The Tragic Death Of Luxembourg's Prince Frederik At 22

The world is reeling from the devastating loss of young Prince Frederik of Luxembourg at just 22 years old. He was the youngest son of Princess Julie of Nassau and Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the latter of whom belongs to a long list of royals in line for the throne. Frederik was born with the rare PolG Mitochondrial disease. The disorder causes massive organ failure after damaging the body's cells by stealing its energy. Once symptoms surface, the typical life expectancy of sufferers can range from anything from three months to 12 years. Julie and Robert revealed on the PolG foundation's official website that Frederik was diagnosed when he was 14 in July 2016, which meant, "In our family, there exists life before July 26th, 2016 and life after." 

Yet another royal who died much too young, Frederik more than lived up to his family's rich legacy until the very end. His father paid an emotional tribute to his youngest son through a passionate statement posted on the PolG Foundation's front page. "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," he wrote. Despite the prince's debilitating condition, Frederik also tried comforting his family through this very difficult time, with Robert sadly pointing out, "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 passing is another tragedy that completely shook royal families around the world. But the youngster will continue to inspire people everywhere thanks to the will of his parents. Princess Julie of Nassau and Prince Robert of Luxembourg helped develop the PolG foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for the same disease that afflicted their son. In 2022, the royal couple donated thousands of bottles of wine from their own private collection to an auction in order to raise funds for the charity.

Additionally, they creatively spread awareness through a short film starring Prince Frederik himself, in which the prince touched on his own experiences growing up with the condition. "When you're a kid, you've got all these dreams, all these aspirations, these things you want to do. The possibilities are endless," Frederik said (via YouTube). "I'm not sure I understood all the consequences of PolG when I first got diagnosed. It's more subtle, where slowly, the world is getting smaller and smaller." Thanks to the efforts of their family, the world may soon see a day where no one has to suffer from PolG disease anymore.