A member of the European aristocracy has died aged 46 leaving behind her five young children, it has emerged. passed away earlier this month in France, where she lived with husband Archduke Carl Christian and their family.

The shock news was confirmed in a bulletin that said that her family were "deeply saddened" to announce her death. Estelle was mum to five children - Zita, 17, Anezka, 15, Anna, 12, Paola, 10 and Pier-Giorgio, aged just four. The announcement said: "Her husband, Archduke Carl Christian, their children, her parents, and her in-laws are deeply saddened to announce that Archduchess Estelle of Austria, née Lapra de Saint Romain, was called to God on Tuesday, March 4, 2025."

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Her funeral was held last week in Nice, close to the family home, with mourners from across European royalty and aristocracy attending, including Princess Astrid of Belgium and Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg.

In 2007, Estelle, who was born in France, married Archduke Carl Christian - a great-grandson of Emperor Charles I, the last ruler of Austria-Hungary. However, the monarchy was abolished in 1918, although the family has remained as part of the European aristocracy. Carl Christian's cousin Archduke Archduke Karl von Habsburg is the current head of the family.

His wife's death comes after the shock death of another member of European royalty. Earlier this month, it was announced that 22-year-old Prince Frederik of had died after a battle with a .

He was born with POLG Mitochondrial disease, a disorder which affects the energy producing parts of cells in people's bodies. It can cause progressive weakness of muscles, as well as conditions such as epilepsy and liver failure.

The royal was diagnosed with it at the age of 14 when his symptoms became more noticeable. He passed away earlier this month at the age of 22 in Paris, the family said in a statement. , said: "Frederik knows he is my superhero, as he is to all of our family, and to so very many good friends and to so very many people the over.

"Part of his superpower was his ability to inspire and to lead by example. Frederik was born with a special capacity for positivity, joy, and determination. When he was little, I would always say that if there is one child of ours that I would never need to worry about, it was him.

"Over the years on a number of occasions, Frederik voiced his gratitude for having his disease. He cited the intensity of his experiences and his relationships as the reason for this. He felt there were so many amazing people that he would never have known had it not been for his disease.

"We wish to extend our deep gratitude for all the messages of support and love received by our family in this very difficult moment. With our superhero's help we hope to turn our deep grief into positive results and therewith follow his unwavering example. His ultimate message is one of hope, compassion, and resilience. We are all so very proud of you, Frederik. I am so very proud of you. We love you."

During his brief life, the royal launched the POLG Foundation, which aims at supporting research into the condition, as well as those who suffer from it.