The Norwegian monarchy is facing further sadness after King Harald's older sister, Princess Astrid, died at the age of 94, just two days after her brother's funeral.
A statement from the Palace said: "His Majesty The King has received with great sadness the news of the passing of Princess Astrid. The Princess fell asleep today, Friday 11 September, at the age of 94."
Paying tribute to his aunt, King Haakon said: "Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House with warmth and dedication. At the age of 22, she had to assume the role of First Lady following the passing of my grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha.
"In her work, Princess Astrid always demonstrated a special interest in the care and inclusion of the most vulnerable members of society. She was very loyal and always carried out her duties with commitment, presence, and an infectious spirit. Aunt Astrid was a great support to King Harald and the rest of the family."
The royal was last seen at the state funeral of her younger brother, King Harald, held on September. Although she didn't take part in the funeral procession, she did head to Oslo Cathedral to pay tribute to her younger brother.
Astrid had been hospitalised with pneumonia earlier this year. At the time, palace communications director Guri Varpe said that the princess needed "rest and convalescence" following her illness.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe royal had remained active in her later years, saying in an interview for her 93rd birthday last year: "It's fun and nice to be useful. I sit in a chair and stuff, but it's my legs that fail and not so much my head, so I remember things, and I can be involved with things."
Who was Princess Astrid?
Born on 12 February 1932, Princess Astrid was the middle child of the late King Olav and late Crown Princess Martha. At the time of her birth, Astrid was not included in the line of succession due to agnatic primogeniture rules. When the law changed, it wasn't applied retrospectively, meaning that Astrid was never in line to the throne.
Due to the death of her mother at a young age and her older sister, Princess Ragnhild's move to Brazil, Astrid often filled in as the 'First Lady of Norway' and would be by her father's side during official royal duties. Due to all of this work, in 2002 Astrid was granted a pension by the Norwegian government.
On 12 January 1961, she walked down the aisle with Olympic silver medalist Johan Ferner, and together they welcomed five children: Cathrine (b. 1962), Benedikte (b. 1963), Alexander (b. 1965), Elisabeth (b. 1969) and Carl-Christian (b. 1972). Johan predeceased Astrid by 11 years, passing away at the age of 87 on 24 January 2015.
Alongside her five children, Astrid left behind seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
