Prince Robert of Luxembourg has announced the death of his youngest son, Frederik of Nassau.
Robert, who is the first cousin of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, released an emotional statement to confirm Frederik's death, who sadly passed away at the age of 22.
He shared that Frederik, who was born with POLG Mitochondrial disease, passed away a week ago on March 1.
The Prince shared a heartwarming letter on behalf of himself and his wife Julie Elizabeth Houston Ongaro and penned, "Frederik's last question to me, prior to his other remarks was: 'Papa, are you proud of me?' He had barely been able to speak for several days, so the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was profound.”
"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,” he noted.
Robert further added, "This is the battle that Frederik fought, and this is the burden that he had to carry throughout his life. He always did so with grace and with humour. When we asked him if he wanted to create a foundation to find a cure and help others like him, he jumped at the opportunity.”
After concluding the letter, the Prince of Luxembourg also shared a carousel of family photographs taken through the years to honour his late son.
