Dutch Prince Johan Friso
has died after a year and a half in a coma following an accident at an
Austrian ski resort, officials say.
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| Princess Mabel with Prince Johan Friso |
Prince Friso, who was 44, was moved from hospital in London
back to the Netherlands last month, but had since suffered
complications. He was hit by an avalanche in February 2012 and buried for 15 minutes.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are said to be on their way home from a holiday in Greece. "Prince Friso has died of complications related to the
hypoxic brain injury, which he suffered as the result of his skiing
accident in Lech, Austria on 17 February 2012," a royal palace statement said.
News of a royal death is usually accompanied by images of
faithful flower-laden subjects, converging en masse at the most
conveniently located royal residence.
The fact that I found only a scattering of smart-phone
photographers at each of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal
family in the Hague perhaps reflects the feeling of a country that has
already come to terms with the idea that Prince Friso will not return.
"Most Dutch people are down to earth," one told me. "When there is no hope of recovery, we think it is better this way." And that seems to be the general consensus - a lot of sadness, less shock.
He died on Monday morning in The Hague, the palace added.
The prince's wife, Princess Mabel, is said to have spent her 45th birthday on Sunday at his bedside.
Shortly before becoming king on the abdication of Queen
Beatrix, his elder brother, Willem-Alexander spoke in April of the
"terrible situation" the family had lived with for more than a year.
Prince Friso's wife and Beatrix had been doing their best to be there for him every day "to give him a chance", he said.
The prince had been skiing off-piste with friends in Lech when the avalanche struck.
An emergency beeper he was wearing enabled rescuers to find
him but medical officials in Innsbruck said it took some time to revive
him and he suffered "massive" brain damage. They said he had suffered a
heart attack lasting some 50 minutes. He was later flown to London for treatment at the private Wellington Hospital, which has a specialist neurological unit.
He was eventually discharged in July 2013 but remained in a "state of minimal consciousness".
At the time, officials said he would spend the summer with
his family at the royal palace in The Hague, with medical treatment
provided by a specialist team.
Prince Friso was Beatrix's second of three sons, but was no
longer in line to the throne after his 2004 marriage to Mabel Wisse
Smit, because of her earlier involvement with a notorious Dutch drug
criminal.
The prince had worked for several years in London and the
couple moved there after their marriage. He took up his last job as
chief finance officer at Urenco in 2011, having worked previously in
investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
The couple had two daughters, Luana and Zaria.
The prince's death had been unexpected, Dutch correspondents
say, not least because the king had been away on holiday with his
family.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was also to return early from
his annual holiday, said it was a "black and sorrowful day" for the
royal family. "Despite everything this news still comes as a shock," he
said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23669317
