Norway's Princess Astrid dies at 94, two days after King Harald's funeral

Passing of the royal house elder

Norway's Princess Astrid died on Friday, 11 September 2026, at the age of 94, two days after attending the state funeral of her brother, King Harald V. The royal palace confirmed her death in an official statement, noting that flags would fly at half-mast from the palace balcony and nationwide. Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who led the country from 1957 until 1991. Her death occurred 14 days after her nephew, King Haakon VIII, acceded to the throne following Harald's passing on 28 August at age 89. Haakon paid tribute to his aunt's lifelong devotion to the monarchy.

“Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner.”

Fourteen years as first lady

Born in 1932 as Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg, she was a great-granddaughter of Britain's King Edward VII and stood in the line of succession to the British throne. She assumed the responsibilities of Norway's first lady at age 22 after the death of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha, in 1954. Because women were barred from the Norwegian throne under the constitution at the time and Olav did not remarry, she acted as the primary royal hostess for 14 years. That role ended in 1968 when Crown Prince Harald married Sonja Haraldsen. On 12 January 1961, Astrid married businessman and 1952 Olympic sailing silver medallist Johan Ferner, and the couple had five children: Cathrine, Benedikte, Alexander, Elisabeth, and Carl-Christian.

Health setbacks and final appearance

The princess experienced deteriorating health throughout 2026, receiving hospital treatment for pneumonia in the spring before doctors fitted her with a pacemaker in May. Following an extended hospitalisation, she was discharged on 4 August and visited Harald before his death. Astrid made her final public appearance on Wednesday, 9 September, attending Harald's state funeral at Oslo Cathedral in a wheelchair. The service drew thousands of spectators along the procession route and brought together international leaders, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

State honours and royal transition

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that the government will finance a state funeral for the princess. Haakon noted that his aunt dedicated much of her public patronages to vulnerable segments of society, including serving as patron of Dyslexia Norway, whose 50th anniversary she attended in May.

“In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society.”

The bereavement follows a difficult period for the monarchy. Earlier in 2026, documents detailed past contacts between Queen Mette-Marit and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for which she expressed regret. In addition, Mette-Marit's 29-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, received a four-year prison sentence in June on two rape charges, attending Harald's funeral while under house arrest pending appeal.