Norway Mourns Princess Astrid as Royal Family Loses Another Senior Member

Norway is mourning Princess Astrid, who has died at the age of 94, just two days after attending the funeral of her younger brother, King Harald V.

The Norwegian Royal House announced her death on Friday, September 11, saying the princess had died peacefully.

Her death comes shortly after a major transition for the Norwegian monarchy. King Harald died on August 28 at the age of 89 after more than three decades on the throne, with his son succeeding him as King Haakon VIII.

Princess Astrid’s appearance at Harald’s funeral in Oslo on September 9 became her final public engagement. She joined mourners and members of the royal family as Norway said farewell to the monarch.

King Haakon paid tribute to his aunt, recalling her decades of service to the Royal House and her commitment to people in need.

He said Astrid had been a source of support to Harald and the wider family, describing her as devoted to her responsibilities and deeply concerned about the inclusion and welfare of vulnerable people.

Astrid was born in 1932 and was the second daughter of then Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha. She became Norway’s First Lady in 1954, aged 22, following her mother’s death.

She held the role for 14 years, supporting her father, King Olav V, at official events and state engagements. She continued representing the Norwegian Royal House after marrying Johan Martin Ferner in 1961 and remained involved in public duties for decades.

Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V and was a member of the royal family through the reigns of her grandfather, father and brother.

Her health had become increasingly fragile in recent months, with the princess receiving hospital treatment for pneumonia in March.

The Norwegian government has announced that she will receive a state-funded funeral. Flags are also being flown at half-mast in her honour.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre paid tribute to Astrid’s long service to Norway, saying the country would remember her with both sorrow and gratitude.

Her death comes at the end of an extraordinary week for Norway’s royal family, which has lost two members of its immediate royal generation within days of each other.