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The Untold Story Of Prince Philip's Sister: A Life Cut Short

Sain April 18, 2025

Let’s talk about the life and untimely death of Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, the older sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Born into a world of royalty and privilege, Cecilie’s life was tragically cut short in 1937, leaving a profound impact on her family, including her younger brother, Prince Philip. At the time of her death, Cecilie was just 26 years old, a mother of three, and eight months pregnant. Her story is one of heartbreak, resilience, and the fragility of life, even within the gilded halls of royalty.

A Royal Life Interrupted

Prince Philip, the patriarch of the British royal family, married Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 and went on to become a beloved and steadfast presence in her life. Over the years, they’ve welcomed four children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, creating a legacy that spans generations. But long before Philip became the Duke of Edinburgh, he was just a young boy who lost his beloved sister, Princess Cecilie, under devastating circumstances.

Philip, Cecilie, and their three siblings were born into a storied royal lineage. Their father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, was the son of King George I of Greece, and their mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England. The family faced its share of challenges, including exile from Greece in 1922, which led them to settle in Paris. It was here that Cecilie grew into a young woman, poised to take her place in the world of European royalty.

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Cecilie's Marriage and Family

In 1931, Cecilie married Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse, affectionately known as "Don." Together, they built a life filled with love and responsibility, raising three children in the years that followed. Their union was a symbol of hope and continuity in a rapidly changing world. But as fate would have it, their happiness was fleeting, and their lives were forever altered by an unimaginable tragedy.

prince philip sister the crown r/r — R/R

Actors portraying a young Philip and Cecilie on The Crown.

A Day That Changed Everything

The fateful day was November 16, 1937. Don and Cecilie were traveling from Frankfurt, Germany, to London for the wedding of Don’s younger brother, Louis. They boarded a flight operated by the Belgian airline Sabena, accompanied by two of their three children, Don’s widowed mother, Louis’s best man, the children’s nurse, and four crew members. The flight was scheduled to make a stop in Brussels, but bad weather forced the pilot to continue on to Ostend, a city on the Belgian coast.

Unfortunately, the weather in Ostend wasn’t much better. As the plane descended through the thick fog, it clipped a factory chimney, causing catastrophic damage. A wing and an engine were torn away from the fuselage, and the plane plummeted to the ground, killing all 11 passengers on board. Don was just 31 years old, and Cecilie was only 26. The tragedy was made even more heartbreaking by the fact that Cecilie was eight months pregnant. Reports later revealed that the pilot had attempted to land in Ostend because Cecilie was in labor, but it was too late to save her or her unborn child.

The Legacy of Loss

Adding to the sorrow, Cecilie and Don’s surviving child, Princess Johanna, succumbed to meningitis just two years later at the age of two. The family was devastated, and the ripple effects of this tragedy would be felt for generations. Meanwhile, Cecilie and Don’s connection to the Nazi Party further complicated their legacy. Photos from their funeral show Prince Philip, then just 16 years old, surrounded by mourners performing the Nazi salute. While Philip himself was not involved in the party, the images remain a haunting reminder of the era’s complexities.

As we reflect on Cecilie’s life and untimely death, we’re reminded of the fragility of life and the profound impact one person can have on those they leave behind. For Prince Philip, losing his sister at such a young age must have been an indelible experience, shaping the man he would become in ways we may never fully understand.