Princess Astrid of Norway

Princess Astrid
Spouse	Johan Martin Ferner
Issue
Cathrine Ferner Benedikte Ferner Alexander Ferner Elisabeth Ferner Carl-Christian Ferner
Full name
Astrid Maud Ingeborg
House	House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Father	Olav V of Norway
Mother	Princess Märtha of Sweden
Born	12 February 1932 (1932-02-12) (age 79) Villa Solbakken, Oslo, Norway

Princess Astrid of Norway, Mrs. Ferner, (Astrid Maud Ingeborg, born Oslo, 12 February 1932) is the second daughter of King Olav V of Norway (1903–1991) and his wife, Princess Märtha of Sweden (1901–1954). She is the older sister of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and younger sister of Princess Ragnhild of Norway.

As she is the great-granddaughter of Edward VII of the United Kingdom, she is also in the line of succession to the British throne. She is a second cousin to Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret and also a maternal first cousin to Baudouin of Belgium and his successor Albert II of Belgium.

Biography

From her mother's death in April 1954 until her brother's marriage in August 1968, Princess Astrid was the First Lady of Norway, working side-by-side with her father on all representation duties, including State Visits. Princess Astrid is chair of the board of Crown Princess Märtha’s Memorial Fund which provides financial support to social and humanitarian initiatives carried out by non-governmental organisations.

The Princess married divorced commoner Johan Martin Ferner (b. Asker, 22 July 1927), a sailor and Olympic medalist and a department store owner, in Asker Church outside Oslo on 12 January 1961.

The couple have five children and five grandchildren together:

• Cathrine Ferner (b. 22 July 1962 in Oslo), married 9 December 1989 in Oslo, Arild Johansen (b. 18 June 1961 in Oslo), and has two children:
  • Sebastian Ferner Johansen (b. 9 March 1990 in Oslo)
  • Madeleine Ferner Johansen (b. 7 March 1993 in Oslo)
• Benedikte Ferner (b. 27 September 1963 in Oslo), married firstly 30 Apr 1994 in Oslo (div 1998) Rolf Woods (b. 17 June 1963 in Oslo), without issue; married secondly on 2 December 2000 in Oslo and separated in 2002, Mons Einar Stange (b. 26 May 1962 in Oslo), without issue
• Alexander Ferner (b. 15 March 1965 in Oslo), married 27 July 1996 in Holmenkollen Kapell, Oslo, Margrét Gudmundsdóttir (b. 27 March 1966 in Reykjavík, Iceland), and has two children:
  • Edward Ferner (b. 28 March 1996 in Bærum, Norway)
  • Stella Ferner (b. 23 April 1998 in Bærum, Norway)
• Elisabeth Ferner (b. 30 March 1969 in Oslo), married 3 October 1992 in Oslo, Tom Folke Beckmann (b. 1 January/14 January 1963 in Oslo), and has one son:
  • Benjamin Ferner Beckmann (b. 25 April 1999 in Oslo)
• Carl-Christian Ferner (b. 22 October 1972 in Oslo), unmarried and without issue

Norwegian Royal Family

HM The King * HM The Queen * HRH The Crown Prince * HRH The Crown Princess * HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra * HH Prince Sverre Magnus Marius Borg Høiby HH Princess Märtha Louise Ari Behn Maud Angelica Behn Leah Isadora Behn Emma Tallulah Behn Extended royal family HH Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen Erling S. Lorentzen HH Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner Johan Ferner * Member of the Norwegian Royal House

Princess Astrid is styled Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, since her marriage. Abroad she is entitled to be styled as Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner.

Patronages

The Princess is a patron of several organizations and participates in their activities with great interest. She has been particularly involved in work for children and young people with dyslexia, herself having had a hard time during her childhood and youth due to that condition.

• Foundation 3,14 – Gallery 3,14 (Hordaland International Art Gallery)
• The Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association
• The Norwegian Women’s and Family Association
• The Norwegian Women’s Defence League
• Oslo Art Association
• The Norwegian Women’s Voluntary Defence Association
• Inner Wheel Norway
• The Norwegian Dyslexia Association
• Dissimilis Norway
• Foreningen for Kroniske Smertepasienter (“The Norwegian Association of Chronic Pain Patients”)
• Trondheim Symphony Orchestra

Honours

Styles of Princess Astrid of Norway
Reference style	Her Highness
Spoken style	Your Highness
Alternative style	Ma'am

A 580,000 km² area in Antarctica is named Princess Astrid Coast in her honour.

• Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
• The Royal House Centenary Medal
• Haakon VIIs Jubilee Medal 1905–1955
• Haakon VIIs Centenary Medal
• Olav Vs Commemorative Medal of 30. January 1991
• Olav Vs Jubilee Medal 1957-1982
• Olav Vs Centenary Medal
• Royal Family Order of King Haakon VII of Norway
• Royal Family Order of King Olav V of Norway
• Royal Family Order of King Harald V of Norway
• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star
• King Gustaf Vs 90th Birthday Medal
• King Carl XVI Gustaf's 50th Birthday Medal
• Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
• Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite
• Grand Cross of the Federal Cross of Merit
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Jordan (Al-Kawkab Al Urdoni)
• Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Portugal)
• Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
• Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao

Ancestry

Princess Astrid of Norway House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg Born: 12 February 1932
Norwegian royalty
Preceded by Victoria Ribeiro	Line of succession to the British throne	Succeeded by Alexander Ferner
Preceded by Alfred Schläppi & Heinrich Schläppi	President of Organizing Committee for Winter Olympic Games (with Haakon VII of Norway, Olaf Helset & House of Glücksburg ) 1952	Succeeded by Enrico Colli