Prince Henry of Prussia (1900–1904)

Prince Heinrich of Prussia, (German: Heinrich Viktor Ludwig Friedrich; 9 January 1900 – 26 February 1904), was the haemophiliac third son of Prince Henry of Prussia and Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, and thus a grandson of Frederick III, German Emperor on his father's side and a great-grandson of Queen Victoria through both his mother and father. He died aged four.

Life

Prince Heinrich was born on 9 January 1900, in Kiel. His father was pleased by the birth of yet another son, especially such a handsome one, as the Prince had blonde hair. The newborn Prince immediately received the title Prince of Prussia with the style Royal Highness, and was baptised Heinrich Viktor Ludwig Friedrich. His older brothers were Prince Waldemar, a namesake of his uncle, and Prince Sigismund, a namesake of his other deceased uncle. Heinrich was named in honour of his father. The Prince was diagnosed with haemophilia as a young child, but, despite this, was a very cheerful and lively boy.

Death

On 25 February, Princess Irene left Heinrich unsupervised for a few minutes while she went to fetch something. The playful Prince climbed a chair, and then he climbed onto the table. As he heard his mother approaching, he attempted to quickly come down, but stumbled while attempting to climb down the chair and fell on the floor head first. He started to scream, which immediately attracted the Princess' attention. By the time she reached him, the child was almost unconscious. The doctor said the fall had not been that bad and the child would have survived had he not been a haemophiliac. However, suffering from this condition, it was certain the young Prince would die. He was suffering from Brain haemorrhage. He lingered for a couple of hours, but died the following day, on 26 February. He was only four years-old.

Aftermath

Prince Heinrich's premature death would later very much affect the Princess, who would withdraw into herself. One of Heinrich's older brothers, Prince Waldemar, also had haemophilia. He lived up to the age of 56 and even married, but, due to his condition, never had any children. The middle sibling, Prince Sigismund, was unaffected by the disease.

Ancestry

References

• Alexandra Palace Forum
• The Royal Forums

See also