Haemophilia in European royalty
Haemophilia in European Royalty
Haemophilia (pronounced: /ˌhiːməˈfɪliə/), also spelled Hemophilia, is a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impair the body's ability to control blood clotting or coagulation, which is used to stop bleeding when a blood vessel is broken. Haemophilia has been prevalent in European royalty, often referred to as the "Royal Disease".
Etymology
The term "Haemophilia" originates from the Greek words haima (αἷμα), meaning 'blood', and philia (φιλία), meaning 'love'. The term was first used in a description of the condition by Hopff at the University of Zurich in 1828.
History in European Royalty
Haemophilia entered the bloodline of European royalty in the 19th century when Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was found to be a carrier. Her eighth child, Leopold, had the disease. Through Victoria's descendants, haemophilia was passed on to various royal families across Europe, including those of Spain, Germany, and Russia.
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) is believed to have been the carrier of haemophilia B, or Christmas disease. She passed the gene to three of her nine children. Her son, Leopold, suffered from the disease, while her daughters Alice and Beatrice were carriers.
Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich
Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918), the son of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra, was a descendant of Queen Victoria through his mother and suffered from haemophilia. His condition played a significant role in the fall of the Russian monarchy.
Related Terms
- Coagulation: The process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a clot.
- Blood clot: A clump of blood that has changed from a liquid to a gel-like or semisolid state.
- Genetic disorder: A disease caused in whole or in part by a change in the DNA sequence away from the normal sequence.
- Carrier (genetics): An individual who carries and is capable of passing on a genetic mutation associated with a disease and may or may not display disease symptoms.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Haemophilia in European royalty
- Wikipedia's article - Haemophilia in European royalty
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