Prince Frederik, the youngest son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Princess Julie of Nassau, has tragically died at just 22-years-old.
The news broke via a post on the POLG Foundation website, for which Frederik was the Founder and Creative Director. The letter, written by Prince Robert and Princess Julie, revealed the Prince had passed away from POLG Mitochondrial disease—a genetic disorder that causes progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure—on March 1st in Paris.
“It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son,” the 56-year-old royal wrote.
“Our beloved son called us in to his room to speak to him for one last time” Prince Robert recalled, revealing Frederik his brother, Prince Alexandre, his sister, Princess Charlotte, her husband, Mansour Shakarchi, his aunt Princess Charlotte and uncle, Marc Victor Cunningham and their three children were all present for his final goodbyes.
“After gifting each of us with our farewells – some kind, some wise, some instructive – in true Frederik fashion, he left us collectively with a final long-standing family joke. Even in his last moments, his humour, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh….to cheer us all up,” Robert wrote.
Prince Frederick was born in Aix-en-Provence, France in March 2002, but was not diagnosed until “the progression of his disease had become more acute” at the age of 14.
The Prince went on to explain that due to wide range of symptoms that affect so many of the body’s organs, diagnosis of POLG Mitochondrial disease is difficult. It is also currently incurable and unable to be treated.
“Though he always made it very clear that he did not want this dreadful disease to define him, he nonetheless immediately identified with and helped define the mission of The POLG Foundation” which continues to work toward treatments and a cure.
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