Dutch Prince Johan Friso dies after 18 months in coma

Officials have announced that Dutch Prince Johan Friso has died following 18 months in a coma, after he was severely injured in an accident at an Austrian ski resort.

Prince Friso, who was 44, was moved from hospital in London back to the Netherlands last month, but had since suffered complications. He was hit by an avalanche in February 2012 and buried for 15 minutes.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are said to be on their way home from a holiday in Greece.

"Prince Friso has died of complications related to the hypoxic brain injury, which he suffered as the result of his skiing accident in Lech, Austria on 17 February 2012," a royal palace statement said.

He died on Monday morning in The Hague.

The prince's wife, Princess Mabel, is said to have spent her 45th birthday on Sunday at his bedside.

Shortly before becoming king on the abdication of Queen Beatrix, his elder brother, Willem-Alexander spoke in April of the "terrible situation" the family had lived with for more than a year. Prince Friso had two daughters, Luana and Zaria.

The prince had been skiing off-piste with friends in Lech when the avalanche struck. An emergency beeper he was wearing enabled rescuers to find him but medical officials in Innsbruck said it took some time to revive him and he suffered "massive" brain damage. They said he had suffered a heart attack lasting some 50 minutes. He was later flown to London for treatment at the private Wellington Hospital, which has a specialist neurological unit. He was eventually discharged in July 2013 but remained in a "state of minimal consciousness".

Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was also to return early from his annual holiday, said it was a "black and sorrowful day" for the royal family.

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