Prince George, Duke of Kent, was known for his wild lifestyle, but a fateful plane crash in 1942 may have silenced far more than just a scandal-prone royal. For years, historians have debated whether the crash was an accident or something far more deliberate. The answers may lie with a single survivor who was ordered never to speak. Born inDecember 1902, Prince George was fifth in line to the British throne.
His parents considered him the most intelligent and talented of their children, and he spent much of his early life following his older brothers through prestigious prep schools and the Naval Academy. But George was never suited for life at sea and suffered greatly aboard ships. Once he finished his naval service, he made history as the first royal to work as a civil servant. George and his older brother Edward became part ofan elite 1920s social circle known as the Bright Young Things, a group of bohemians, aristocrats, and socialites famous for fancy dress parties and elaborate London treasure hunts.
When Edward eventually became king, he abdicated the throne within months to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, a decision many linked to his unrestrained lifestyle. George’s own romantic life was equally complicated. His first known affair, according to rumor, was with singer and actress Jessie Matthews, whom a judge once declared unsuitable for a prince. George also had relationships with men, including writer Cecil Roberts andthe flamboyant entertainer Noël Coward.
Although his bisexuality was common knowledge among his circle, the era’s deferential press refused to publish stories that could embarrass the royals. The turning point came when George met American socialite Kiki Preston, a cousin of the Vanderbilts. Preston was a volatile partier known for heavy substance use, and George quickly became her eager accomplice. His brother Edward, concerned for George’s wellbeing, blamed Preston for his decline and pressured George to end the relationship.
When George refused, Edward used his influence to have Preston expelled from England. Edward then sent George to a secluded country retreat for a harsh rehabilitation program, hoping to break his dependency. Years later, while holidaying in Cannes, George encountered Preston again. The old connection flared instantly, and he was once again forcibly separated from her before he could relapse.
George’s circle also included some of Cambridge’s brightest minds, notably Anthony Blunt, a member of the secret Cambridge Apostles group. Blunt would later be revealed as a Soviet spy who recruited others for the same purpose, a dangerous association for any royal to have
Though a traditional royal life was not what George wanted, duty eventually called. In 1934, he married his first cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Together they hosted lavish parties attended by thinkers and artists, subtly changing public perception of the royal family.
The public saw only his handsome, heroic public persona, unaware of his private life, as there were no paparazzi or tabloid scrutiny in those days. Despite his marriage, George continued his affairs. One notable relationship was with Margaret Campbell, the Duchess of Argyll, who later became infamous for accusations of consorting with 88 men while married. George was also a prolific writer of intimate love letters to his many lovers.
On one occasion, a theft at Noël Coward’s home resulted in George’s private letters being stolen. Another time, a male escort used George’s correspondence to blackmail him, forcing the prince to pay handsomely to retrieve them
Journalists of that era were diehard royalists. Figures like newspaper publisher Lord Beaverbrook ensured that royal misdeeds never appeared in print, andGeorge, knowing this, seemed unconcerned about who saw what he did
Some historians believe George played a role in planning a coup against Prime Minister Winston Churchill. According to them, he worked with Rudolf Hess, deputy to German leader Adolf Hitler.
Their alleged aim was to remove Churchill from power andthen negotiate a peace treaty with Nazi Germany. Others counter that George instead acted as a go-between, using his German connections in an attempt to prevent World War II, possibly negotiating directly with Hitler. Due to tragic events, his true dealings with the German leadership remain unresolved
By the outbreak of World War II, George appeared to have settled down and taken his royal duties seriously. He joined the Royal Air Force and worked to boost morale among enlisted men.
InAugust 1942, he boarded a military flight bound for Iceland. The aircraft, designed to land on water, normally avoided flying over land. Yet for unexplained reasons, the flight flew directly over a dangerous stretch of Scottish hillside near Eagle’s Rock. The plane crashed into the hillside, and the fully loaded fuel tanks ignited immediately, killing the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Frank Goyen, and all 14 other passengers aboard, including George
The crash quickly became fodder for conspiracy theories.
Why was the experienced pilot flying off course over land in clear conditions? Why did the flight plans mysteriously disappear?? Some rumors claimed George, a certified pilot, used his royal influence to convince Goyen to let him take the controls, and that his intoxication caused the crash. A darker theory suggested that the British government, embarrassed by George’s erratic behavior and spy connections, arranged the crash to eliminate him.
Rescue workers found an attaché case handcuffed to George’s wrist, filled with Swedish kronor, fueling speculation that the flight was actually heading to neutral Sweden for secret peace talks with German representatives
There was one survivor: Andy Jack, a crew member or passenger who somehow escaped the wreckage. Instead of remaining atthe crash site as protocol required, he ran to a nearby house for help. The British government later forced him to sign a document swearing him to secrecy about what occurred. Jack kept his word, and after retiring with a pension, he drank heavily and died at age 57 from cirrhosis of the liver, taking whatever he knew to his grave
George’s secret life extended beyond his death.
He and Kiki Preston allegedly had a child together, a son named Michael born in1926, quickly adopted by American publisher Cass Canfield of Harper and Brothers. George never acknowledged the boy, but years later even his brother Edward did not deny the possibility. Michael Temple Canfield later married Caroline Lee Bouvier, younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy.
Another alleged affair was with romance novelist Barbara Cartland, a married woman, with whom George reportedly fathered an illegitimate daughter in1929, named Rain, who later became Rain Spencer
Despite all his scandals, George was deeply loved. At his funeral, his brother, now King George VI, struggled to hold back tears. His widow, Princess Marina, approached his casket, fell to her knees, and sobbed openly, overcome with grief.
The mystery of his final flight, however, remains one of the enduring unsolved puzzles of British royal history
