Prince Friso died ten years ago today at the age of 44, after he had a skiing accident in early 2012. The prince is still greatly missed, says royalty connoisseur Jeroen Snel in conversation with NU.nl.
“I remember being in the hospital in Innsbruck with other royalty journalists,” says Snel. “We were hopeful that he would wake up from his coma, but heard from the doctor that there was little chance that he would ever recover. The shock was great.”
Friso was buried under an avalanche on February 17, 2012 near Lech, Austria, during the annual winter sports of the Oranjes. He fell into a coma. The prince eventually died a year and a half later, on August 12, 2013 at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.
“The royal family very much appreciated how the country sympathized with them,” Snel looks back. “You noticed that they became more open after that.” For example, during the TV interview with Wilfried de Jong, which the king gave in honor of his fiftieth birthday, Willem-Alexander was very candid and emotional about the loss of his younger brother.
“I’ve always had hope,” said the king about the time when Friso was in a coma. “Of course you hear a lot of stories that things are going well, and you also hear a lot of stories that things are not going well. But at a certain point it is clear that if there is no more progress, there is little hope.”
Friso and Mabel in 2008. Photo: Jeroen van der Meyde
‘He gave advice inappropriately and inappropriately’
The king had a special bond with his brother, says Snel. “Friso was a very smart man, also in the business field. He had knowledge of investing, had great technical insight and followed developments closely. Willem-Alexander was happy to use his expertise.”
And Friso was happy to give advice to his one year older brother, says Snel. “Yes, inappropriately and inappropriately. And not always in the most diplomatic way. Friso could be tough about it and told what he thought Willem-Alexander should and should not do. The king did not always like that, but he had something to do with it.”
Despite the fateful accident, the royal family still goes to Lech every year. “The Oranges have a good relationship with people who live there, such as the owner of the hotel where they spend the night,” says Snel. “His son was the one who went skiing with Friso off-piste and who was also involved in the accident, but survived. As far as I know, there has been no resentment about that. The Oranges really value the good contacts they have in Lech .”
Snel thinks that the family is better equipped to go skiing these days. “Willem-Alexander likes to take a risk, so he will have the best technical resources in his pocket when he skis. Security goes along with him, which was not the case with Friso. So if something were to happen, the much greater chance of rescue.”
Mabel, Friso, Beatrix and Willem-Alexander during the jubilee concert on Dam Square in 2005. Photo: ANP
‘Few people dare to challenge the king’
Friso’s widow Mabel lives with their daughters Luana (18) and Zaria (17) in London, who go to school there. The family also lived there when Friso was still alive. “It was a conscious choice to leave the Netherlands,” Snel explains. “To live without security, anonymously, in a nice house. Friso was very fond of his privacy.”
There seems to be a good chance that Mabel will return to live in the Netherlands as soon as her daughters have left home. In 2021 it was announced that the princess has bought a villa in the Gooische Breukeleveen, close to her mother and mother-in-law Beatrix.
“Mabel still has a lot of contact with Beatrix,” says Snel. “The loss of Friso was the greatest for them. Beatrix was already a widow and then also lost her son. Mabel became a widow because of the loss. That creates a bond.”
Apart from that, the relationship between most Oranges is very good, says the royalty expert. “They know they can trust each other. Of course the king has reliable employees around him, but few people dare to resist. They still feel hesitant about that.”
That is why Friso was a unique member of the royal family, says Snel. “I can imagine that, if Friso had still been alive, he would have advised Willem-Alexander during the corona period: maybe it’s better to skip that foreign holiday now. Friso didn’t care about that diplomatic, he dared to say: you’re doing this wrong, or this has to be different. He told the truth right through everything. And that is a great loss.”
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2023-08-12 03:04:46
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