Dutch Prince in Coma Shows Signs of Consciousness

The Dutch royal house says Prince Johan Friso, who has been in a coma since being struck by an avalanche in February, is showing “very minimal” signs of consciousness.

Friso, Queen’s Beatrix’s youngest son, was buried by an avalanche while skiing in Austria, and suffered severe brain damage before paramedics were able to restore his heart beat and breathing. He was then moved to a clinic in London. Prospects for whether he would recover, and how much, were highly uncertain.

Friso, now 44 years old, removed himself from the line of succession when he married his wife, Princess Mabel, in 2004, though both continued to fill various public offices. They have two daughters.

Mabel urged the media to give the family as much privacy as possible after Friso’s accident.