Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse

Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse (1906-1937) was the first children of Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse and Eleonore of Solms-Braunfels. He married Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark (1911-1937), daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark. They had four children.
* Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (1931-1937)
* Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (1933-1937)
* Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine (1936-1939)
* Stillborn child (1937-1937)

In October 1937, Georg Donatus' father, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse died. A few weeks after the funeral, Ernst Ludwig's younger son, Prince Ludwig was due to be married to Margaret Geddes. On 16 November 1937, Georg Donatus, Cecilie, their two young sons, Georg's mother Grand Duchess Eleonore, the children's nurse, and a family friend, along with a pilot and two crewmen, left Darmstadt for the United Kingdom, where Prince Ludwig was due to be married. The aeroplane hit a factory chimney near Ostend and crashed into flames, killing all those on board. Cecilie was pregnant with her fourth child at the time of the crash, and the remains of the eight-months child were found in the wreckage, indicating that Cecilie had, in all probability, gone into labour shortly before, during, or directly after the crash. The only survivor of the family was Johanna; she was not on the plane at the time. Johanna was adopted by Prince Ludwig and Princess Margaret, however, she died in 1939 from meningitis.