Prince Friso in Critical Condition Following Skiing Accident; February 17th, 2012

[ghost_night554]

All Things Royal @allthingsroyal Pictures of Willem-Alexander and Maxima boarding the plane at Schiphol: bit.ly/AbJ7Pq

[ghost_night554]

Originally Posted by dazzling

How long is the drive to Innsbruck? I assume their wives are with them as reported or just the 2 princes?

Last report I heard the family was with them as well not just the 2 princes.

[Kataryn]

Austrian paper "KUrier" reports that the prince went skiing with a friend, a hotel director of Lech. Both were covered by the avalanche but the friend had a ski-airbag which the prince didn't have. Thus the airbag pulled him up and he was able to alarm the rescue team. Within the next twenty minutes 4 alpine policemen, 11 mountain resuce servicemen plus helpers from the ski schools of the area arrived along with a doctor in a helicopter.

A local said that they were thankful the frantic search action of this group of rescue staff did not lead to another avalanche and that anybody who goes skiing off-slope at the moment is not only risking his own life but that of the resuce helpers as well.

[Charlotte_Aster]

Originally Posted by dazzling

How long is the drive to Innsbruck? I assume their wives are with them as reported or just the 2 princes?

It's about 200 km long. But maybe they will fly with the helicopter. THe roads in Vorlarlberg are bit of a mess right now.
Edit: NOS reported that they will go with the helicopter to Innsbruck.

[QUEENECE29]

I hope you better soon. Health, luck be with the Prince.

[ghost_night554]

All Things Royal @allthingsroyal According to @panicoffice the weather in Innsbruck is OK, so there is no reason why the plane should land somewhere else.

[fandesacs2003]

Oh my God! So terrible! All my thoughts to him and his family, especially the two little girls.

[Archduchess Zelia]

Just saw it on the news, it's absolutely devastating and I can't imagine what the family must be going through, I hope he'll be alright and my thoughts are with the family and especially Princess Mabel and their girls.

[Charlotte_Aster]

According to Nos, the plane has landed in St. Gallen.
also from ORF:
http://tvthek.orf.at/programs/1203-Z...z-verschuettet

[marine2109]

Dutch Prince Johan Friso In Hospital Of Innsbruck

Getty Images - Search: AUT: Dutch Prince Johan Friso In Hospital Of Innsbruck#

Prince Friso of the Netherlands, in serious condition after being buried under an avalanche in Austria

http://www.hola.com/realeza/casa_hol...cidente-nieve/

http://translate.google.com.tr/trans...eve%2F&act=url

[ChantalC]

My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Mabel, his daughters, his mother, Queen Beatrix and the rest of the royal family. Hope he will make full recovery.

[dbarn67]

From AP

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in comments carried by NOS radio, said he had told the queen and the prince's wife that "the whole Dutch people sympathizes with them very intensely."
"The situation is that the prince is stable, but his life not yet out of danger, and (in) the coming days, the expectation is that further prognoses will follow."
"There's nothing more (to say) than that the best doctors are there," he said. "Austria naturally has very good medical care, we are fully confident in them — but further we really just have to wait."

[NotAPretender]

I wish him well, and I hope that Mabel and the girls have the support they need.

[elladora]

I just saw it on the news! Hope everything will go well

[queenofcelts]

my prayers are with him and all teh family! Hope he will recover

[kalnel]

Originally Posted by justina

please, just because there was the skiing accident, austria is save
he will not be skiing today I guess - an even then, if he stays on the slopes nothing will happen. sty on the ground

I'm not suggesting that Austria isn't safe. I'm just surprised that the Dutch government is comfortable having the head of state and several of her immediate heirs traveling out of the country all at once.

[Hans-Rickard]

This is terrible ! All my thoughts and prayers to Prince Friso and his wife and kids and to the entire royal family in their difficult time.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by kalnel

I'm just surprised that the Dutch government is comfortable having the head of state and several of her immediate heirs traveling out of the country all at once.

It's a family holiday, you can't really have one of those without all the family. Most, if not all, the reigning royal families holiday together out of their own country.

[kalnel]

Originally Posted by lucien

Nonsense.No-one can keep him from flying to see his brother and sister in law let alone his mother in this situation.The Family stands together always.No adviser with an overrated salary needed to tell him what to do in this.He decides and the PM is responsible for all actions of Members in line to the Throne.He will have happily given the Prince his consent to fly to Austria..It's not that it's a country at war,it's just snow locally.

I just think it's a risk policy to allow the Crown Prince, his children, Prince Constantijn, and his children all board the same plane, especially when the Queen is already out of the country.

I'm not judging the safety of Austria or the will of the Crown Prince, just the riskiness of having everyone on the same plane. After the whole family was sitting on the same bus during the Queen's day attack, I'd have thought they be more careful about such things.

Originally Posted by lucien

What is very striking tho is the enormous outpoor of sympathy and affection towards the prince,HM and the entire RF at this difficult moment.Truly remarkeble,and not...we always stand with them be it in happy moments,or in grief and despair,but we are all united in hope for recovery.

Events like this seem to have that effect on people.

[Muhler]

How is the mood on the street and the coverage in the media in the Netherlands tonight?

I can easily imagine the media coverage where they have mobilized every imaginable expert to say something, - anything.
And gangs of camera crews roaming the streets asking everyone and everything what they feel.
- Or is the coverage actually dignified?

What is the word on the street? Are everyone talking about the same thing or is it a general "let's hope the best" and then quietly moving on?