Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

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Princess Astrid
Princess Astrid when she graduated from Nissen's Girls' School in 1950
Born (1932-02-12) 12 February 1932 (age 92)
Villa Solbakken, Oslo, Norway
Spouse
Johan Martin Ferner
(m. 1961; died 2015)
IssueCathrine Ferner
Benedikte Ferner
Alexander Ferner
Elisabeth Ferner
Carl-Christian Ferner
Full name
Astrid Maud Ingeborg
HouseGlücksburg
FatherOlav V of Norway
MotherPrincess Märtha of Sweden
ReligionChurch of Norway (previously) Roman Catholic

Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner (Astrid Maud Ingeborg; born 12 February 1932) is the second daughter of King Olav V and his wife, Princess Märtha of Sweden. She is the older sister of King Harald V of Norway and younger sister of the late Princess Ragnhild.

Life[change | change source]

Princess Astrid was born on 12 February 1932 at Villa Solbakken to the future King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha. She was baptized in the Palace Chapel on 31 March 1932 and her godparents were: her paternal grandparents, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway; her maternal grandparents, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden; her maternal aunt, Princess Astrid, Duchess of Brabant; Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother); Princess Thyra of Denmark; Prince Eugen of Sweden; and Prince George of the United Kingdom. Princess Astrid was named after her maternal aunt, paternal grandmother, and maternal grandmother.[1]

Princess Astrid grew up on the royal estate of Skaugum in Asker and was privately educated during her childhood. During World War II, she joined her family fleeing the Nazis and spent the war with her mother, brother and sister in exile in Washington, DC.[2]

Princess Astrid's mother died on 5 April 1954 from cancer at age 53 when Astrid was 22 years old.[source?] From her mother's death until her brother's marriage in August 1968, Princess Astrid was the senior lady of the court and acted as first lady of Norway, working side-by-side with her father on all representation duties, including state visits.[1] Princess Astrid raised her family in Vinderen; she now lives in Nordmarka, Oslo. Her hobbies include knitting, embroidery, reading and painting porcelain.[source?]

In February 2012, Princess Astrid celebrated her 80th birthday with a private dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo.[3]

Marriage and children[change | change source]

Princess Astrid married divorced commoner Johan Martin Ferner in Asker on 12 January 1961. Together, the couple have five children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[4]

Titles, styles and honours[change | change source]

Styles of
Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
Reference styleHer Highness
Spoken styleYour Highness

Titles[change | change source]

  • 12 February 1932 – 12 January 1961: Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Norway
  • 12 January 1961 – present: Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Ancestry[change | change source]

Astrid is a great-granddaughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and thus a second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. At the time of her birth, she was 18th in the line of succession to the British throne.

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Princess Astrid celebrates her 80th birthday". Norwegian Royal House. 11 February 2012. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  2. "Her Highness Princess Astrid". Kongehuset.no. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  3. Berglund, Nina (12 February 2012). "Palace dinner for princess' 80th : Views and News from Norway". Newsinenglish.no. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  4. "Family Ferner". Tv2.no. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

External links[change | change source]

Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
Born: 12 February 1932
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Switzerland Alfred Schläppi &
Heinrich Schläppi
President of Organizing Committee for Winter Olympic Games
1952
With: Haakon VII of Norway, Olaf Helset, House of Glücksburg
Succeeded by
Italy Enrico Colli