Luxembourg’s Prince Frederik Death at 22 from rare genetic illness

Prince Frederick, the youngest son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Princess Julie from Nassau, has died at the age of 22.

He died On March 1 from the Polg Mitochondrial Disease, a rare genetic disorder.

Prince Robert, the first cousin of Grand Duke Henri from Luxembourg, shared the news of Website for the Polg FoundationAn organization Frederik founded to promote research and find a cure for the disease.

“It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of our son’s passing,” Robert, 56, wrote in an emotional statement.

He also shared that Frederik, who felt his time was short, called family members into his room “to talk to him one last time” on February 28, the day before his death, which also became “rare disease day.”

Robert said his son “found the strength and courage to say goodbye to each of us again – his brother, Alexander; His sister, Charlotte; me; His three cousins, Charly, Louis and Donall; His brother -in -law, Mansour; And finally, his aunt Charlotte and Uncle Mark. “

“He had already spoken everything that was in his heart to his extraordinary mother, who had not left his side of 15 years,” Robert added, referring to his wife Julie, 58.

Frederik’s farewell messages were “kind, wise and educational,” Robert continued, noting that his son left the family with “one last long -term family joke.”

“Even in his last moments, his humor and his unlimited compassion forced him to leave us with a last laugh to cheer us all up,” the Father reflected.

Prince Robert also shared his son asking him one last question: “Papa, are you proud of me?” Prince Frederik had struggled to speak for “several days” before he died, according to Robert, “so the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was in -depth.”

“The answer was very easy and he had heard it oh so many times, but at this point he needed insurance that he had contributed everything he could possibly in his short and beautiful existence and that he could finally move on,” Robert explained.

“Frederik knows he is my superhero as he is for our whole family and to so many good friends,” Robert continued. He described his son as a person who was “born with a special capacity for positivity, joy and determination.”

When Frederik was “little,” Robert remembered that he would often say, “if there is a child of ours that I would never need to worry about it was him.”

“He has social skills like no other, a great sense of humor, an emotional intelligence and compassion that was out of the charts, a sense of justice, justice and decency that knows no boundaries,” he added. “He was disciplined and organized without faith.”

The royal also noted that Frederik was known to be “especially the head”, admitting that “sometimes I could have used the word stubbornly.”

“Like his siblings and most anyone who has ever met him, says, ‘Frederik is the strongest person we know!’ “Said his father. “Frederik fought bravely until the end. His indomitable desire for life propelled him through the most difficult of physical and mental challenges. “

Born with polg mitochondrial disease, Frederik’s condition was not originally diagnosed. It was only before he was 14 years old that the disease became more visible and formally diagnosed when the symptoms deteriorated.

Polg mitochondrial disease, as described by the Polg Foundation, is a genetic mitochondrial disorder that affects the body’s cells that cause them to lose energy and lead to the progressive failure of several organs, including the brain, nerves, liver, bowel, muscles and eyes.

Although Robert referred to the disease as a “burden” that Frederik carried throughout his life, he praised his son for facing his challenges “with humor and grace.” He also expressed tremendous pride in Frederik’s work with the Polg Foundation.

In his message, Robert urged those who read his memorial to support the foundation of donating or volunteering in memory of his son.

Born in Aix-en-Provence, France, Frederik spent the first two years of his life in London before his family moved to Geneva, Switzerland in 2004 and later to Vevey and Montreux in the Western Swiss province of Vaud.

Frederik went to International School in Geneva, Ecole Eden and St. George’s School, in Clarens, Switzerland.

He is survived by Hi Father, his mother Princess Julie of Nassau, his brother, Alexander, his sister, Charlotte, his three cousins, Charly, Louis and Donall, his brother -in -law, Mansour, and his aunt Charlotte and Uncle Mark.