Prince Friso's wife Princess Mabel spent her birthday at his bedside on Sunday, Dutch media said
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.
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.
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.
'Massive' brain damage
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.
MORE INFO:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-23669317
No comments:
Post a Comment