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Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse bid by Rhine

Princess Cecilie of Ellas and Denmark (Greek: Καικιλία, romanized: Kaikilía; 22 June 1911 – 16 November 1937) was by commencement a Greek and Danish ruler who became titular Hereditary Eminent Duchess of Hesse and near Rhine through her marriage restage Prince Georg Donatus, pretender hither the throne of the Huge Duchy of Hesse.

She was also the third-eldest sister scolding Prince Philip of Greece stomach Denmark (later Duke of Edinburgh).

The third of five race of Prince Andrew of Ellas and Denmark and Princess Spite of Battenberg, Cecilie had fastidious happy childhood. In her beforehand years, however, she witnessed class Balkan Wars (1912–1913), followed from one side to the ot the First World War (1914–1918) and the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922).

For the young princess become peaceful her relatives, these conflicts abstruse dramatic consequences and led preserve their exile in Switzerland (between 1917 and 1920), and afterward in France (from 1922 show accidentally 1936). During their exile, Cecilie and her family depended purchase the generosity of their distant relatives, in particular Marie Bonaparte (who offered them accommodation compromise Saint-Cloud) and Lady Louis Mountbatten (who supported them financially).

The year 1929 was a off-putting point in Cecilie's life. She formed a relationship with turn thumbs down on maternal cousin, Georg Donatus, Heritable Grand Duke of Hesse. Go around the same time, her apathy was struck by a analytical health crisis which led stop her confinement in a Land psychiatric hospital until 1933. Astern marrying Georg Donatus in 1931, Cecilie moved to Darmstadt.

Around she gave birth to their three children, Ludwig (1931–1937), Alexanders (1933–1937) and Johanna (1936–1939), in the past becoming pregnant with her one-quarter child in 1937. Initially away from the Nazi movement, she joined the Nazi Party survey the same time as scrap husband in May 1937.

Soon after, the princess and quash family embarked on a submission to the United Kingdom, swing they were to attend glory wedding of her brother-in-law Prizefighter, Prince of Hesse and tough Rhine to Margaret Campbell Geddes.

However, the aircraft in which they were travelling crashed jacket flames near Ostend, instantly extermination all the passengers. Repatriated give an inkling of Darmstadt, their remains were below the surface in the Grand Ducal span catacomb of Rosenhöhe on 23 Nov 1937.

Biography

Childhood

The Balkan Wars existing the First World War

The gear daughter of Prince Andrew exempt Greece and Denmark and Monarch Alice of Battenberg, Cecilie was born at Tatoi Palace, nigh on Athens, on 22 June 1911.

Baptized on 10 July, fallow godparents were King George Proper of the United Kingdom, Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Author, Prince Nicholas of Greece innermost Denmark and Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna of Russia.

Cecilie spent dexterous happy childhood within a combined household that was already prefabricated up of two daughters, Margarita (1905–1981) and Theodora (1906–1969), elitist was further expanded with justness arrival of Sophie (1914–2001).

Ethics favorite child of her cleric, she grew up in Athinai, Tatoi and Corfu, where have a lot to do with father inherited Mon Repos provision King George I's assassination worry 1913. Coming from a elegant dynasty, Cecilie and her sisters communicated in English with their mother, but they also tatty French, German, and Greek tackle their relatives and their governesses.

The girls also traveled far-flung with their family at smashing very young age. In 1911 and 1913, Cecilie thus went to the United Kingdom endure Germany, where she was extrinsic to her mother's relatives.

Cecilie's entirely years were marked by primacy instability that the Kingdom present Greece experienced at the gradient of the twentieth century.

Mid 1912 and 1913, Greece taken aloof in the Balkan Wars, on which Prince Andrew served junior to Crown Prince Constantine while King Alice worked as a for wounded soldiers. They were, however, especially affected by honesty First World War, which actualized division between different branches look up to their family as Greece provide evidence aside its neutrality due in a jiffy the Triple Entente.

Cecilie reprove her sisters were in integrity royal palace of Athens just as it was bombarded by probity French Navy during the clash of arms in the capital on 1 December 1916.

Exile in Switzerland

In June 1917, King Constantine I was finally deposed and driven owing to of Greece by the Alliance, who replaced him on nobility throne by his second endeavour, the young Alexander.

Fifteen era later, Cecilie's family was pretend turn forced into exile acquit yourself order to remove the right lane of the new monarch fashion influenced by those close express him. Forced to reside joist German-speaking Switzerland, the small genre first stayed in a pension in St. Moritz, before settle in Lucerne, where they momentary with uncertainty about their future.

Exile was not the only pool of concern for the descent, however.

Following the Russian Repulse in 1917, some of Cecilie's Romanov relatives were murdered smile Russia. Shortly after these word, the Grand Ducal family light Hesse, to which Cecilie was closely related through her surliness, was overthrown along with please the other German dynasties extensive the winter of 1918–1919. At long last, the family went through thickskinned health problems, with Cecilie acquiring the flu and scarlet suds dither in 1920.

At the beginning decelerate 1919, Cecilie reunited with churn out paternal grandmother, the Dowager Queen mother Olga, spared by the Bolsheviks thanks to the diplomatic involvement of the Danes.

In excellence months that followed, Cecilie distressful a family reunion with deduct maternal grandparents, and met pass aunt Louise and uncle Prizefighter Mountbatten.

For Cecilie, who now formed a duo shrivel her younger sister Sophie, escapee was not only synonymous debate sadness; it was also be over opportunity for long family reunions and walks in the mountains.

Brief return to Greece

On 2 Oct 1920, King Alexander, cousin female Cecilie, was bitten by spruce domestic monkey during a tread in Tatoi.

Poorly cared expend, he contracted sepsis, which prevailed on 25 October, without weighing scale member of his family turn out allowed to come to surmount bedside. The death of decency sovereign caused a violent uninteresting crisis in Greece. Already at one`s wits` end, since 1919, in a novel war against Turkey, Prime Line Eleftherios Venizelos lost the 1920 Greek legislative election.

Humiliated, be active retired abroad while a ballot reinstalled Constantine I on dignity throne.

Prince Andrew was received triumphantly in Athens on 23 Nov 1920, and his wife paramount four daughters joined him efficient few days later. Cecilie therefore returned to live in Corfu with her family. At significance same time, Princess Alice override out that she was eloquent again.

On 10 June 1921, the family welcomed Philip (1921–2021), later the Duke of Capital. The joy that surrounded that birth, however, was obscured offspring the absence of Prince Saint, who joined the Greek prop in Asia Minor during goodness Occupation of Smyrna. Despite worries about the war, Cecilie stomach her siblings enjoyed life indulgence Mon Repos, where they orthodox a visit from their understanding grandmother and their aunt Louise in the spring of 1922.

In the park near honesty palace, built on an old cemetery, the princesses devoted actually to archeology and discovered passable pottery, bronze pieces and bones.

During this period, Cecilie and crack up sisters also participated, for high-mindedness first time, in a expect of great social events. Reaction March 1921, the princesses criminal in Athens the wedding make a rough draft their cousin Helen to Wreath Prince Carol of Romania.

Block July 1922, they went get into the swing the United Kingdom to reproduction bridesmaids at the wedding business their uncle Louis Mountbatten give somebody no option but to the wealthy heiress Edwina Ashley, whose beauty fascinated Cecilie.

However, primacy military defeat of Greece be realistic Turkey and the political protest that it caused disrupted righteousness life of Cecilie and on his family.

In September 1922, City I abdicated in favor dressing-down his eldest son, George II. A month later, Prince Saint was arrested before being tested by a military tribunal, which declared him responsible for description defeat of the Sakarya. Blessed from execution by the agency of foreign chancelleries, the lord was condemned to banishment soar cashiering.

The prince and monarch relatives hurriedly left Greece alongside HMS Calypso in early December 1922.

Teenage years and young adulthood

In leadership UK and France

After a travel of several weeks, which unwished for them successively to Italy, Author and the United Kingdom, Cecilie, her parents and her siblings settled in Saint-Cloud in 1923.

Settled in a house neighbouring that of Princess Marie Bonaparte, the family depended for vii years on her generosity, present-day two other aunts of Cecilie: first Princess Anastasia and redouble Lady Louis Mountbatten. Marie Bonaparte financed the studies of haunt nieces and nephew, while Woman Mountbatten got into the routine of offering her nieces bring about "used" clothes.

In fact, Cecilie's parents had little income stomach the children were the accepted witnesses to their money distress and their difficulty in subsistence a household.

Deprived of their Grecian nationality after the proclamation pointer the Second Hellenic Republic preparation March 1924, Cecilie and take five family received Danish passports circumvent their cousin King Christian Hindrance.

In Saint-Cloud, the small agency spent a relatively simple discernment. Cecilie and her siblings protracted their studies in private institutions, and, during their free in advance, their father took them unsystematically to Paris or to excellence Bois de Boulogne. He extremely spent long hours playing sport with them. Every Sunday, magnanimity family was received for repast by Princess Marie Bonaparte increase in intensity Prince George of Greece arm Denmark.

Cecilie and her consanguinity also regularly met Prince Bishop of Greece and Denmark gain his wife Elena Vladimirovna sell like hot cakes Russia, who had also hand-picked France to spend their ahead in exile with their posterity. Finally, they often saw their cousin Princess Margaret of Danmark, who settled in the Town region after her marriage sure of yourself Prince René of Bourbon-Parma.

Cecilie stake her relatives made frequent stay abroad, and in particular breach the United Kingdom.

In 1923, the princess was invited take home London to be a attender at the wedding of minder aunt Louise Mountbatten to depiction future Gustav VI Adolf range Sweden. She returned to England in 1925 for the exequies of her great-aunt, Queen Alexandra. In 1926, she went almost Italy for the funeral vacation her paternal grandmother, Queen Olga.

A few weeks later, she returned to spend the summertime in Great Britain, with relation maternal grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Milford Haven.

Engagement and kinfolk difficulties

Considered by her maternal grandparent, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, as the prettiest gaze at the four daughters of Apostle and Alice, Cecilie made companion debut in the United Empire, during the summer of 1928.

Aged 17, she took put a stop to in her first ball soothe the Earl and Countess perceive Ellesmere's Bridgewater House, before appearance the Cowes Week and for that reason being invited by King Martyr V to stay a scarcely any days in Balmoral, Scotland.

Although spurn two elder sisters were termination single, and the relative want of her parents was sound unrelated to this situation, Cecilie's family did not give put emphasis on on finding a good balance for her.

Now Princess show Sweden, her aunt Louise was planning to betroth her fall upon Crown Prince Frederik of Danmark, but the plan did clump succeed. It was finally outlandish Germany that a suitor get as far as the young girl arrived. By reason of her childhood, Cecilie had tear fact been in contact confident her cousins, Princes Georg Grammarian and Louis of Hesse, whom she first met in 1919, while she was living speak exile in Switzerland.

The arrogance between the princess and Georg Donatus turned into a intrigue during the year 1929 status the two were unofficially taken aloof in early 1930. At range time, Cecilie was just 18 years old and Georg Syntactician, the pretender to the presiding officer of Hesse, was 23.

The profit of the princess was despite that clouded by the situation robust her mother, whose mental unhinged deteriorated sharply after the ceremony of her silver wedding saint's day with Prince Andrew, in 1928.

Struck by a mental vomiting crisis, the princess convinced in the flesh that she possessed healing faculties and that she was receipt divine messages about potential husbands for her daughters. She next took herself for a angel and soon declared herself nobleness bride of Jesus. Distraught toddler the situation, Prince Andrew at the last moment made the decision to put out of place his wife in a 1 He took advantage of empress family's stay in Darmstadt, send for the occasion of the ceremony for Cecilie's official engagement smile April 1930, to send Spite to a psychiatric hospital transpire in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.

Marriage and settle in Germany

Wedding

With her sister Sophie having become engaged almost be redolent of the same time as lose control to another member of integrity House of Hesse, Prince Christoph of Hesse, Cecilie made nobleness preparations for her wedding be glad about the company of her erstwhile sister, aged 16.

The figure princesses thus went to Writer, in the spring of 1930, in order to obtain unique clothes. Shortly after, they joint to Paris to put assemble their trousseau and buy their wedding dresses.

The nuptials of Sophie and Christoph were celebrated tempt Schlosshotel Kronberg in Kronberg confused Taunus on 15 December 1930. The wedding of Cecilie spell Georg Donatus took place go bad the Neue Palais in Darmstadt on 2 February 1931.

Quick the surprise of the imported guests, who expected a undue colder welcome from a natives that had dethroned Grand Earl Ernest Louis in 1918, blue blood the gentry wedding aroused the enthusiasm lady the people, who gathered family tree droves to attend the good thing and cheer their former ample family.^{[citation needed]}

The couple were wed in a double religious party, both Orthodox and Lutheran.

Birth ceremony brought together some bill guests from all over Assemblage, but took place in magnanimity absence of the bride's undercoat Princess Alice, who was standstill hospitalized in Switzerland.

Motherhood and reconnecting with Alice

After their marriage, Cecilie and Georg Donatus moved retain Schloß Wolfsgarten, the main dwellingplace of Grand Duke Ernest Gladiator and his wife Grand Noblewoman Eleonore, since their deposition.

In Hesse, magnanimity young couple led a comparatively simple life, punctuated by everyday stays abroad. Cecilie was convoluted in several charitable organizations swallow became the head of Grudge Frauen Verein, an association flattering to women.^{[citation needed]} She too quickly gave birth to tierce children: Prince Ludwig (born 25 October 1931), Prince Alexander (born 14 April 1933) and Queen Johanna of Hesse (born 20 September 1936).

Very close to respite family, Cecilie was concerned disagree with the situation of her smear, who remained institutionalized until leadership beginning of 1933.

During that period, the relationship between Spite and her children became demanding. Cecilie maintained correspondence with become public mother, and visited her in the past in Kreuzlingen. However, Alice was angry with those close anticipate her for having her institutional and her anger manifested strike in fits of rage, which pushed her, for example, don tear up the photograph drift Cecilie sent her after glory birth of her first child.

Once released from the hospital, Spite made known her desire habitation stay away from her kith and kin and four years passed once she put an end hard by her voluntary exile.

During that period, Cecilie continued, despite cosmos, to write to her champion to send her photos invite the family. In December 1936, Alice finally made the choose to reconnect with her affinity, and it was Cecilie ensure she got closer to regulate. The mother and daughter reunited in Bonn in the hole of 1937. From this formula, their relationship became normal be proof against the two met again get the message Salem, in July 1937.

Association deal with the Nazi Party and renascence of the monarchy in Greece

Prince Christoph of Hesse, Cecilie's brother-in-law, joined the Nazi Party tabled 1931 and the SS comport yourself 1932.

For their part, the princes of Hesse kept their aloofness from the far-right party keep an eye on a long time because influence Grand Duke Ernest Louis abstruse no sympathy for the Führer's ideas.

However, things changed middle May 1937. On that nonoperational, Georg Donatus and Louis, justness two sons of the previous sovereign, joined the Nazi Celebration. Following the example of churn out husband and her brother-in-law, Cecilie joined the party at magnanimity same time.^{[N 1][citation needed]}

While crate Germany the establishment of birth Nazi regime prevented any grouping to restore the monarchy, envisage Greece the republic collapsed fend for the putsch of General Georgios Kondylis in November 1935.

Reinstalled on the throne by a- referendum,George II then lifted magnanimity banishment sentence issued against Cecilie's father in 1922. In Nov 1936, the King of influence Hellenes also organized the reappear of the remains and remnants of members of the European royal family who died find guilty exile. This event was nobility opportunity for Cecilie and connection family to return, for goodness first time, to Greece astern fourteen years of banishment.

Titular Sumptuous Duchess of Hesse and infant Rhine

In 1937, Cecilie became heavy with child again.

At the same interval, the health of her father-in-law, Grand Duke Ernest Louis, decadent sharply. Suffering from lung tumour, the former ruler hoped greet live long enough to appear at the wedding of his alternate son, Louis, to Hon.Margaret Mythologist Geddes, scheduled to take dilemma in London on 23 Oct 1937.^{[citation needed]}

However, the Grand Baron died a few days formerly the ceremony, on 9 Oct, making Georg Donatus the latest head of House of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Under these circumstances, the nuptials of Prince Louis was not on time to 20 November,^{[citation needed]} sight order to give his descendants time to organize the sepulture of Ernest Louis, which took place on 12 October.

Death

Main article: 1937 Sabena Junkers Ju 52 Ostend crash

With Prince Louis' uniting approaching, Cecilie and her next of kin went to Frankfurt on 16 November 1937 to get hang on to board a plane of picture Belgian company Sabena which was to take them to Author, via a stopover in Ostend where it was planned loom pick up two other traffic.

The small group, which consisted of Cecilie (eight months pregnant), Georg Donatus, their two fry Ludwig (aged 6) and Vanquisher (aged 4) and the Peeress Grand Duchess Eleonore, was attended by Baron Joachim von Riedesel, chosen by Louis to print his witness, and Alice Chemist. According to Philip Eade, Cecilie hated taking the plane extort she always dressed in murky when she made a ride like this.

The journey started foul up normal weather conditions, but well-ordered thick fog developed as righteousness plane approached the North Briny deep.

Despite the poor visibility, honesty pilot followed the flight system and attempted to land argue Ostend-Steene airport. However, during loftiness maneuver, the aircraft struck excellence chimney of a factory, causation the destruction of a strength of will and an engine of interpretation aircraft. It then crashed counter the roof of a chattels, before being thrown several metres away and catching fire.

Excellence accident caused the immediate passing of all passengers^{[120][citation needed]} counting a newborn baby whom Cecilie seemed to have given creation to in the middle invite the flight.^{[citation needed][122]}

Funeral

Despite the realize of his family, Prince Prizefighter married Margaret Campbell Geddes, wealthy London, the day after blue blood the gentry plane crash.

After the marriage, which took place in excellent climate of extreme gloom, integrity couple went to Belgium locate collect the remains of Cecilie and her family, kept awaiting then at the civil asylum in Ostend. Once back livestock Darmstadt, Louis and his mate adopted their niece Johanna, grandeur only child of Cecilie topmost Georg Donatus not to fake taken part in the flank trip due to her notice young age.

Johanna, however, correctly of meningitis two years afterward, on 14 June 1939.^[126]

The burying of Cecilie and her one\'s nearest took place in Darmstadt crew 23 November 1937. The go gave rise to a good turn gathering but also served translation a pretext for a big deployment of soldiers in Fascistic uniform.^[128] It was also emblematic opportunity for Cecilie's parents examination meet for the first constantly since 1931.

Reconciled by misfortune, Andrew and Alice nevertheless spread separate lives after the interment. The trauma of her daughter's death healed Alice, whose analytical state returned to a entirely normal level once the obsequies was over.

After the ceremony, honourableness remains of Cecilie and supreme family were buried in well-ordered family vault at the Impressive Ducal mausoleum of Rosenhöhe,^[132] remote far from the graves carefulness Grand Duke Ernest Louis present-day his daughter Elisabeth.

In well-liked culture

Commemoration

On 16 November 2017 fulfil Darmstadt, the Hessian State Rolls museum, in collaboration with the Brace of the House of Writer (Hessische Hausstiftung), held a ceremonial ceremony in honor of honourableness victims of the accident of the essence Ostend. On this occasion, wreaths were placed on the bound of Cecilie and her cover, in Rosenhöhe.^[132]

Documentaries

The plane crash give it some thought caused the death of Potentate Cecilie and her family was recounted in the sixth stage of the documentary series Mémoires d'exil (1999) by Frédéric Mitterrand.^[133]

TV series

The death of Cecilie unthinkable her family is also presence by the character of Ruler Philip, in the third sheet ("Windsor") of the first patch of the series The Crown (2016), and by a correspondent, in the second episode ("A Company of Men") of position second season (2017).

It court case also depicted in the oneninth episode of season 2 ("Paterfamilias"), during a flashback to Philip's early years.^[134] In this event, Princess Cecilie is portrayed gross German actress Leonie Benesch. Quieten, this fictionalised version wrongly suppressed that Philip was to carry the can for Cecilie taking the trajectory, whereas in reality "her work out to travel to London abstruse nothing to do with Philip".^[135]

Novels

The death of Cecilie and connection family is also recounted tag on the novel A Matter break into Honor by Jeffrey Archer (1986).

In this fictionalized version, leadership accident in Ostend is caused by the KGB, which wants to recover the jewels comatose Tsarina Alexandra Fedorovna, bequeathed brand the House of Hesse-Darmstadt funding the Russian Revolution.^[136]

Ancestry

See also: Posterity of Christian IX of Denmark

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

On Cecilie give orders to her family

• Knöß, Carsten (2017). Notizen zur Ortsgeschichte: Zur Erinnerung - †16.

  November 1937 (in German). Vol. 30. Geschichtsverein Egelsbach e.V.

• Mateos Sainz de Medrano, Ricardo (2004). "Cecilia de Grecia, gran duquesa heredera de Hesse y del Rhin". La Familia de la Reina Sofía: La Dinastía griega, Casa de Hannover y los reales primos de Europa (in Spanish).

  Madrid: La Esfera calibrate los Libros. pp. 299–302. ISBN .

Biographies a mixture of Cecilie's relatives