Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark (1911–1937) was by birth a Greek and Danish princess who became titular Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine through her marriage to Prince Georg Donatus, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. She was also the third-eldest sister to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (later Duke of Edinburgh).
The year 1929 was a turning point in Cecilie’s life. She formed a relationship with her maternal cousin, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse. Around the same time, her mother was struck by a mental health crisis which led to her confinement in a Swiss psychiatric hospital until 1933. After marrying Georg Donatus in 1931, Cecilie moved to Darmstadt. There she gave birth to their three children, Ludwig (1931–1937), Alexander (1933–1937) and Johanna (1936–1939), before becoming pregnant with her fourth child in 1937. Initially distant from the Nazi movement, she joined the Nazi Party at the same time as her husband in May 1937.
Soon after, the princess and her family embarked on a trip to the United Kingdom, where they were to attend the wedding of her brother-in-law Louis, Prince of Hesse and by Rhine to Margaret Campbell Geddes. However, the aircraft in which they were traveling crashed in flames near Ostend, instantly killing all the passengers. Repatriated to Darmstadt, their remains were buried in the Grand Ducal mausoleum of Rosenhöhe on 23 November 1937.
These beautiful photos captured portraits of Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark with her husband and children during the 1930s.
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark in the day of their wedding, Darmstadt, February 2, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark in the day of their wedding, Darmstadt, February 2, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark in the day of their wedding, Darmstadt, February 2, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark in the day of wedding, Darmstadt, February 2, 1931 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1931 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse, Princess Cecilie Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, Louis, Prince of Hesse and by Rhine and Eleonore Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1932 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece with her husband Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and their eldest son, Prince Ludwig, 1932 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine with their son Prince Alexander, May 1933 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine with their sons Prince Ludwig and Prince Alexander, 1933 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine with their sons Prince Ludwig and Prince Alexander, December 1933 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, August 1933 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1933 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1933 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1934 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1934 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1934 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1934 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, December 1934 |
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| Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine with their children Prince Ludwig, Prince Alexander and Princess Johanna, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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| Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, 1936 |
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