European Royals

Princess Astrid to be reunited with the husband she fought to marry as she is laid to rest

Princess Astrid of Norway is to be laid to rest beside her husband, Johan Martin Ferner, more than a decade after his death and following a lifetime in which their marriage helped challenge long-standing expectations surrounding royal weddings. The Norwegian royal family gathered at Ris Church in Oslo for the funeral of Princess Astrid, who died on September 11 aged 94. Her funeral came just…
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Norway

Funeral details announced for Norway's Princess Astrid

The funeral of Princess Astrid of Norway will take place on September 23 in Oslo. The princess died on September 11 at the age of 94, just two days after the funeral of her beloved younger brother, King Harald. Astrid’s funeral will take place as Ris Church in the Norwegian capital with King Haakon VIII, her nephew, expected to lead mourners. His mother, Queen Sonja, was a close friend…
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Features

Princess Astrid of Norway, who has died at the age of 94, was the bride at a controversial royal wedding

When the leading princess of a royal court marries, it’s usually a grand affair with tiaras, sparkle and endless celebrations. But when Astrid, then the de facto first lady of Norway, said her ‘I dos’ in 1961, it was a low key affair that changed the rules of royal romance. Her marriage to Johan Martin Ferner was controversial but the fact that it took place at all signalled a…
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Royal News

Royalty from around the world mourns King Harald as thousands pay tribute at state funeral in Oslo

Kings, queens, princes and princesses have come together in Oslo for the funeral of King Harald V of Norway. Led by Harald’s son and successor, Haakon VIII, royalty from around the world paid tribute to the man who ruled Norway for 35 years. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets on the day of the funeral to watch the solemn procession from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral…
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