Norway’s Princess Astrid, the elder sister of the late King Harald, died on Friday at the age of 94, according to the royal palace statement.
Astrid’s brother, King Harald, passed away last month at the age of 89 after spending over 35 years on the throne. She made her final public appearance at his funeral on Wednesday.
“Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner,” King Haakon VIII mentioned in the statement.
Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg, also known as Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, was a member of royal family. Born on February 12, 1932, she was the second daughter and the last surviving child of King Olav V and Princess Märtha of .
Princess Astrid was born at Villa Solbakken to the future King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha. She was baptised at the Palace Chapel on March 31.
Her godparents included her paternal grandparents, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway, her maternal grandparents, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, as well as several members of the British, Danish and Swedish royal families, including Princess Astrid of Sweden, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, Princess Thyra of Denmark, Prince Eugen of Sweden and Prince George of the United Kingdom.
Astrid was named after her maternal aunt, paternal grandmother and maternal grandmother. She was also a great-granddaughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, making her a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. At the time of her birth, she was 18th in line to the British throne.
Astrid was the aunt of King Haakon VIII and the elder sister of King Harald V. After her mother died in 1954, she took on the role of Norway’s first lady during the reign of her grandfather, King Haakon VII.
She continued to serve in the role throughout her father Olav V’s reign until her brother Harald married in 1968.
Princess Astrid studied and political history for two years at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
Princess Astrid married Johan Ferner in 1961, and the couple had five children. In her later years, she continued to take part in official public engagements and commemorative events, while receiving an honorary government pension.
She also served as chair of Crown Princess Märtha’s Memorial Fund and was patron of several organisations, particularly those working to support children and young people with dyslexia.
After the death of her mother in 1954, Astrid took on a prominent role within the Norwegian royal household. She served as the senior lady of the court and performed the duties of Norway’s first lady until her brother married Sonja Haraldsen in August 1968.
During this period, Astrid accompanied her father on official engagements and represented the royal family on state visits. In September 1954, she also joined a royal cruise organised by Queen Frederica and King Paul of Greece. The event, later known as the “Cruise of the Kings”, brought together more than 100 members of European royal families.
