Countess Luana Of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe Van Amsberg
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Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau (; 25 September 1968 – 12 August 2013) was the second son of
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix was born during the reign of her maternal gra ...
and
Claus von Amsberg Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands, Prince of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his d ...
, and younger brother of
King Willem-Alexander Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 27 April 1967) is King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest ch ...
. Friso was a member of the
Dutch Royal Family The monarchy of the Netherlands is governed by the country's charter and constitution, roughly a third of which explains the mechanics of succession, accession, and abdication; the roles and duties of the monarch; the formalities of communica ...
, but because of his marriage without an Act of Consent in 2004, he lost his membership of the
Dutch Royal House In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional office and is controlled by the Constitution of the Netherlands. A distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the royal house. The ...
and was no longer in the line of succession to the throne. On 17 February 2012, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche in Lech,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, while skiing off piste. He was taken to a hospital in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
, where he was in a critical but stable condition. According to his doctor, even though he was trapped for a relatively short time and hopes had originally been higher, subsequent neurological tests showed that after fifty minutes of
cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during Cardiac arrest, cardiac or Respiratory arrest, respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function ...
in moderate hypothermia, he suffered massive brain damage due to oxygen shortage. His initial coma later progressed to a
minimally conscious state A minimally conscious state (MCS) is a disorder of consciousness distinct from persistent vegetative state (PVS) and locked-in syndrome. Unlike PVS, patients with MCS have partial preservation of conscious awareness. MCS is a relatively new cate ...
, and it was unclear whether he would ever regain full consciousness. On 12 August 2013, one and a half years after the accident, Prince Friso died from complications.


Early life and education

Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David was born on 25 September 1968Prins Friso
,
Royal House A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...
. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
at the Academic Hospital Utrecht (now the
University Medical Center Utrecht The University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU; Dutch: ''Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht'') is the University hospital of the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. It is affiliated with the Utrecht University. Since the foundation of the university in 16 ...
) in
Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
, Netherlands. He was the second son of Princess
Beatrix Beatrix is a Latin feminine given name, most likely derived from ''Viatrix'', a feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Viator'' which meant "voyager, traveller" and later influenced in spelling by association with the Latin word ''beatus'' or "ble ...
and Prince Claus,Huwelijk en gezin
,
Royal House A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...
. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
and grandson of Queen
Juliana of the Netherlands Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...
and Prince
Bernhard Bernhard is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar (1604–1639), Duke of Saxe-Weimar *Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen (1901–1984), head of the House of Saxe-Meiningen 1946 ...
. He had one older brother, current King
Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 27 April 1967) is King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest ch ...
(b. 1967), and one younger brother, Prince Constantijn (b. 1969). His titles at birth were Prince of the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, Prince of Orange-Nassau, and
Jonkheer (female equivalent: ; in the masculine only; ''jonkvrouw'' is used in the feminine, even in French; ) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used ...
van Amsberg. Prince Friso was baptized on 28 December 1968 in the
Dom Church St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht, or Dom Church (), is a Gothic church dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, which was the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. It is the country's only pre-Reformation cathedral, but ha ...
in Utrecht. His godparents were Prince Harald of Norway, Johan Christian
Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
von Jenisch,
Herman van Roijen Jan Herman van Roijen (10 April 1905 – 16 March 1991) was a Dutch diplomat and politician. He was Dutch foreign minister in 1946. Early life Van Roijen was born in Constantinople on 10 April 1905. He was the son of Jan Herman van Roijen S ...
, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Christina von Amsberg. In 1986, he graduated from the secondary school ''Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum'' in
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
. From 1986 until 1988, he studied mechanical engineering at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
. From 1988 he studied at
Delft University of Technology The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft; ) is the oldest and largest Dutch public university, public Institute of technology, technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. It specializes in engineering, technology, computing, design, a ...
, where he obtained an
engineer's degree An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering which is conferred in Europe, some countries of Asia and Latin America, North Africa and a few institutions in the United States. The degree may require a thesis but always require ...
in
aeronautical engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...
in 1994. From 1990 he also went to the
Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus University Rotterdam ( ; abbreviated as EUR) is a public research university located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The university is named after Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a 15th-century Christian humanist and theologian. Erasmus M ...
, where he obtained an MSc degree in
business economics Business economics is a field in applied economics which uses economic theory and quantitative methods to analyze business enterprises and the factors contributing to the diversity of organizational structures and the relationships of firms wit ...
in 1995. Subsequently, he attended
INSEAD INSEAD ( ; French: ''Institut européen d'administration des affaires'') is a non-profit business school with locations in Europe (Fontainebleau, France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE) and North America (San Francisco, USA ...
(
Fontainebleau Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...
, France), where he received an MBA degree in 1997.


Work

Prince Friso worked from 1995 to 1996 at the
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
branch of the international management consultancy
McKinsey McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinsey ...
. After completing an MBA-programme at
INSEAD INSEAD ( ; French: ''Institut européen d'administration des affaires'') is a non-profit business school with locations in Europe (Fontainebleau, France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE) and North America (San Francisco, USA ...
, Prince Friso worked from 1998 to 2003 as a vice president at
Goldman Sachs International The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many international ...
in London. In 2004, he became part-time co-president of TNO Space in
Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...
. From October 2006, Prince Friso was managing director in the London office of a private investment and advisory firm, Wolfensohn & Company. Prince Friso was a co-founder of the MRI Centre in Amsterdam and was also a founding shareholder of
Wizzair {{Infobox airline , airline = Wizz Air Holdings Plc. , IATA = , ICAO = , callsign = , aoc = , hubs = , focus_cities = , frequent_flyer = {{ubl, class=nowrap , Wizz All You Can Fly , Wizz Discount Club , Wizz Privilege Pass , ...
, the largest low-cost airline in Eastern Europe. He was honorary chairman of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development (a position he held together with his younger brother, Prince Constantijn). Prior to his accident, Prince Friso was working as a chief financial officer for
URENCO The Urenco Group is a British-German-Dutch nuclear fuel consortium operating several uranium enrichment plants in Germany, the Netherlands, United States, and United Kingdom. It supplies nuclear power stations in about 15 countries, and stat ...
, a uranium enrichment company.


Marriage and children

On 30 June 2003, it was announced that Prince Friso was to marry
Mabel Wisse Smit Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (Mabel Martine Wisse Smit; born Mabel Martine Los, 11 August 1968), more commonly known as Mabel van Oranje, is a Dutch humanitarian and the widow of Prince Friso and sister-in-law of King Willem-Alexander of t ...
. The Dutch
cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
, however, did not seek permission from
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for this marriage, a constitutional requirement if Prince Friso was to remain a member of the
Dutch Royal House In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional office and is controlled by the Constitution of the Netherlands. A distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the royal house. The ...
and in
line of succession An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Willem-Alexander Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 27 April 1967) is King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest ch ...
. The Prime Minister
Jan Peter Balkenende Jan Pieter Balkenende Jr. ( ; born 7 May 1956), commonly known as Jan Peter Balkenende, is a Dutch jurist and politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 to 14 October 20 ...
explained that this was due to discussions with Mabel Wisse Smit in October 2003, when she had admitted that her previous statements about an alleged relationship with Klaas Bruinsma (1953–1991), a known Dutch
drug baron A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin, or lord of drugs is a type of crime boss in charge of a drug trafficking network, organization, or enterprise. Crime barons may be difficult to bring to justice: usually, they do not possess illegal goods. Ra ...
, had not been complete and accurate. She had previously stated that she had contact for a few months with Bruinsma, but in a casual context, neither intimate nor relating to business, and that she had broken the contact on learning of Bruinsma's occupation. This "breach of trust" was the reason the government did not seek parliamentary permission, respecting the wishes of the couple. They nevertheless married at
Oude Kerk (Delft) The Oude Kerk (Old Church), nicknamed ''Oude Jan'' ("Old John") and ''Scheve Jan'' ("Skewed John"), is a Gothic Protestant church in the old city center of Delft, the Netherlands. Its most recognizable feature is a 75-meter-high brick tower th ...
on 24 April 2004, and Mabel Wisse Smit became a member of the Dutch Royal Family but not a member of the Dutch Royal House. Considering that his elder brother King Willem-Alexander has three daughters, Prince Friso's exclusion from the succession was unlikely to have an effect on the
monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
in the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. After their marriage, Prince Friso and his wife Princess Mabel set up home in London, in the suburb of
Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...
. The couple's first daughter, Countess Emma Luana Ninette Sophie of Orange-Nassau, ''Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg'', was born on 26 March 2005 in London. Their second daughter, Countess Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou of Orange-Nassau, ''Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg'', was born on 18 June 2006, also in London.


Avalanche accident


Accident

On 17 February 2012, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche in Lech,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, and he was taken to a
hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
. According to a formal statement of the
Netherlands Government Information Service The Netherlands Government Information Service (''Dutch:'' Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst, abbrev.: RVD) is a Dutch government agency. The RVD is the official information service of the Dutch government and is the spokesbody for the prime minister, th ...
(RVD), a prognosis could be given only after some days. The prince's condition was described as "stable, but critical".


Resulting complications

The Dutch Royal Family issued a statement on 19 February saying "The Royal Family is very grateful and deeply touched by all expressions of support and sympathy after the ski accident of His Royal Highness Prince Friso. It was a great support for them during this difficult time." A prognosis on his health situation was expected within a few days, but this was pushed back to 24 February, a week after his accident. The RVD's comment remained the same: stable, but critical. On 24 February, an Innsbruck medical team announced that the prince had been buried for 25 minutes, followed by a 50-minute CPR to treat his cardiac arrest. Wolfgang Koller stated that an
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
scan was performed a day earlier revealing little change, however other neurological tests indicated significant damage due to oxygen shortage. It remained unclear whether the prince would ever regain full consciousness. Koller said that the Prince's family might now look for a rehabilitation institution. On the same day the Dutch Royal Family issued a statement requesting that the privacy of the Prince's family be respected to enable them to come to terms with his condition. On 1 March 2012, Prince Friso was transferred to the Wellington Hospital, in London where he and his wife had lived for many years. On 19 November 2012, it was announced that the prince had started to show some signs of consciousness but it was still not certain whether he would ever wake up, and if he did, in what state. On 9 July 2013, Prince Friso was moved back to
Huis ten Bosch Huis ten Bosch (, ; ) is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Huis ten Bosch was th ...
in the Netherlands. It was understood that his coma had then evolved into a
minimally conscious state A minimally conscious state (MCS) is a disorder of consciousness distinct from persistent vegetative state (PVS) and locked-in syndrome. Unlike PVS, patients with MCS have partial preservation of conscious awareness. MCS is a relatively new cate ...
. As he was no longer in need of hospital-level medical care, he stayed with his family for the summer.


Death and funeral

On 12 August 2013, it was announced that Prince Friso had died in
Huis ten Bosch Huis ten Bosch (, ; ) is a royal palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of three official residences of the Dutch monarch; the two others being the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague and the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Huis ten Bosch was th ...
of complications from the accident. He was buried on 16 August in the Dutch Reformed Cemetery in the hamlet of
Lage Vuursche Lage Vuursche () is a village in the municipality of Baarn in the Netherlands. It lies about west of Soest (Netherlands), Soest, surrounded by woods, in the province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. In 2001 the village of Lage Vuursche had 139 in ...
near
Drakesteijn Drakensteyn Castle (Dutch: ''Drakensteyn'', sometimes ''Drakesteijn'' or ''Drakestein'') is a small castle at 8 Slotlaan in the hamlet of Lage Vuursche, in the municipality of Baarn, Netherlands. It is the private residence of Princess Beatrix o ...
Castle, where he had spent his childhood and where Princess Beatrix returned to live in February 2014. The funeral service, at Stulpkerk church, was strictly private. Members of the public and media could not attend, nor did members of other royal families attend, with the exception of Friso's godfather, King
Harald V of Norway Harald V (, ; born 21 February 1937) has been King of Norway since 1991. A member of the House of Glücksburg, Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the Succession to t ...
. A ceremony of commemoration was held on 2 November 2013 in the Oude Kerk in Delft.


Titles, styles and honours


Titles and styles

* 25 September 1968 – 19 March 2004: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Johan-Friso of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg * 19 March 2004 – 12 August 2013: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, Count of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg Under the Act on the Membership of the Royal House (2002), Prince Friso lost the title 'Prince of the Netherlands' by entering into a marriage without an Act of Consent. By a royal decree of 19 March 2004, Prince Friso was granted the surname 'Van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg', the hereditary noble predicate '
Jonkheer (female equivalent: ; in the masculine only; ''jonkvrouw'' is used in the feminine, even in French; ) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used ...
(Jonkvrouw) van Amsberg and the hereditary title 'Count of Orange-Nassau', to take effect upon his marriage. By the same decree, he was allowed to retain his title 'Prince of Orange-Nassau' as a personal and non-hereditary title and the style of 'Royal Highness'. According to the notification of this Royal Decree, any children born to the couple were to receive the surname 'van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg' and become a 'Count (Countess) of Orange-Nassau' and also have the noble predicate '
Jonkheer (female equivalent: ; in the masculine only; ''jonkvrouw'' is used in the feminine, even in French; ) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used ...
(Jonkvrouw) van Amsberg'. So his children had the same titles and names as those of Prince Constantijn, and showing that they belong to the royal family descending from Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. In social use, they are named with their comital title. His wife acquired the feminine version of her husband's style and titles as a
courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...
, since it is customary for wives of members of the royal family to take the titles of their husbands. Referred to from birth as Prince Johan-Friso, in 2004, the royal court announced that he had requested that he would henceforth be called "Prince Friso".


Honours


National

* : ** Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...
** Knight of the
Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (, ; ) is a chivalric order shared by the two branches of the House of Nassau (the Ottonian and Walramian lines). In the context of the elder ''Walramian line'', this order is the highest Luxemb ...
(by birth) ** Royal Wedding Medal 2002 (2 February 2002)


Ancestry


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Friso of Orange-Nassau 1968 births 2013 deaths 20th-century Dutch people 21st-century Dutch people Counts of Orange-Nassau Deaths in avalanches Delft University of Technology alumni Dutch people of German descent Erasmus University Rotterdam alumni Goldman Sachs people House of Orange-Nassau INSEAD alumni Jonkheers of Amsberg Neurological disease deaths in the Netherlands People with severe brain damage Princes of the Netherlands Princes of Orange-Nassau Protestant Church Christians from the Netherlands Skiing deaths UC Berkeley College of Engineering alumni Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Sons of queens regnant