Dutch Prince Johan Friso Dies After Long Coma
Dutch Prince Johan Friso died on Monday after being in a coma for 18 months. Friso fell into a coma in February 2012 after he had a skiing accident.
The Dutch Prince was skiing in Lech, Austria when he was buried by an avalanche. Rescuers weren’t able to reach him until 20 minutes later.
While rescuers were able to resuscitate him at the scene, he only ever regained minimal consciousness, reports USA Today.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke about Friso’s death on Monday, commenting that, while it wasn’t unexpected, it “still comes as a shock.”
That is because, before the accident, the 44-year-old Prince Johan Frisco was fit and appeared to be in the prime of his life. Before his death, the second son of the former Queen Beatrix was known as Prince Brilliant.
He graduated cum laude at the Technical University of Delft and Erasmus University at Rotterdam with degrees in engineering and economics. He also earned an MBA at the INSEAD school of business in France.
The Guardian notes that Prince Johan Friso is likely best known for his decision to give up his claim to the throne and marry Mabel Wisse Smit. The wedding was not sanctioned by the government, so Friso instead gave up his right to be king, notes The Guardian.
The pair still married, and Mabel became a princess. However, his brother, Willem-Alexander, was named king earlier this year. Despite never ascending, Prince Friso spent time on several supervisory boards, worked for charitable organizations, and also helped to found a low-cost airline. At the time of his accident, Prince Johan was the CFO of Urenco, a uranium enrichment company.
While he was never known as much of a risk-taker, the Dutch prince was once clocked going 120 mph. The Dutch Prince Johan Friso is survived by Princes Mabel and the couple’s two daughters, Luana and Zaria.
