Queen Sofía Accepts Honor for Late Sister Princess Irene

Spain's Institution of Humanitarian Merit has posthumously awarded Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark its Grand Cross. Her sister, Queen Sofía of Spain, accepted the honor on her behalf at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on Friday, 13 November. Princess Irene died in January. She was 83.

The delegation from the institution was received in audience at Zarzuela, the royal family's residence on the edge of Madrid. It presented the Grand Cross to the queen, along with a Diploma of Honor, according to Casa Real, the Spanish royal household's official website. A diploma is a written certificate that accompanies the award.

The Grand Cross is a decoration, a medal worn on a sash. Posthumous means the award was made after the person's death. Spain's institution was founded in Barcelona in 1999 to recognize humanitarian work, meaning efforts to relieve suffering and help people in need.

Irene was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1942. She was the youngest child of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. She founded an organization called World in Harmony in 1986, and she spent much of her later life in Spain.

She and Queen Sofía lived together at Zarzuela Palace for decades. The two sisters shared the residence until Irene's death. Town and Country reported the award and the ceremony details.

For readers who follow royal families, the honor is a reminder that royal relatives often leave a public record through charity work as well as through ceremony. For everyone else, it is a short, human story. A sister accepted a medal for a sister who could not be there.