Comatose Dutch prince moved to London hospital

(CBS News) Dutch Prince Johan Friso, in a coma since he was buried under an avalanche on Feb. 17, was transferred Thursday to a hospital in London.

The palace confirmed the transfer, saying: "Wellington hospital was recommended by experts. Considering his condition, Prince Friso will receive the best possible treatment there."

Pictures: Prince Johan Friso
Pictures: Dutch royals at prince's bedside

The 43-year-old father of two had been living for years in London, where he worked as CFO of URENCO.

His mother, Queen Beatrix, who has been at his side since the skiing accident occurred, accompanied the prince to London. The palace said she has canceled some upcoming engagements to be with her second-oldest son. Her oldest son and heir, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, is representing the queen at other engagements.

Dr. Wolfgang Koller, head of trauma at the Innsbruck hospital where Friso was first treated, told a news conference broadcast live on Dutch national television last week that it took nearly 50 minutes to reanimate the prince after he was pulled from the snow, where he had been buried for 25 minutes.

"It is clear that the oxygen starvation has caused massive brain damage to the patient," Koller said. "At the moment, it cannot be predicted if he will ever regain consciousness."

The accident occurred as Prince Johan Friso was skiing off-piste in Lech, Austria, despite avalanche warnings, with a childhood friend from the alpine village that the Dutch royal family has been visiting each winter for years.

The friend was carrying an avalanche "air bag" and escaped without serious injury. Friso was found with the help of a signaling device he was carrying and was flown by helicopter to the Innsbruck clinic.

The prince lived in London with his wife, Princess Mabel, and their two daughters, Luana, 6, and 5-year-old Zaria.