Since Princess Irene moved to the Zarzuela Palace (in the 1980s), she witnessed Queen Sofia's suffering due to King Juan Carlos's constant infidelities. Although she traveled frequently, she always tried to be close to her sister to support her.
Furthermore, King Juan Carlos I prevented Princess Irene of Greece from becoming engaged to Jesús Aguirre by threatening him over the phone to force him to leave his sister-in-law. According to King Juan Carlos, he did this only to "protect the image and stability of the Royal House" and because he suspected that Aguirre's interest was more social than personal.
Another man Princess Irene fell in love with was Guido Brunner, the German ambassador to Spain (said to be Princess Irene's greatest love). Guido and Princess Irene attended orchestra concerts and met secretly (1987-1992), until King Juan Carlos gave Princess Irene an ultimatum: he told her that as long as she lived as part of the Spanish royal family, she could no longer see Guido.
Posted by CamillaOmdalWalker