Prince Friedrich Of Hesse And By Rhine

Friedrich Wilhelm August Victor Leopold Ludwig, Prince of Hesse and by Rhine, was born on 7 October 1870 at the New Palace in Darmstadt. He was the second son and fifth child of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. As a grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother, he was part of the British royal family and the House of Hesse.

His full name included "Leopold" in honor of his maternal uncle, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, who was his godfather. Friedrich's family members included his siblings Viktoria, Elisabeth, Irene, Ernst Ludwig, Alix, and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. Through his elder sister Viktoria, Friedrich was the maternal grand-uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and through his younger sister Alix, he was the maternal uncle to the last four Grand Duchesses of Russia—Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia—and Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.

Friedrich was described as a cheerful and lively child. He was diagnosed with haemophilia in February 1873 after he fell and cut his ear while toddling; the wound bled continuously for three days, indicating a blood disorder, and he was treated with bandages that ultimately did not suffice.

He died on 29 May 1873 at the age of two years. The incident occurred while Friedrich and his older brother Ernst were playing in their mother’s bedroom. Ernst briefly looked through a window in an adjoining room, prompting their mother Princess Alice to intervene. While attempting to prevent Friedrich from climbing onto a chair next to an open window to see his brother, the chair tipped over. Friedrich fell approximately 20 feet (6.1 meters) onto the balustrade below. Though he initially survived the fall, he succumbed hours later to a brain hemorrhage caused by his haemophilia.

Following his death, Princess Alice frequently visited his grave and marked anniversaries related to his life. His brother Ernst expressed a desire for the entire family to die together rather than be left alone, referencing Friedrich’s death. Two of Friedrich’s sisters, Irene and Alix, also had sons with haemophilia.

Friedrich’s ancestry traces back to the German House of Hesse and the British royal family, being a descendant of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. His death contributed to the notable presence of haemophilia within the European royal families of the period.

References used for this biography include works by Arnold McNaughton, Hugo Mager, and Gerard Noel, which provide detailed genealogical and historical context about Friedrich’s family and heritage.