Norway’s King and Queen were joined by their daughter in Oslo today as the royal family paid tribute to the late Princess Astrid at her funeral service.
Princess Astrid died on September 11 at the age of 94, only two weeks after her younger brother, the late King Harald, died aged 89 following more than 35 years on the throne.
She made her final public appearance at King Harald’s funeral, just two days before her own death. Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who reigned from 1957 until 1991.
Norway gathered in mourning to say farewell to Princess Astrid, with King Haakon VIII and Queen Mette-Marit attending the service at Ris Church in the capital alongside Queen Sonja and their daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, heir to the throne.
The country’s wider royal family was also represented by Princess Martha Louise, her husband Durek Verrett and her three daughters, Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, the new King of Norway’s stepson, was not believed to have attended. He is currently serving a four-year prison sentence under house arrest while appealing his rape convictions.
No members of the British Royal Family were present, but Buckingham Palace sent a wreath of white roses bearing a note signed “Anne”. It read: “With love and happy memories.”
The Princess Royal’s personal tribute followed her attendance at King Harald’s funeral service on September 9, where she was present in her capacity as King Haakon’s godmother.
Norway’s King and Queen were joined by their daughter as they attended Princess Astrid’s funeral service in Oslo.
Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, King Haakon’s daughter and heir to the Norwegian throne, arrives at Oslo’s Ris Church.
Princess Astrid died aged 94 on September 11, just two weeks after the death of her younger brother, King Harald, who had reigned for more than 35 years.
The funeral service for Princess Astrid began at 1pm. King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit were photographed arriving at Ris Church around five minutes before the ceremony started.
Parish priest Paul Erik Wirgenes delivered a heartfelt memorial address for the late royal and was seen greeting Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg as he arrived at the church.
Among the other guests were Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Prince Lorenz of Belgium and his wife, Princess Astrid.
On arriving for the funeral, the Swedish princess shared an emotional embrace with Princess Martha Louise of Norway.
When Princess Astrid’s death was announced earlier this month, King Haakon said in a statement: “Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner.
“In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society.”
Astrid became Norway’s first lady at the age of 22 in 1954, following the death of her mother, Crown Princess Martha. She retained the title until her brother’s marriage in 1968.
Norway’s King and Queen pay tribute to Princess Astrid, the older sister of the late King Harald.
King Haakon arrives at the memorial service for Princess Astrid, whose death was announced by the country’s royal palace on September 11.
Norway’s Queen Sonja attends Princess Astrid’s funeral in Oslo
Norway’s Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett attend Princess Astrid’s funeral at Ris Church
The nation’s royals were also joined by Princess Martha Louise, her husband Durek Verrett and Martha’s three daughters, Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn
The new King of Norway’s rapist stepson Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, who is currently serving a four-year prison sentence under house arrest while appealing his rape convictions, did not appear to be in attendance
Norway’s Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett arrive at the funeral service in Oslo
As she arrived at the service, the Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was seen sharing an emotional embrace with Princess Martha Louise of Norway
While no members of the British Royal Family were present, Buckingham Palace left a wreath of white roses with a note signed: ‘Anne’ that read: ‘With love and happy memories’
In recent months, however, her health had started to deteriorate, and in March she was hospitalised for pneumonia.
Her brother, King Harald passed away on Friday, August 28, at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet following an infection.
Harald was Europe’s oldest reigning sovereign after Queen Elizabeth II, ruling Norway for over 35 years.
Harald was being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a disorder that causes red blood cells to be destroyed at an abnormally fast rate.
Following news of his death, countless mourners descended on the palace in Oslo in an outpouring of grief – laying flowers and Norwegian flags in his honour.
King Charles III said he had extended his ‘deepest and most heartfelt condolences’ to the Norwegian Royal Family following the death of his ‘dear cousin’.
The pair were second cousins once removed, sharing great-great-grandparents King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark.
The funeral service for Princess Astrid got underway at 1pm, with King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit pictured arriving around five minutes before the service began
Parish priest Paul Erik Wirgenes issued a heartfelt memorial speech for the late royal and was seen shaking hands with Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg as he arrived at the church
Astrid became Norway’s first lady aged 22 in 1954 following her mother, Crown Princess Martha’s death. She kept her title until her brother’s marriage in 1968
A statement from her nephew, King Haakon, after Princess Astrid’s death, read: ‘Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner’
‘As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades,’ Charles said.
‘The Queen and I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Queen Sonja and all her family, as Britain shares in Norway’s grief at this time of such heartbreaking loss.’
In a move that sparked controversy, Marius Borg Hoiby attended the funeral service for Harald.
However, in a sign of his fall from grace, Hoiby, dubbed the ‘black sheep’ of the Royal Family, was sat in the row behind his loved ones, with his step-aunt Princess Martha Louise and her daughters.
He also appeared to be shunned by his step-grandmother Queen Sonja. In a video shared on X, Harald’s widow, 89, hugged each one of Martha Louise’s daughters, who Hoiby arrived alongside.
Haakon’s stepson was convicted on two counts of rape and jailed for four years following a six-week trial that laid bare allegations of violence, drug abuse and sexual misconduct.
An Oslo court also found him guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, issuing threats and committing traffic offences, although he was acquitted of two other rape charges.
Princess Astrid made her last public appearance at Harald’s funeral just two days before she died and was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who reigned from 1957 to 1991
He had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.
The conviction marked a fall for Hoiby, who grew up in the public eye after his mother married then Crown Prince Haakon in 2001 when he was just four years old.
Although he does not hold a royal title or carry out official duties, he has long been closely associated with the Norwegian Royal Family.
Hoiby, who denied the most serious allegations, including rape, while admitting to some lesser offences, was not physically present in court for the verdict and instead joined proceedings via video link.
Haakon and Mette-Marit were pictured visiting Hoiby in custody ahead of the sentencing in June, but they did not attend the high-profile trial that rocked the country.
Ahead of the trial, Haakon made his longest statement about the charges against Hoiby, noting: ‘We care about him and he is an important member of our family,’ while reiterating that his stepson is not a working royal and does not have any titles.
