Hemophilia is a fatal sex-linked disease. The disease is inherited by a recessive gene on the human X chromosome. When erogenous, the wound bleeds continuously and the blood does not clot. Erosion can lead to death. It is called criss-cross disease as the disease is transmitted from father through daughter to grandson.
Hemophilia is called the royal disease. Of the nine children of Queen Victoria of England (1837–1901), two daughters, Alice and Beatrice, were carriers of the hemophilic gene. Of Alice’s two daughters, Tsarina Alexandra was married to Prince Nicholas of Russia and Irene to Prince Heinrich of Germany. Beatrice’s daughter Victoria was given in marriage to King Alfonso of Spain. As a result, the disease spread through the royal family. Hence it is called royal disease. The latent hemophilia gene is inherited from father through daughter to grandson i.e. follows the criss-cross transmission principle.