Prince Richard of Hesse-Cassel [1901-1969] and Prince Christoph were twins. Prince Christoph was killed on October 7, 1943 in a fog-induced aeroplane accident in the Appenines whilst on active service. He joined the Luftwaffe as a navigator at the beginning of the Second World War and flew bombing missions over Holland, France and Russia. He was married to Princess George, the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip's sister.
Cassel: First mentioned in 913 as Chassala [Chassela], the town derived its name, usually spelled Casle in the late European Middle Ages, from the Latin-Franconian castella [“stronghold”]. Apparently to better suit the modern German language, "Cassel" became "Kassel" on December 4th, 1926.
At one time, Hesse-Cassel was known chiefly for its poverty, its archaic agrarian structure, and its acrimonious constitutional politics.
