Traumatic story behind Prince Philip’s ‘favourite’ sister Princess Cecilie who died in a plane crash while in labour 

PRINCESS Diana’s tragic car clang shocked the federation successful 1997 - but it wasn’t the lone high-profile royal accident.

Nearly 90 years ago, Prince Philip’s beloved sister, Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, died successful a level clang portion she was 8 months pregnant.

The accident, which took spot successful November 1937, besides claimed the lives of six others.

Princess Cecilie, affectionately known arsenic “Cecile”, was said to beryllium Prince Philip’s “favourite sister”, and the scenes were portrayed successful play 2 of The Crown.

Cecilie was the 3rd kid retired of 5 to beryllium calved to Princess Alice of Battenberg and Prince Andrew of Greece.

Born successful June 1911, the royal is said to person had a blessed upbringing, but besides witnessed the First World War and Balkan Wars.

In 1922, Cecilie and Philip’s uncle, who was the monarch successful Greece, was forced to abdicate aft the Greco-Turkish War and Prince Andrew was accused of treason and exiled.

The household fled to France and were based determination for the next decade, but it wasn’t a peculiarly blessed period.

Royal writer Philip Eade told Town & Country: "Though his parents some adored him, Philip saw small of them successful his nomadic aboriginal years.

"His mother’s nerves had been severely strained by the family’s exile from Greece, and due to the fact that of this the children were regularly packed disconnected to friends and relations."

In 1931, Cecilie tied the knot with her archetypal relative erstwhile removed, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse.

They went connected to person 3 children, Prince Ludwig, Prince Alexander and Princess Johanna.

Disaster struck successful November 1937 erstwhile Cecilie - who was 8 months large - and her household flew to the UK to be the wedding of her member Prince Louis, Prince of Hesse to Margaret Campbell Geddes.

On committee was her hubby Georg, their 2 sons, Ludwig, six, and Alexander, four, her mother-in-law and a household friend.

The level encountered dense fog with the aviator attempting to onshore astatine Ostend-Steene airport successful Belgium.

However, the craft deed a mill chimney and crashed against the extortion of the building, sidesplitting everyone connected committee - including the aviator and 2 crewmen.

Firemen recovered the assemblage of a newborn babe successful the debris, starring to the content that Cecilie had fixed commencement prematurely successful the mediate of the flight.

It was thought that the aviator had been trying to onshore arsenic Cecilie went into labour.

Prince Philip, who was 16 astatine the time, was called into his headmaster’s survey astatine Gordonstoun schoolhouse to beryllium informed astir the tragic accident.

The precocious royal wrote years later: “I person the precise clearest recollection of the profound daze with which I heard the news of the clang and the decease of my sister and her family.”

Cecilie and Georg's surviving daughter, Johanna, who was their lone kid not connected the plane, was adopted by Prince Ludwig and Princess Margaret but died 2 years aboriginal from meningitis.

Philip's fury

The horrific incidental featured successful the penultimate occurrence of The Crown successful play two. 

The deed Netflix amusement portrays Cecilie’s determination to alert from Germany to London arsenic a absorption to Philip, past 16, having problems astatine school, but this was not the case.

And a country dramatising Cecilie’s funeral shows their father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, say: “I’m amazed helium situation amusement himself here.

"Had it not been for Philip and his indiscipline she would ne'er person taken that flight. It’s true, isn’t it boy?

"You’re the crushed we’re each present burying my favourite child. Get him retired of here.”

The imagined scenes were archetypal broadcast successful 2017, and did not person a fictional disclaimer.

A royal adept claimed Prince Philip wanted to writer The Crown aft it blamed him for the decease of his sister.

He contacted royal lawyers Farrer & Co implicit the scenes, according to the Sunday Times, but did not prosecute immoderate action.