Princess Astrid of Norway, the sister of late King Harald V, has died aged 94, two days after attending her brother’s funeral, Norway’s royal palace has announced.
King Haakon VIII paid tribute to his aunt, saying that “throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner”.
Harald died last month aged 89 after more than 35 years on the Norwegian throne. His funeral on Wednesday was Astrid’s final public engagement.
Princess Astrid, the last surviving child of King Olav V, will be buried at state expense, while flags will be flown at half-mast across Norway, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
Astrid became Norway’s first lady at the age of 22 in 1954 following the death of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha. Her father, Olav, never remarried, and Astrid retained the title until her brother married in 1968.
Her nephew, King Haakon, said Astrid had been particularly committed to caring for and including vulnerable people throughout her public life.
Her health had deteriorated in recent months, and she was treated in hospital for pneumonia in March.
Dozens of European royals and heads of state attended Harald’s funeral, including the Prince of Wales and three Nordic kings. Thousands of people lined the route from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral.
Among the foreign leaders who attended were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and five prime ministers.
In the final months of Harald’s life, Norway’s royal family also faced personal controversies, including revelations about Queen Mette-Marit’s past contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the criminal case involving her son, Marius Borg Høiby.
Høiby, who is not a royal but grew up within the royal family, was sentenced to four years in prison in June after being convicted of two counts of rape. He is currently under house arrest pending an appeal and was permitted to attend Harald’s funeral.