OBITUARY: Princess Astrid of Norway, Mrs. Ferner

Princess Astrid of Norway was born on 12 February 1932 as the second daughter of King Olav V (then Crown Prince) and his wife, Crown Princess Märtha of Norway (born of Sweden). She was baptised Astrid Maud Ingeborg, after her aunt Queen Astrid of Belgium (born of Sweden) and her two grandmothers, Queen Maud (born of Wales) and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden. While Norway currently practises absolute primogeniture, it did not at the time of her birth, and Astrid was never in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne. However, owing to her descent from King Edward VII’s daughter Maud, she was distantly in line to the British throne. She had an elder sister, Ragnhild, who died in 2012, and a younger brother, King Harald V. The current King of Norway, King Haakon VIII, is her nephew.

Astrid grew up with her siblings on Skaugum in Asker, but the family was forced to flee from the German invasion on 9 April 1940. Until then, she had received a private education at home. Astrid, her siblings, and her mother reached safety in Sweden and eventually went to the United States, while her grandfather, King Haakon VII, and her father, Crown Prince Olav, stayed in London. Astrid lived on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., until peace was declared in 1945 and the family was reunited.

After the war, Astrid enrolled at the Nissen Girls’ School and graduated in 1950. She went on to study social economics and political history at Oxford for two years. She also learned dressmaking at Märthaskolen and cooking at Lolly Ræstad’s household school. Her mother tragically died in 1954, and when her father became King in 1957, Astrid became the acting first lady of Norway. Her elder sister, Ragnhild, married commoner Erling Lorentzen in 1953 and later moved to Brazil. Astrid began leading the HRH Crown Princess Märtha’s Memorial Fund, which remained central to her work until her death.

Astrid often accompanied her father, the King, and her brother, the Crown Prince, during official royal engagements. Astrid also married a non-royal man and, perhaps even more controversially, he was divorced. His name was Johan Martin Ferner, a businessman. Despite the reservations, her father gave his blessing.

On 12 January 1961, Astrid married Johan at Asker Church and became known as Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner. The couple went on to have five children: Cathrine (born 1962), Benedikte (born 1963), Alexander (born 1965), Elisabeth (born 1969), and Carl-Christian (born 1972). Astrid continued her duties as the first lady until her brother married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968. Astrid later told Familien magazine about her time as the first lady, “I have become acquainted with many competent, delightful people in this way, and I have gained a great deal of valuable knowledge.” Astrid was widowed in 2015.

Astrid carried out the occasional royal duty despite her age. She placed a special emphasis on causes that protect the most vulnerable in society. She still enjoyed sports and the outdoor life. Her 80th birthday was celebrated with a gala banquet.

Princess Astrid died on 11 September 2025, just two days after she had attended the funeral of her brother, King Harald.

In a statement, her children said, “Dear mother, dear Princess Astrid.  Thank you for being the best mother we could have. Throughout your life you were there for us – with love and wisdom, warmth and good humour. You were there for grandfather King Olav and uncle King Harald – present, loyal and dutiful. And in addition – for those who needed a little extra care – you always showed genuine care. In grief, we stand together in gratitude. Thank you for all the good memories. You will always have a big place in our hearts. Your children – Cathrine, Benedikte, Alexander, Elisabeth and Carl-Christian Ferner with families.”

King Haakon stated, “Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner. At the age of 22, she had to step into the role of First Lady when my grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha, passed away. In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society. She was very loyal and always carried out her duties with commitment, presence and an infectious spirit. Aunt Astrid was an important support for King Harald and the rest of us in the family. We learned a lot from her, and she was not afraid to speak up. Her passing is a great loss for us. We will miss her. My family and I send warm thoughts to Aunt Astrid’s closest friends.