Women’s Health Association pays tribute to Princess Astrid

The Women’s Health Association paid tribute to Princess Astrid, who died yesterday at age 94.

Princess Astrid served as the charity’s royal patron for 72 years.

In a statement, Secretary General Kari Helene Partapuoli said:

It was with sadness that we received the news of Princess Astrid’s passing. We have greatly appreciated her commitment and she has meant a lot to our work over many years. We have experienced her as an active protector who has given greetings, participated and even represented us.

The rest of the statement reads, “Princess Astrid was 22 years old when she became the High Patron of the Women’s Health Association in 1954. She was then the First Lady of Norway after her mother, Crown Princess Märta, passed away. The patronage lasted for 72 years, and she was involved in the association’s work until the very end. The Princess herself said that it was with great joy and pride that she was patron. Because the work that the Women’s Health Association does means a lot to so many, as the Princess said in her video greeting to the 2024 national meeting: ‘You see people. You see where help is needed. And you take action.’

“Throughout her long life, she has been involved in much of the work of the Nurses. In 1955, for example, she laid the foundation stone for a home for children with cerebral palsy in Sarpsborg. In 1974-1975, she was very involved in the rheumatism cause and was honorary chairman of the action council for the Rheumatism Year, when the Nurses’ rheumatism work received the proceeds from the television campaign. In 2008, the princess presented the Nurses’ honorary prize, the Fredrikke Prize, to the then Crown Princess Mette-Marit. And one of the very last official assignments she carried out was to be present at the Blindern and Vindern Nurses’ Association’s 100th anniversary in May of this year. Thank you for everything, Princess Astrid.”