How his sister’s plane crash death haunted him

About 90 years ago, Cecilie – who was eight months pregnant at the time – died in a plane crash along with six others.

Cecilie, Philip’s “favorite sister”, was the third of Princess Alice of Battenberg and Prince Andrew of the five children of Greece and Denmark.

She married Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse – her first cousin once removed – and joined the Nazi Party with him in May 1937.

They welcomed three children: Prince Ludwig, Prince Alexander and Princess Johanna.

Others who died included her mother-in-law, her husband, their two young sons, a lady-in-waiting and the best man.

Cecilie was only 26 years old at the time.

Years later he wrote: “I have the clearest memory of the profound shock with which I heard the news of the crash and the death of my sister and her family.”

Cecilie was buried next to her husband and three children (including her stillborn son) on the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt. Funeral photos showed Philip among grieving relatives, all dressed in Nazi uniforms.

Cecilie and Georg’s surviving daughter, Johanna, was adopted by Prince Ludwig and Princess Margaret after the loss of her parents and siblings.

Sadly, her life was cut short when she succumbed to meningitis just two years later.

However, after Philip hit a student and was punished by staying at school, Cecilie was forced to move to London with her family. Philip called her, hoping for sympathy, but she agreed with the headmaster’s decision and said she had to fly to the wedding.

The scene ended with her boarding the plane.

However, Philip was reportedly “very angry” with the way the tragedy was portrayed in the series.

According to the Sunday Times, he contacted royal lawyers Farrer & Co about the scenes but chose to take no further action.