Zarzuela Palace, the official residence of the Spanish royal family in Madrid, where she has lived since 1981.
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GETTY
Princess Irene made her most recent public appearance in February 2025, attending the Athens wedding of Prince Nikolaos of Greece to Chrysi Vardinogiánni.
She arrived at the ceremony in a wheelchair, accompanied by Queen Sofia and Infanta Cristina, to witness the nuptials of her godson.
Prior to the palace announcing the cancellation of her engagements, Queen Sofia had been photographed in Paris at the funeral of Tatiana Radziwill, her close friend and second cousin.
The former queen was joined at the service by her three children: King Felipe, Infanta Elena, and Infanta Cristina.