Princess Astrid Of Norway Dies At 94, Two Days After Brother’s Funeral

Princess Astrid of Norway, sister of the late King Harald V, has died at the age of 94, just two days after attending her brother’s funeral.

According to a report by the BBC, the new King, Haakon VIII, paid tribute to Astrid, saying that “throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner”.

King Harald died last month at the age of 89 after more than three decades on the Norwegian throne, with Astrid’s attendance at his funeral marking her final public appearance.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the princess would be buried at state expense, while flags would be flown at half-mast across the country in her honour.

Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who ruled Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991.

She became Norway’s first lady at the age of 22 in 1954, after the death of her mother Crown Princess Märtha. Olav did not remarry and Astrid retained the title until her brother’s marriage in 1968.

“In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society,” her nephew King Haakon said in his statement.

Her health had deteriorated in recent months and in March she received hospital treatment for pneumonia.

Read Also: Norway Mourns King Harald V, Nation’s Beloved ‘Grandfather’

Dozens of European royals and heads of state attended Harald’s funeral on Wednesday, including the Prince of Wales and three Nordic kings.

Thousands of people lined the route during a procession from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral on Wednesday afternoon.

The non-royal leaders paying their respects included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and five foreign prime ministers.

In the final months of Harald’s life, Norway’s royal family faced personal challenges and scandal.

Earlier this year, documents revealed that King Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, had had frequent contact with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She later said she wished she had never met the late disgraced financier.

Meanwhile, her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby – who is not a royal but grew up within the family – was given a four-year jail term for two counts of rape in June.

Høiby, who is under house arrest pending appeal, was granted permission to attend the funeral.