Palacio de la Zarzuela has always been the official residence of the monarchs, and it has been kept that way over the years. However, few people know what the interior of the estate is really like because only a handful of people have had access. Thanks to certain testimonies, details previously unknown about the private quarters of Doña Sofía and Irene of Greece have come to light.
Sofía has continued living in Zarzuela after King Felipe VI's proclamation. She was already living there during her reign, alongside King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, but she hasn't lived alone. Her inseparable sister, Irene of Greece, has shared a home with her for decades.
Irene moved to Madrid after the death of her mother, Queen Frederica. Since then, she has been by Sofía's side at all times.
This is how Irene of Greece and Doña Sofía live in Palacio de la Zarzuela
Irene of Greece has been a support for her sister, especially in recent times, when the health of the Queen Emeritus has caused concern. The coexistence between the two has been discreet, away from the spotlight. However, sources close to the Royal Household have shared revealing information.
Journalist Pilar Eyre, an expert on royal matters, had already spoken about this situation. In her blog in the magazine Lecturas, she recounted a striking testimony. "A visitor to Zarzuela, a friend of the king, told me that once he got lost in the palace and ended up in Sofía's private quarters," Eyre wrote.
What that witness saw has drawn attention: "Only lit by a floor lamp, the two sisters were having dinner at a small table, dressed in black... In silence and without those professional smiles they always show in public, they looked like two elderly women. They looked so Greek! The scene impressed me," the journalist confessed.
Sources close to royal household reveal the true relationship between Doña Sofía and Irene of Greece
This account has revealed a very different image from what the public usually sees. The sisters have shared intimate moments, far from protocol. They have lived together with sobriety, respect, and mutual affection, without cameras, without statements.
Thanks to this information, many doubts have been clarified. The relationship between Queen Sofía and Irene of Greece has been much closer than previously thought.
They have lived in unity. They have kept their family bond intact. They have done so with the utmost discretion.