Prince Frederik of Luxembourg has passed away at the age of 22 due to a rare genetic disease. His family has announced this heartbreaking news, leaving many in mourning.
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03-10, 2025Prince Frederik was the son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Princess Julie of Nassau. His father stated that Frederik passed away on March 1 in Paris from PolG mitochondrial disease. Luxembourg is one of the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchies, meaning it is the only independent country ruled by a grand duke rather than a king or queen.
Prince Robert published a touching statement on the website of the POLG Foundation, an organization Prince Frederik founded to accelerate research into treatments for the rare genetic disease. He wrote that his son "called us to his room on February 28, wanting to speak to us one last time." Prince Robert wrote: "In typical Frederik fashion, he left us with a lasting family joke… even in the last moments of his life, his humour and boundless compassion drove him to leave us with one last laugh… to lift us all."
Prince Robert called Frederik the family's "superhero" and pointed to the many accomplishments of the POLG Foundation. He wrote: "Part of his superpower was his ability to inspire and lead by example. He possessed remarkable social skills, an amazing sense of humour, extraordinary emotional intelligence and empathy, and a boundless sense of justice, fairness, and decency." Frederik was born with PolG mitochondrial disease but was not diagnosed until the age of 14 when the symptoms became more apparent, his father said.
According to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, PolG disease is a mitochondrial disease caused by mutations in the POLG gene. It primarily affects multiple organs, including the brain, nerves, muscles, and liver, and can affect vision. There is currently no cure for PolG disease, but treatments can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Last year, Frederik spoke candidly about his illness in a POLG Foundation film. He said in the film: "When you're a kid, you have a lot of dreams, a lot of wishes, a lot of things you want to do, the possibilities are endless." "I'm not sure I understood all the consequences the first time I was diagnosed with PolG… it's more subtle, the world is slowly getting smaller and smaller." His father wrote: "This was the battle Frederik fought, this was the burden he had to carry his entire life. He always did it with grace and humour."
