Royals with Disabilities or Special Needs

Emmy · #1 06-10-2006, 06:21 AM

I know this is somewhat of an odd topic, but I couldn't help wondering.

What happens if a member of the royal family gives birth to a child with an intellectual disability such as Down Syndrome, or something similar? Has it ever happened?

I realise that with modern screening and technology, the chance of this happening is close to zero, but it must have happened in the past.

betina · #2 06-10-2006, 06:30 AM

Yes the crownprince of Prussias daughter Alexandrine suffered from downs syndrome

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/royal...russia1915.jpg

Margrethe II · #3 06-10-2006, 06:56 AM

HRH the Prince John suffered from epilepsy and, most likely, Asperger syndrome which is a form of autism.

He was 13 years of age when he died in 1919.

Prince John Charles Francis was the youngest child of Their Majesties, the King George V & Queen Mary (formerly, Duke & Duchess of York).

The little Prince resided at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate and was well taken care of until his passing, especially by his devoted nurse & confidante, Miss Charlotte Bill.

"MII"

Warren · #4 06-10-2006, 08:15 AM

• Prince Francois of France (b 1961), the eldest son of the Comte de Paris, Head of the Royal House of France, and
• Princess Blanche, the Comte's youngest daughter (b 1962) are both handicapped.

• Princess Cornelie-Cecile of Prussia (b 1978), the sister of Prince George Friedrich, Head of the Imperial and Royal House of Prussia.

• Archduke Philipp of Austria (b 1962) suffered terrible burns as a child and was severely disfigured.

• Princess Christina of The Netherlands (b 1947)

Emmy · #5 06-10-2006, 09:15 AM

Cool, thanks guys. I was thinking more in terms of if that child was the heir, what would happen? And has it ever happened?

juliamontague · #6 06-10-2006, 02:47 PM

Kaiser Wilhelm II. of Germany had a disabled arm

Little_star · #7 06-10-2006, 03:01 PM

I'm not sure if people would count it as a disability per se, although I know it's classed as a learning disaility, but doesn't Princess Beatrice suffer from dyslexia?

purple_platinum · #8 06-10-2006, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little_star

I'm not sure if people would count it as a disability per se, although I know it's classed as a learning disaility, but doesn't Princess Beatrice suffer from dyslexia?

I think this thread is more of a physical dissabilities.

But, yes, there are quite several royals who suffer from dyslexia. One famous one is Victoria of Sweden.

Avalon · #9 06-10-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margrethe II

HRH the Prince John suffered from epilepsy and, most likely, Asperger syndrome which is a form of autism.

He was 13 years of age when he died in 1919.

Prince John Charles Francis was the youngest child of Their Majesties, the King George V & Queen Mary (formerly, Duke & Duchess of York).

The little Prince resided at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate and was well taken care of until his passing, especially by his devoted nurse & confidante, Miss Charlotte Bill.

"MII"

I have seen a very touching movie, "The Lost Prince", about Prince John. Miss Charlotte Bill was played by Gina McKee (who also played Irene in Forsyte Saga). I hadn't heard of the boy, before I saw the movie.
It was a really great one, and though it's a but off-topic, I would highly recommend it to everyone. :)

Benjamin · #10 06-10-2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emmy

Cool, thanks guys. I was thinking more in terms of if that child was the heir, what would happen? And has it ever happened?

The Comte de Clermont, even though he is severely disabled, is still the Comte de Paris's heir, although his brother, the Duc de Vendôme, will serve as regent during Clermont's term as Head of the House.

Furienna · #11 06-10-2006, 04:08 PM

It's not off-topic, Avalon. Relax!

And yes, it seems like we have a history with dyslectics in our Swedish royal family. It wouldn't have mattered to a commoner, but royal kids have to go to the best schools and get the best grades, especially back in the day. Our current king's father, prince Gustaf Adolf, was considered stupid, especially since his father the crown prince Gustaf Adolf, who later became king Gustav VI Adolf, was more intellectual. But really, he probably just couldn't keep up with school work because no one understood he had dyslexia. Instead, he became good at sports and hunting. Unfortuneately, he almost caused a crisis by dying in a plane crash, leaving his aging father and his baby son as the only heirs to the thrown. Maybe people started understanding this more and more during the 20th century, but both king Carl Gustaf and crown princess Victoria have seemed to do better than their father and grandfather did.

crisiñaki · #12 06-10-2006, 05:09 PM

http://www.abc.es/informacion/boda/r...pana/index.asp
and read the profile of Queen Victoria Eugenia

I don't know if this counts but Alfonso Pio (*1907,†1938) and Gonzalo (*1914,†1934); the eldest and the younger sons of King Alfonso XIII of Spain were hemophiliacs.

Zarevich Alexei, the heir of Nicholas II of Russia was an hemophiliac as well

juliamontague · #13 06-10-2006, 06:29 PM

and many more princes suffered from hemophilia.
But no hemophiliac did ever become king.

Juanita · #14 06-10-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purple_platinum

I think this thread is more of a physical dissabilities.

But, yes, there are quite several royals who suffer from dyslexia. One famous one is Victoria of Sweden.

Don't King Carl-Gustaf suffer also from dyslexia?

betina · #15 06-10-2006, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ...JuAnItA...

Don't King Carl-Gustaf suffer also from dyslexia?

Yes he does

morhange · #16 06-10-2006, 07:58 PM

Prince Erik of Sweden was also an epileptic like Prince John, and I think I read somewhere that he also had severe learning disabilities, or may have been mental retarded, because his mother took medications during her pregnancy with him that she probably shouldn't have, but doctors probably didn't know would have any adverse effects.

Princess Charlotte of Prussia and her daughter, Feodora, both I think were confirmed to have porphyria, which is what made George III so, well, crazy!

There were also a lot of hemophiliac princes. Alfonso, Gonzalo and Alexei were already mentioned, but there was also Prince Waldemar and Henry of Prussia (the nephews of Kaiser Wilhelm, not his brothers) Prince Leopold of GB, Prince Rupert of Teck, Prince Friedrich of Hesse, and Prince Leopold of Battenberg. I think I may have read that Princess Sibylla of Luxembourg's brother Paul, who died young, might have been a hemophiliac, but I don't know.

bluebess · #17 06-10-2006, 09:09 PM

Warren, What disability do Prince Francois and Princess Blanche of France have? Also Princess Cornelie-Cecile of Prussia? Thanks:)

zarzuela · #18 06-10-2006, 09:11 PM

Also, HRH the Infanta Margarita (King Juan Carlos' youngest sister) has been blind since birth.

Margrethe II · #19 06-10-2006, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purple_platinum

I think this thread is more of a physical dissabilities.

But, yes, there are quite several royals who suffer from dyslexia. One famous one is Victoria of Sweden.

I thought HM the King also suffered from Dyslexia?

"MII"

Margrethe II · #20 06-10-2006, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon

I have seen a very touching movie, "The Lost Prince", about Prince John. Miss Charlotte Bill was played by Gina McKee (who also played Irene in Forsyte Saga). I hadn't heard of the boy, before I saw the movie.
It was a really great one, and though it's a but off-topic, I would highly recommend it to everyone. :)

I have seen the same movie Avalon :)

I believe I watched it some time back now, in 2003, but it was a good movie although I couldn't help feel that they depicted Queen Mary as a really cold mother.

"MII"