Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau (Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg; 25 September 1968 – 12 August 2013) was the younger brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Prince Friso was a member of the Dutch Royal Family, but because of his marriage in 2004 he was no longer a member of the Dutch Royal House nor in the line of succession to the Dutch throne.

On 17 February 2012, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche in Lech, Austria, while skiing off piste. He was taken to a hospital in Innsbruck where he was in critical but stable condition. According to his doctor, Dr. Wolfgang Koller, 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 in moderate hypothermia he suffered massive brain damage due to oxygen shortage. The prince was in a minimally conscious state and it was unclear whether he would ever regain full consciousness.

 After nearly a year and a half of being in a coma, he died on 12 August 2013.

Early life and education

Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David was born on 25 September 1968 in theUniversity Medical Center in Utrecht, Netherlands as the second son of Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus, and grandson of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands andPrince Bernhard. He has one elder brother, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1967) and one younger brother, Prince Constantijn (1969).

His titles at birth were Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheervan Amsberg.[7] Prince Friso was baptized on 27 December 1968 in the Dom Church in Utrecht. His godparents are King Harald V of Norway, Johan Christian Baron von Jenisch, J.H. van Roijen, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and Christina von Amsberg.

In 1986, he graduated from the secondary school Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague. From 1986 until 1988, he studied mechanical engineering at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where he joined Delta Kappa Epsilonfraternity. From 1988 to 1994 he studied at Delft University of Technology, where he obtained an engineer's degree in aeronautical engineering. Additionally, he has an MSc degree in economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam. To prepare himself for the possibility of succession to the throne, he took courses in Dutch law and parliamentary history.

Work

Prince Friso worked from 1995 until 1996 at the Amsterdam branch of the international management consultancy McKinsey. After completing an MBA-programme at INSEAD, Prince Friso worked as vice president from 1998 till 2003 for Goldman Sachs International in London. Since 2004 he is part-time co-president of TNO Space in Delft. As of October 2006, Prince Friso is Managing Director in the London office of the private investment and advisory firm Wolfensohn & Co (founded by James Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank).

Prince Friso is a co-founder of the MRI Centre in Amsterdam and is also a founding shareholder of Wizzair, the largest low-cost airline in Eastern Europe. Prince Friso is honorary chairman of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development (a position he holds together with his younger brother Prince Constantijn). The Prince also serves as a director and supervisory director of various companies.

Prior to his accident, Prince Friso was working as a Chief Financial Officer for URENCO, a uranium enrichment company that has its main offices in Stoke Poges, Berkshire, UK, and plants in the Netherlands, Germany, Capenhurst, UK, and New Mexico in the US. Prince Friso was taking care of all four plants.

Marriage and children

Prince Friso with his wife Mabel and daughters (2010)

On 30 June 2003, it was announced that Prince Friso was to marry Mabel Wisse Smit. The Dutch cabinet, however, did not seek the permission of parliament for this marriage; constitutionally necessary if Prince Friso was to remain a member of the Dutch Royal Houseand in line of succession for the throne (he had been second in the line, after his older brother, Willem Alexander).

The Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende explained that this was due to discussions with Mabel Wisse Smit in October 2003 where she had admitted that her previous statements about an alleged relationship with Klaas Bruinsma (1953–1991), known as a Godfather of the Dutch drug trade, 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, not intimate or 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 parliament's permission, respecting the wishes of the couple. They nevertheless married in Delft 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 children, Prince Friso's exclusion from the succession is unlikely to have an effect on the monarchy in theNetherlands. He remained in the line of succession to the British throne until his death.

Prince Friso and his wife Princess Mabel had two daughters:

• Countess Emma Luana Ninette Sophie, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (born 26 March 2005 in London)
• Countess Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (born 18 June 2006 in London)

Avalanche accident and death

Location of the avalanche near Lech in Austria

On 17 February 2012, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche in Lech, Austria, and he was taken to a hospital in Innsbruck. According to a formal statement of the Netherlands Government Information Service (RVD), a prognosis could only be given after some days. The prince's condition was described as "stable, but critical".

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 Friday 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. Dr. Wolfgang Koller stated that an MRI 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 may 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, the city where he and his wife have lived for many years.

On 19 November 2012 it was announced that the prince had started to show some signs of consciousness but it is still not certain whether he will wake up, and if so, in what kind of state.

On 9 July 2013 Prince Friso was moved back to Huis ten Bosch in the Netherlands. It is understood that his coma had now evolved into a minimally conscious state. As he was no longer in need of hospital-level medical care, he stayed with his family for the summer. 

On 12 August 2013 it was announced that Prince Friso had passed away due to complications.

Style, titles and names

Royal Monogram

• His Royal Highness Prince Johan-Friso of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg (1968–2004)
• His Royal Highness Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, Count of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg (2004–present)

Under the Act on the Membership of the Royal House (2002), Prince Friso lost the title 'Prince of the Netherlands' and the hereditary title 'Prince of Orange-Nassau' by entering into a marriage without an Act of Consent.

By Royal Decree of 19 March 2004, nr. 126 the Prince was granted the surname 'Van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg' and the hereditary title 'Count of Orange-Nassau' to take effect upon his marriage.

By the same Royal Decree the Prince was allowed to continue his title 'Prince of Orange-Nassau' as a personal and non-hereditary title and the style of Royal Highness. 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 (Jonkvrouw) van Amsberg'. His wife acquired the feminine version of her husband's style and titles as a courtesy title, since it is customary for wives of members of the royal family to take the titles of their husbands.

Despite losing the title "Prince of the Netherlands" and the accompanying royal style, Prince Friso continued to be styled His Royal Highness.

Referred to from birth as Prince Johan-Friso, in 2004 the royal court announced that he had requested that his first name be simply "Friso" without the prefix "Johan".

Honours

See also List of honours of the Dutch Royal Family by country

•  Netherlands : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
•  Netherlands : Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (by birth)