The Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital have together received nearly $7 million — among the largest gifts ever made to either institution — from the philanthropic family that created the Prince Charitable Trusts.

The gift will benefit the emergency rooms of the two Lifespan network hospitals by establishing the Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund and the Wood Prince Emergency Nursing Program.

Close to $4 million will go to The Miriam Hospital emergency department, which treats 51,000 patients a year. Newport’s emergency department, which cares for about 31,000 patients a year, will receive nearly $3 million. Linda Shelton, a Lifespan spokeswoman, said it was the “single largest gift” Newport has ever received and the second-largest to be given to Miriam.

“We don’t see gifts outside of [fundraising] campaigns like this very often,” Shelton said. “These are substantial and very important.”

The gift from the Frederick Henry Prince 1932 Trust was given by trustee William Wood Prince and his wife, Sharon Baron Wood Prince, who live in Newport and Chicago.

“Sharon and I feel privileged to be able to direct this gift to The Miriam and Newport hospitals,” William Wood Prince said in a statement. “My grandfather, Frederick Prince, greatly appreciated quality health care and the need for caregivers to be supported. Both hospitals deliver outstanding care. … To support such a tradition of quality and to make a difference in the continuing education of nurses is an honor. ”

The nursing fund will be used to help pay for emergency staff members to further their education, obtain credentials and attend conferences.

“The idea is to bring that information back and provide even better care to patients,” said Shelton.

Arthur Sampson, executive director of Miriam Hospital, said in a statement that the gift is “extraordinary, particularly during these challenging economic times, and will benefit so many in our community.

Frederick Henry Prince was a Boston entrepreneur who owned a brokerage and investment banking firm. He later became a financier and an early investor in railroads and was the owner of the Union Stockyards in Chicago. He and his wife were residents of Newport.

rsalit@projo.com