Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

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Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner (Astrid Maud Ingeborg; born 12 February 1932) is the second daughter of King Olav V and his wife, Princess Märtha of Sweden. She is the older sister of King Harald V of Norway and younger sister of the late Princess Ragnhild. Her 1961 marriage to divorced commoner John Martin Ferner caused a scandal, reported as "the most controversial royal wedding since the Abdication".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Life

Astrid was born on 12 February 1932 at Villa Solbakken to the future King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha. She was baptized in the Palace Chapel on 31 March 1932. Her godparents were her paternal grandparents, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway; her maternal grandparents, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden; her maternal aunt, Princess Astrid, Duchess of Brabant; Elizabeth, Duchess of York; her grandaunt, Princess Thyra of Denmark; her granduncle, Prince Eugen of Sweden; and Prince George of the United Kingdom. Astrid was named after her maternal aunt, paternal grandmother, and maternal grandmother.<ref name="royalhouse">Template:Cite web</ref> Astrid is a great-granddaughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and thus a second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. At the time of her birth, she was 18th in the line of succession to the British throne.

Astrid grew up on the royal estate of Skaugum in Asker and was privately educated during her childhood. During World War II, she joined her family fleeing the Nazis and spent the war with her mother, brother and sister in exile in Washington, DC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the royal family's return to Norway she attended Nissen's Girls' School and graduated with the examen artium university entrance exam in 1950.<ref>Hartvig Nissens skole 150 år. 1999.</ref> She then studied economics and political history for two years at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Her confirmation took place on 9 May 1948 in the Palace Chapel. Astrid studied ceramics with Halvor Sandøs and had her own pottery studio in Skaugum. She was an accomplished ski-er and yachtswoman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Astrid's mother died in 1954. From which time until her brother's marriage in August 1968 she was the senior lady of the court and acted as first lady of Norway, working side-by-side with her father on all representation duties, including state visits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="royalhouse"/> In September 1954, she took part in the ship tour organized by Queen Frederica and her husband King Paul of Greece, which became known as the “Cruise of the Kings”, attended by over 100 royals from across Europe.

In January 1961 Astrid married commoner John Martin Ferner in Oslo. They met when she hired him to sail her yacht in a race.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The marriage was met by "bitter opposition" from the Norwegian Church as Ferner had been previously married. After the marriage, she became known as Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and no longer got the annual endowment of 50,000 Norwegian crowns that she previously received as First Lady.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They raised their family in Vinderen. She now lives in Nordmarka, Oslo.

In 2002, the government granted Astrid an honorary pension in recognition of her efforts on behalf of Norway, both during and following her years as first lady.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005 she took part in ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, including the unveiling of a plaque marking the Norwegian monarch's exile in London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2012, Astrid celebrated her 80th birthday with a private dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Marriage and children

Astrid married commoner Johan Martin Ferner in Asker Church on 12 January 1961.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They had five children, seven grandchildren, and as of 2023, three great-grandchildren.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Cathrine Ferner (b. 22 July 1962, Oslo),<ref>Template:Citation</ref> married 9 December 1989 in Oslo, Arild Johansen (b. 18 June 1961, Oslo), and has two children:
    • Sebastian Ferner Johansen (b. 9 March 1990, Oslo), and his partner Ida Belinda Lundstrøm have two children: a daughter born in 2019, and a son born in 2021.
    • Madeleine Ferner Johansen (b. 7 March 1993, Oslo), married 17 October 2022 in Oslo, Ole-Aleksander Karlsen, and has one daughter, born in 2023.
  • Benedikte Ferner (b. 27 September 1963, Oslo),<ref>Template:Citation</ref> married firstly 30 April 1994 in Oslo (divorced 1998) Rolf Woods (b. 17 June 1963, Oslo), without issue, and married secondly on 2 December 2000 in Oslo and separated in 2002, Mons Einar Stange (b. 26 May 1962, Oslo), without issue.
  • Alexander Ferner (b. 15 March 1965, Oslo),<ref>Template:Citation</ref> married 27 July 1996 in Holmenkollen Kapell, Oslo, Margrét Gudmundsdóttir (b. 27 March 1966, Reykjavík, Iceland), and has two children:
    • Edward Ferner (b. 28 March 1996, Bærum, Norway).
    • Stella Ferner (b. 23 April 1998, Bærum, Norway).
  • Elisabeth Ferner (b. 30 March 1969, Oslo),<ref>Template:Citation</ref> married 3 October 1992 in Oslo, Tom Folke Beckmann (b. 14 January 1963, Oslo), and has one son:
    • Benjamin Ferner Beckmann (b. 25 April 1999, Oslo).
  • Carl-Christian Ferner (b. 22 October 1972, Oslo),<ref>Template:Citation</ref> married 4 October 2014 in Oslo, Anna-Stina Slattum<ref name=":0">Birth announcement in Aftenposten 25 February 1984 No. 95 p. 18 and Norwegian tax lists of 2001 and 2009.</ref> and they have two daughters together, born in 2018 and 2021,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Patronages

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She is a patron of several organisations with a focus on children and young people with dyslexia, having the condition herself.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • 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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Titles, styles and honours

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Titles

  • 12 February 1932 – 12 January 1961: Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Norway
  • 12 January 1961 – present: Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Honours

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Astrid has been awarded the following orders and decorations:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

National honours

Foreign honours

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Honorific eponym

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References

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