By Karim Were
OSLO. Princess Astrid of Norway has died at the age of 94, just two days after attending the state funeral of her younger brother, King Harald V, in Oslo.
The Norwegian Royal Court announced on Friday, September 11, 2026, that Princess Astrid had died peacefully at the age of 94.
Her death comes during a period of mourning for Norway’s royal family. King Harald, who died on August 28 aged 89 after more than 35 years on the throne, was laid to rest at a state funeral in Oslo on Wednesday, September 9. Princess Astrid attended the service, marking what became her final public appearance.
The Royal Court said King Haakon VIII was deeply saddened by the news and ordered the flag at the Royal Palace to be flown at half-mast on Friday and again on the day of Princess Astrid’s funeral.
In a tribute, King Haakon described his aunt as a warm and dutiful representative of the Royal House who had devoted much of her life to public service.
“Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner,” the King said.
#A life of public service
Princess Astrid, formally known as Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, was born on February 12, 1932, to Crown Princess Märtha and the future King Olav V of Norway.
She was the couple’s second daughter and the elder sister of King Harald V. Her older sister, Princess Ragnhild, died in 2012.
Astrid grew up during a period of major change for the Norwegian monarchy and the country. Her childhood was also shaped by the Second World War and the Norwegian royal family’s exile.
The Royal Court has recalled how she accompanied members of the royal family on official engagements and later became an important representative of the monarchy.
Her public responsibilities increased significantly after the death of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha, in 1954.
At only 22, Astrid assumed the role of Norway’s First Lady. She continued in that position until 1968, when her younger brother, then Crown Prince Harald, married Sonja Haraldsen, who subsequently assumed the role.
During those years, Princess Astrid represented Norway and the Royal Family at numerous events both at home and abroad.
She accompanied her father, King Olav, on official tours and helped represent the monarchy at important national occasions.
The Royal Court has described her as a committed representative who maintained a strong connection with Norwegian society.
#Marriage and family
Princess Astrid married businessman Johan Martin Ferner in 1961 at Asker Church.
Following the marriage, she became known as Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner.
The couple had five children — Cathrine, Benedikte, Alexander, Elisabeth and Carl-Christian — and Princess Astrid later became a grandmother and great-grandmother.
Johan Martin Ferner died in January 2015.
Although her marriage and growing family led her to reduce some of her representative duties, Princess Astrid continued to serve the Royal Family and remained involved in charitable and social causes.
The Norwegian Royal Court said she continued to undertake official engagements for the Royal Family throughout her life.
#Focus on vulnerable groups
One of the defining aspects of Princess Astrid’s public service was her involvement with organisations supporting vulnerable people.
She chaired the board of the Crown Princess Märtha Memorial Fund and served as patron of several organisations.
The Royal Court noted that she devoted particular attention to children and young people with dyslexia.
Her work in that area reflected a broader commitment to inclusion and social support, a point also highlighted by King Haakon in his tribute.
The new monarch said Princess Astrid had been particularly committed to “caring for and including the most vulnerable in society.”
Her family also remembered her as a mother who provided love, wisdom and support throughout their lives.
In a statement released following her death, her five children described her as a devoted mother who had also remained loyal to King Olav, King Harald and the wider Royal Family.
They thanked her for the memories she had created and said she would retain a special place in their hearts.
#Final appearance at King Harald’s funeral
Princess Astrid’s final public appearance came on September 9, when she attended the funeral of King Harald at Oslo Cathedral.
The appearance carried particular significance because she was the late monarch’s elder sister and the last surviving child of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha.
Images from the funeral showed Princess Astrid attending in a wheelchair as members of the Norwegian Royal Family and representatives of other European royal houses gathered to mourn King Harald.
Her attendance came less than two weeks after King Harald died on August 28.
The 89-year-old monarch had ruled Norway since 1991, making his death a major transition for the Norwegian monarchy.
His son, Haakon, succeeded him as King of Norway.
The funeral brought together members of Norway’s Royal Family and visiting royals from across Europe, underlining the close relationships between the Scandinavian monarchies and other European royal houses.
For Princess Astrid, it was also a final public farewell to the younger brother she had supported for decades.
#Support for King Harald
King Haakon’s tribute to his aunt also emphasised her close relationship with the late monarch.
He described Princess Astrid as an important source of support for King Harald and the wider family.
“Aunt Astrid was an important source of support for King Harald and for the rest of us in the family,” he said.
The King also recalled her strong personality, saying she was not afraid to speak her mind while carrying out her duties with dedication, warmth and humour.
Her long association with the monarchy meant she had witnessed several generations of Norway’s royal family and participated in many of the institution’s most important public occasions.
#A changing Norwegian monarchy
Princess Astrid’s death marks the passing of another important member of a generation that helped shape the modern Norwegian monarchy.
She was born during the reign of her grandfather, King Haakon VII, and lived through the reigns of her father, King Olav V, and her brother, King Harald V.
She also witnessed the beginning of the reign of her nephew, King Haakon VIII.
Her life therefore spanned significant changes in Norwegian society as well as the evolution of the Royal Family’s public role.
While Norway’s monarchy remains constitutional and largely ceremonial, members of the Royal Family continue to undertake official engagements, support charitable organisations and represent the country at important national events.
Princess Astrid’s decades of service reflected that changing role.
She was not a reigning monarch and did not occupy the central constitutional position held by her father and brother, but her long public service made her a familiar figure within the Norwegian Royal House.
#Loss follows loss for royal family
The death of Princess Astrid comes only two weeks after the death of King Harald and two days after his funeral.
The close timing of the two deaths has brought another period of mourning for the Norwegian Royal Family, which is simultaneously adjusting to a new reign under King Haakon VIII.
The Royal Court has not indicated that Princess Astrid’s death was connected to the death of her brother. Her death should therefore not be described as being caused by grief or any other unconfirmed factor.
What is established is that she attended King Harald’s funeral on September 9 and died peacefully two days later, according to the Royal Court.
Her passing closes another chapter in the history of the Norwegian monarchy.
#Legacy of service
Princess Astrid leaves behind a legacy built less around constitutional authority than around continuity, representation and public service.
For 14 years, she served as Norway’s First Lady, stepping into a demanding public role while still a young woman after the death of her mother.
After King Harald’s marriage in 1968, she continued to represent the Royal Family and support charitable causes.
Her particular interest in children, young people and people with dyslexia remained an important part of her public work.
King Haakon said her dedication, loyalty and humour would be remembered by the family and by those who worked with her.
The Norwegian Royal Court’s tribute portrays a woman who remained connected to the monarchy and public life for decades, even as the institution and Norwegian society changed around her.
For Norway’s Royal Family, her death is another significant loss at the beginning of a new reign.
For the wider Norwegian public, Princess Astrid will be remembered as a member of the Royal House who spent much of her long life representing the country, supporting vulnerable groups and serving her family.
Her final public act — attending her brother’s funeral — came at the end of a lifetime of service to the Norwegian monarchy.
Her death now leaves the Royal Family to mourn another close relative as it begins a new chapter under King Haakon VIII.
**Source:🇺🇬 Be Blessed
