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Princess Donata of Prussia has died aged 73 following a "long illness", it has been announced. The princess, who was the great-grandaughter of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor, was considered one of the top equestrian journalists.

The House of Hohenzollern, Germany's former Royal Family, has issued a statement expressing its "deep sorrow" over the news. They said: "With deep sorrow, the House of Hohenzollern bids farewell to Princess Donata of Prussia (1952-2026).

"After a long illness, she passed away on 25 February at the age of 73. She was a great-granddaughter of the last German Emperor, Wilhelm II, and the daughter of Wilhelm Karl, Prince of Prussia, Herrenmeister (Master of the Knights) of the Order of St John."

They added: "Professionally, she pursued an independent path: for decades, she shaped journalism in the field of equestrian sport. Her particular focus was on eventing, international breeding - especially Holsteiner horses - as well as major championships."

Princess Donata was born in Bonn on December 24, 1952, and has two younger brothers. She spent her final months in Salzhausen, a municipality in Lower Saxony. She was also known as the Duchess of Oldenburg.

The princess loved horses since childhood and competed in the German Junior Dressage Championships. She moved on to covering the sport as a journalist, covering the Olympic Games, World and European Championships.

In 2018, she was awarded the prestigious Meteor Prize in recognition of her work promoting the sport.

Her Pferd & Sport colleagues paid tribute to her as an "intelligent, knowledgeable woman who always had a sharp sense of humour, both for people and for horses".

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