In brief
At just 22, Prince Frederik of Luxembourg has died following ongoing health struggles related to a rare genetic disorder, POLG disease. He dedicated his life to raising awareness and funding research for this debilitating condition.
Prince Frederik of Luxembourg, a young royal committed to raising awareness about a rare genetic condition, has sadly passed away at the age of 22. The announcement was made by his father, Prince Robert, who revealed that Frederik succumbed to complications from POLG disorder on March 1 in Paris.Discovered at 14, Frederik was diagnosed with a mutation in his POLG gene, essential for DNA replication and repair. This mitochondrial disorder, present in about one in 10,000 individuals, not only affects energy production in cells but also impacts various organs, leading to symptoms like seizures and coordination issues. "You could compare it to a faulty battery that can't fully recharge," Prince Robert explained.Sir Doug Turnbull, a prominent neurologist and member of the POLG Foundation’s advisory board, characterized POLG deficiency as particularly severe and relentlessly progressive, impacting numerous bodily systems.Despite his own struggles, Frederik actively contributed to the cause, co-founding the POLG Foundation where he served as creative director, creating a short film, initiating research projects, and even designing a clothing line dedicated to raising funds for research efforts. Born in Aix-en-Provence and raised in Switzerland, Frederik was also known for his love of pop culture, having watched the entire series of “The Office” multiple times.In his final moments, Frederik was hospitalized due to pneumonia alongside other serious infections. Nonetheless, he found solace in the view from his hospital room, asking his brother Alexander for a photograph of the sunset as he gazed at the illuminated Eiffel Tower.As a second cousin to Prince Guillaume, the heir to the Luxembourg throne, Frederik's legacy will live on, intertwined with his family's royal history. Reflecting on his early experiences with POLG, he shared, “As a child, you have dreams and aspirations, but I never fully grasped the consequences of my diagnosis. Over time, the world gradually shrank around me.”
