Prince Henry of Prussia (1900–1904)

Greater imperial coat of arms of Germany

Prince Henry of Prussia (Heinrich) (9 January 1900 – 26 February 1904) was a member of the House of Hohenzollern, the ruling dynasty of the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. He was the youngest child of Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929) and his wife, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine.

Early Life

Prince Henry was born on 9 January 1900 in Kiel, a city in northern Germany. His father, Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929), was a younger brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. His mother, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, was a daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, making her a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Family

Prince Henry had two older brothers:

• Prince Waldemar of Prussia (1889–1945)
• Prince Sigismund of Prussia (1896–1978)

Health and Death

Prince Henry suffered from hemophilia, a genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This condition was inherited from his mother, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, who was a carrier of the hemophilia gene. His maternal grandmother, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, was also a carrier, having inherited the gene from her mother, Queen Victoria.

Prince Henry's health was fragile due to his condition, and he succumbed to complications from hemophilia on 26 February 1904, at the young age of four. His early death was a significant loss to his family, who had already been affected by the genetic disorder.

Ancestry

Prince Henry's ancestry is notable for its connections to several European royal families. Through his father, he was a member of the House of Hohenzollern, and through his mother, he was related to the House of Hesse and the British royal family.

Legacy

Although Prince Henry's life was brief, his story is a poignant reminder of the impact of genetic disorders on royal families. His death highlighted the prevalence of hemophilia within European royalty, a condition that affected many descendants of Queen Victoria.

See Also

• House of Hohenzollern
• German Empire
• Kingdom of Prussia
• Hemophilia in European royalty
• Queen Victoria