News and commentary about the reigning royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco -- and the former European monarchies as well.
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Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Princess on board missing plane
September 1, 1927
Hopes are dimming for the fate of Princess Ludwig zu Löwenstein-Wertheim, Captain Leslie Hamilton and Colonel F.F. Minchin. The St. Raphael plane left London at 7:30 yesterday morning for a flight to Ottawa, Canada, reports the New York Times. The "anxiety of the British public is growing apace with diminishing hopes," according to the newspaper.
There is still hope that the plane "may have crossed from Newfoundland to Canada during the heavy fog prevailing there." It is not inconceivable that the plane has not been sighted. The occupants on board have enough fuel to last forty-four hours in the air. The last sighting of the St. Raphael was at the Galway coast about 3:30 yesterday afternoon. The plane should have been cruising at 100 miles per hour and was expected to have landed at Ottawa tonight.
Captain Hamilton's mother and Lady Mary Savile, the sister of Princess Ludwig told reporters that they were hopeful of receiving good news about the fliers in the morning.
It is possible that due to the fog, Captain Hamilton would have diverted the plane, and headed for New York, skirting down the east coast.
The princess is the former Lady Anne Savile. She married Prince Ludwig of Löwenstein-Wertheim in London on May 15, 1897. The Prince was killed in action in the Philippines on March 26, 1899.
The couple did not have any children.
The Princess is the daughter of the late 4th Earl of Mexborough and Agnes Raphael.
So what happened? Did the plane finally arrive, or was there an accident?
ReplyDeleteDon't keep us in suspense, Marlene!
By the way, I greatly enjoy this blog and read it regularly.
Mary
Crossing the Atlantic was rare - and dangerous. No radar, for example. No traffic controllers.
ReplyDeleteThe plane never reached its destination.
It may be interesting to note that Princess Anne was attempting to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic from England to America.
ReplyDeleteAnne's brother George Savile was the owner of the family chapel/church in Kingston, Surrey England which had been inherited via the family of Anne's mother Agnes Raphael. Alexander Raphael, a Catholic Armenian had paid for the building of the chapel in the 1840's. The family chapel/church incidentaly was named after St Raphael which can't be a mere coinceidence to be the name of the plane in which Princess Anne died.
Further interesting reading can be found at: http://www.straphael.org.uk/our_church.htm
Actually, she would have been styled as Princess Ludwig, and not Princess Anne.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct she would have been styled as Princess Ludwig.
ReplyDeleteHowever I was a bit sloppy in my text and should have included some extra words to reflect why I quoted Princess Anne. The
memoriam plaque in St Raphael's is inscribed "In Loving Memory of Princess Anne of Loewenstein Wertheim..."