Prince Frederik, the youngest son of Luxembourg’s Prince Robert and Princess Julie, has passed away while battling the rare genetic condition POLG Mitochondrial disease. He was 22.
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Prince Robert, the first cousin of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, announced Frederik’s passing on Instagram and The POLG Foundation’s blog.
“It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son, The POLG Foundation Founder and Creative Director, Frederik,” Robert wrote on Saturday. “Last Friday, February 28th, on ‘Rare Disease Day’, our beloved son called us in to his room to speak to him for one last time. Frederik found the strength and the courage to say goodbye to each of us in turn — 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.”
Prince Robert further shared that Frederik had already spoken all that was in his heart to his mother. “After gifting each other us our farewells — some kind, some wise, some instructive — in true Frederik fashion, he left us collectively with a final long-standing family joke,” Robert continued. “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.”
Prince Frederik’s Father Opened Up About the Last Conversation the Late Luxembourg Royal Had
Robert also revealed that Frederik asked, “Papa, are you proud of me?” During their final conversation.
“He had barely been able to speak for several days, so the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was profound,” Robert recalled. “The answer was very easy, and he had heard it oh so many times… But at this time, he needed reassurance that he had contributed all that he possibly could in his short and beautiful existence and that he could now finally move on.”
Robert stated that his son was born with POLG Mitochondrial disease. It is a rare genetic disorder that “robs the body’s cell of energy.” This causes progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure. Despite being born with the disease, Frederik wasn’t diagnosed until he was 14 years old.
Prince Frederik established The POLG Foundation three years ago to “support and accelerate research to find effective treatment sand a cure for PolG mitochondrial disorders.