Princess Irina of Greece and Denmark (née Irina Aleksandrovna Ovchinnikova (Russian: Ирина Александровна Овчинникова); 4 October 1904 – 13 March 1990), formerly Irène, marquise de Monléon, was a white émigré who married the anthropologist Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark and assisted him in his research.

He introduced her to his mother, Princess Marie, but the royal family strongly disapproved of Peter's relationship with "the Russian" (as they dubbed her) and were wary of her influence over the Prince.

[4][page needed] The same month, King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom abdicated in order to marry his own twice divorced foreign lover, the American Wallis Simpson, and Peter disapproved of his conduct.

[4][page needed] The pair embarked on a journey to Asia in September 1937, where Peter was going to engage in anthropological research.

Wishing to avoid the Himalayan winter, they moved to South India and spent time with the Toda people.

[5][page needed] The pair contracted marriage in a Danish consulate in Madras in September 1939, without informing his family or the Greek government.

The German invasion of France in 1940 led Peter and his wife to leave Paris and move to Assisi, Italy.

[5][page needed] The two were eventually reunited in Palestine, and underwent a Greek Orthodox marriage ceremony in Jerusalem on 5 June 1941.

This shocked the King, who did not hesitate to inform the diplomatic corps that their marriage was not recognized as dynastic and that Ovtchinnikova was not entitled to the princely dignity.

The royal family viewed her activities with suspicion, worrying that she might eclipse Princess Paul, wife of the heir presumptive.

[5][page needed] After the Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, Prince Peter decided to liquidate his possessions in Greece, most notably his residence in Glyfada.

Her in-laws ostracized her at Peter's memorial mass, held at St Sophia's Cathedral, London, on 22 October; no member of the royal family expressed condolence to her.