Royal Family Member Dead at 22 From Rare Disease
Prince Frederik—the son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the first cousin of , the current ruler of Luxembourg—died at the age of 22 in early March after living with PolG mitochondrial disease all his life.
The sad news was announced by Robert in a blog post on the website for The POLG Foundation, a nonprofit foundation founded by Frederik's family after his diagnosis in 2016.
🎬 🎬
"It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son, The POLG Foundation Founder and Creative Director, Frederik," began the message. "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."
Robert recalled Frederik's emotional goodbyes to himself, his brother Alexander, his sister Charlotte, his cousins and more family members, noting, "He had already spoken all that was in his heart to his extraordinary mother [Julie], who had not left his side in 15 years."
He went on to share Frederik's last question to him, "Papa, are you proud of me?" with Robert sharing, "The answer was very easy, and he had heard it oh so many times…. but at this time, he needed reassurance that he had contributed all that he possibly could in his short and beautiful existence and that he could now finally move on."
Calling his son "my Superhero," Robert said, "Frederik fought his disease valiantly until the very end. His indomitable lust for life propelled him through the hardest of physical and mental challenges. Our cheery Frederik saw the beauty in everything."
Frederik died on March 1, in Paris, France. A fan page for the Luxembourg royal family also shared the news of his death and part of Robert's tribute on social media.
View the to see embedded media.
The blog post shared details about Frederik's illness, noting that he lived his whole life with the disease despite the late diagnosis. According to the organization's website, PolG mitochondrial disease is "a genetic disorder that robs the body's cells of energy, in turn causing progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure."
Currently, the condition is "very difficult to diagnose and has no treatments much less a cure." The POLG Foundation is working to find therapies, treatments, and hopefully a cure to help those suffering from the disease.
Next:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
King Frederik Steps Out as Brother Prince Joachim Breaks Silence on Staying in U.S. After Royal Title Controversy
King Frederik of Denmark hit the ground running at the Royal Run with his wife, Queen Mary and their four teen kids, Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine The King of Denmark, 57, attended the event shortly after his brother Prince Joachim made a rare revelation about his family's future plans Prince Joachim, his wife Princess Marie and their two children have been living in Washington, D.C. since 2023, the year Queen Margrethe stripped all four of Joachim's children of their royal titlesKing Frederik of Denmark had a day out with his family after his brother Prince Joachim revealed whether his family will ever return to Europe after living in the U.S. for two years. On June 9, King Frederik, 57, embarked on the annual Royal Run, which his wife, Queen Mary, and their kids Crown Prince Christian, 19, Princess Isabella, 18, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 14, also participated in. King Frederik attended the event just a few days after his younger brother, Prince Joachim, 56, spoke about his own family's future in a rare interview. Prince Joachim and his wife Princess Marie moved from France to the U.S. with their two children in the summer of 2023 as he took on a new job with the Danish Embassy, just a few months after his mother Queen Margrethe stripped his four kids of their royal titles in a shock move that he personally criticized. Speaking to TV2, Prince Joachim said that he and Marie were thinking about returning home when his work was complete. In September 2023, Joachim took on a job with the Danish Embassy under the Ministry of Defense as an attaché covering the U.S. and Canada in September 2023. While the stint, based in Washington, D.C., was expected to be limited to a three-year timeline, a Ministry of Defense statement said there was a possibility of extension, potentially taking the job beyond 2026. On his family's future plans, Prince Joachim said, "We have a desire to come home. But we also do not rule out the possibility of staying abroad. Now we have to see. For now, it is on our radar, when the post here stops, we will return home." "We are each busy in our own way. The kids are at school, where they enjoy being challenged and have an ever-growing social circle, and I have my job," he added about his family's rhythm. "We are our little nuclear family and enjoy it, and we make sure as much as possible that we also have time for each other. That it doesn't always get in the way of work, school and homework." Prince Joachim is a father of four, and moved to D.C. with Marie and their children, son Count Henrik, 16, and daughter Countess Athena, 13. The father of four also shares two older sons, Count Nikolai, 25, and Count Felix, 22, with his first wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, whom he divorced in 2008. While his family is doing well in the U.S., the royal dad acknowledged that their routine is different in Europe. "Overall, we can all feel it, and we can also feel it in the children, that it is at home in Denmark that we have our largest social base. We can't travel back and forth, after all, there is a six-hour time difference and an entire ocean in between," Joachim told TV2. "We take our time when we are home and enjoy it to the fullest. Perhaps that is the band-aid for being far away from home." In September 2022, Queen Margrethe, 85, said that she was stripping Joachim's four children of the prince or princess titles and "His/Her Highness" styling they inherited at birth in a move she later said was "necessary future-proofing of the monarchy." Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena subsequently became known as His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat (lower-ranking titles within the Danish royal family) as of Jan. 1, 2023, in an explosive twist that created a fracture within the family. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie told the press that they felt shocked by the bombshell that upset their family, which seemingly prompted Queen Margrethe to apologize but maintain that it was a necessary step for the crown's future. In a a joint interview to The Washington Post in April 2024, Princess Marie, 49, said, "We weren't happy about the way it happened" and Prince Joachim acknowledged, "We've moved on." Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Queen Margrethe abdicated in January 2024, making her elder son and successor the new King Frederik. His children each moved up a place in the line of succession, with his eldest son Christian becoming the new Crown Prince of Denmark. Unlike their cousins, Frederik and Mary's children were not affected by their grandmother Queen Margrethe's decision to strip Joachim's kids' titles and retain the royal styling they have held through life. The Royal Run was created to celebrate King Frederik's 50th birthday in 2018 and is part of Denmark's Move for Life campaign, which aims to make the Nordic nation the most active in the world. Members of the Danish royal family have attended every year since in what has become a staple on the royal calendar, and King Frederik's family literally hit the ground running to support the event this year. The King of Denmark and his family joined the record turnout of 97,500 participants for the race across the five cities of Ribe, Horsens, Viborg, Korsør and Copenhagen/Frederiksberg. In an impressive entry, the statement said that the sporty sovereign was running in three distances: the one mile kickoff run in Ribe, 5 km in Horsens and 10 km in Copenhagen/Frederiksberg. Hello! magazine reported that Crown Prince Fredreik beat his father's time in the 5 km distance, but he may have had a leg up for a clear reason! The heir to the throne recently completed military training with the Guard Hussar Regiment and the outlet reported that Frederik said his eldest son "is in the best shape he can be." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community
HHS Interrupts "The Most Cost-Beneficial Intervention In Healthcare" UPPER NYACK, N.Y., June 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) removed all sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine use. While the groups such as the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) recognize the Secretary's right to do this, the decision made just ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season puts at risk chronically ill patients who rely on vaccines to fight respiratory virus infections. ACIP is often critical in shaping public health strategies with its advisory recommendations. While the FDA-approved label remains the definitive, enforceable standard for how vaccines should be used in clinical practice, ACIP guidance often informs insurance company coverage, determines whether vaccines are free under the Affordable Care Act, provides healthcare provider protocols, and helps ensure vaccination campaign success , especially for vulnerable populations. "Removing the entire committee without immediate replacement or clear guidance creates uncertainty when COVID-19, flu, and RSV are expected to circulate widely in the coming months," said Robert, Popovian, PharmD, MS, GHLF's Chief Science Policy Officer. "Now is the time when the advisory committee makes its recommendations, and disruption in the advisory process could have profound implications for individuals with chronic illnesses who depend on timely vaccine access to protect themselves against these viruses. "We support the need for ACIP to remain independent, and we recognize the Secretary's authority to appoint new members," Dr. Popovian added. "But removing all members without naming successors or offering a timeline to replace them so close to respiratory season could delay essential recommendations. "Vaccines are the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare—we should do everything possible to maintain uninterrupted access to expert guidance including ensuring there is no gap in expert advice during this critical period for immunization planning," Dr. Popovian added. About GHLF The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit for more information. View source version on Contacts Louis TharpLTHARP@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
15 hours ago
- Business Wire
Global Healthy Living Foundation Says Vaccine Committee Firings Before Respiratory Virus Season Creates High Risk Of Illness In the Chronic Disease Community
BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) removed all sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine use. Vaccines are the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare While the groups such as the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) recognize the Secretary's right to do this, the decision made just ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season puts at risk chronically ill patients who rely on vaccines to fight respiratory virus infections. ACIP is often critical in shaping public health strategies with its advisory recommendations. While the FDA-approved label remains the definitive, enforceable standard for how vaccines should be used in clinical practice, ACIP guidance often informs insurance company coverage, determines whether vaccines are free under the Affordable Care Act, provides healthcare provider protocols, and helps ensure vaccination campaign success , especially for vulnerable populations. 'Removing the entire committee without immediate replacement or clear guidance creates uncertainty when COVID-19, flu, and RSV are expected to circulate widely in the coming months,' said Robert, Popovian, PharmD, MS, GHLF's Chief Science Policy Officer. 'Now is the time when the advisory committee makes its recommendations, and disruption in the advisory process could have profound implications for individuals with chronic illnesses who depend on timely vaccine access to protect themselves against these viruses. 'We support the need for ACIP to remain independent, and we recognize the Secretary's authority to appoint new members,' Dr. Popovian added. 'But removing all members without naming successors or offering a timeline to replace them so close to respiratory season could delay essential recommendations. 'Vaccines are the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare—we should do everything possible to maintain uninterrupted access to expert guidance including ensuring there is no gap in expert advice during this critical period for immunization planning,' Dr. Popovian added. About GHLF The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to health care through education, patient-centered clinical research, support, advocacy, and economic and policy research. GHLF is also a staunch advocate for vaccines. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints®, the international, digital community for millions of people living with arthritis and their supporters worldwide who seek education, support, activism, and patient-centered research in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to arthritis and autoimmune disorders, GHLF supports dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, rare disease, and pulmonary patients through a host of different programs and activities which draw more than 700,000 patients a month to GHLF websites and create more than 10 million impressions a month on seven social media platforms. In 2024, GHLF had more than 1 million views and listens with its patient-centered audio-visual content, found on YouTube and podcast platforms. GHLF never asks the public for donations, receiving funding instead through governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, industry, family foundations, and GHLF Co-Founder Louis Tharp. Visit for more information.
