On November 16, 1937, a plane crash happened with effects comparable to that which took place in Smolensk on April 10, 2010. Over 80 years ago, almost the entire family of rulers of German Hesse perished due to the prevailing fog. Their death contributed to the imminent extinction of one of the oldest dynasties in Europe.
The Hessian dynasty ruled the small state of Hessen-Darmstad in the years 1264-1918. Their seat was the magnificent castle in Darmstadt. Although the grand-ducal family never played a big political role, it was - as Chancellor Otto Bismarck put it - "the breeding farm of Europe" . This is because many of its members are married to representatives of powerful dynasties. In 1862, Alicja, daughter of Queen Victoria, married the Prince of Hesse, Louis. Their daughter Alix is the last Tsarina of Russia, Alexander Fedorovna . In 1906, Princess Victoria Eugenie Battenberg of the side line of the Hessian family married King Alfonso XIII of Spain.
Prince Ernest Ludwik
During the reign of the last ruler of Hesse, Grand Duke Ernest Ludwig (1868-1937), who ruled from 1892-1918, Darmstadt was known in Europe as the capital of the Secession. There was also an artist colony in the Mathildehöhe district, financed by the monarch.
In 1918 - as a result of Germany's defeat in World War I - Ernest Ludwik lost his throne. The ruler, however, was so highly respected by his subjects that he remained in his native Darmstadt, kept almost all his property and was still treated like a reigning monarch. In October 1937, Ernest Ludwik died and his eldest son, 31-year-old, Jerzy Donatus, became the head of the dynasty, and on November 16, he and his family boarded the plane.
Happy anticipation
The reason for the trip was the wedding of Jerzy Donatus's younger brother - 29-year-old Ludwik - to the British Margaret Campbell Geddes, which was to be held in London. Together with the head of the family, his wife Cecylia, advanced in pregnancy, went on a journey (26 years old), mother Eleonora (65 years old), sons Ludwik and Aleksander (6 and 4 years old respectively). The boys were to go in their uncle's wedding procession. Only one-year-old Johanna stayed in the house under the care of a nanny, too young for such a ceremony. The family was also accompanied by Baron Joachim von Riedesel, the groom's witness, and the nanny of the children Lina Henar.
Almost the entire royal family was killed in the crash
In addition to personal luggage, the Cecylia family had beautiful Hessian pearls with them, which Cecylia planned to wear for a wedding party. There was also a veil in the trunk for Margaret. It was first worn by Queen Victoria's daughter Alice, and then was worn by all the brides of the Hessian dynasty.
The family was excited about the upcoming wedding. It was the first joyful event after the death of Ernest Ludwik. In addition, in 1918, Hesse suffered two painful blows. The Bolsheviks murdered the sisters of the then ruler:Elizabeth, widow of Grand Duke Sergius, and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna with her husband and five children.
An unlucky flight
Junkers Ju 52, owned by the Belgian airline "Sabena", took off from Frankfurt at approx. 13. An experienced pilot, Tony Lambotte, who has flown over 600,000 miles, was at the controls. In addition to him, there were a mechanic, engineer and radio operator on board. In total, 12 people traveled by Junkers.
First, the plane headed for Ostend in Belgium, where the plane was refueled. After the stopover, the plane was due to fly to London. Initially, the flight went smoothly. But as Junkers neared Ostend, a terrible fog came out. Visibility was practically zero, but the pilot decided to land nevertheless. To facilitate this procedure, the airport staff fired 3 signaling missiles, but most likely Tony Lambotte did not notice them.
The catastrophe brought down the Hessian dynasty
One witness described the last seconds of the flight as follows:
I saw a plane emerging from the fog. The machine caught its wing and engine against the factory chimney, then spun and fell to the ground. The Junkers burst into flames.
The airport staff and employees rushed to the fall of the plane, which they could approach only after the fire had stopped. At that time, not 12, but 13 bodies were discovered. The extra body belonged to a newborn boy. It can be presumed that there was a sudden childbirth during the flight, so the pilot wanted to land at any cost. An interesting fact is that despite the fire, the veil and the jewels were not damaged.
Almost the entire royal family of the Hessian dynasty died in the catastrophe.
At the same time, the groom Ludwik Heski and his fiancée Margaret were waiting for their relatives at the Croydon airport. Junkers was due to land at 5:00 pm, so at 5:30 pm Ludwik, concerned, went to Sabena's office, where he was informed of a "slight delay". The reassured prince and his companion waited on. While they were watching the plane taking off, the airline manager invited Ludwik to his office and told him about the Junkers accident.
So the groom-to-be lost his entire family in one second:mother, brother, sister-in-law and three nephews. From that moment on, he was the only surviving member of the Hessian dynasty and was responsible for the continuity of the family.
Aftermath of the catastrophe
Regardless of the tragedy, Ludwik and Margaret decided to get married on November 17. The wedding took place only in the presence of the immediate family. The bride wore a black outfit.
The day after this ceremony, the newlyweds went to Belgium, where they identified the bodies of their loved ones. Then the coffins with the remains of the crash victims were loaded onto the train and taken to Darmstadt. Ludwik and Margaret went there.
13 people died in the crash…
On the day of the funeral, crowds of residents appeared on the street of the city. The ceremony was attended by members of European ruling families. A handsome blonde 16-year-old boy - the Greek prince Philip - walked in the mourning procession. He was the brother of the late Cecilia, who was nee a Greek princess. Ten years later, this young man will marry the heir to the British throne, Elizabeth Windsor.
At the beginning of 1938, Ludwik and Margaret adopted the orphaned Johanna. Unfortunately, in 1939 the girl died of meningitis. The couple had no children, so with the death of Louis in 1968, the Hessian dynasty ceased to exist.