Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

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.

Life
Princess 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 and 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 (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother); her grandaunt, Princess Thyra of Denmark; her granduncle, Prince Eugen of Sweden; and Prince George of the United Kingdom. Princess Astrid was named after her maternal aunt, paternal grandmother, and maternal grandmother.

Princess 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. 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. She then studied economics and political history for two years at Oxford University.

Her Confirmation took place on 9 May 1948 in the Palace Chapel.

The princess later learnt other skills including dressmaking and cooking and pursued her interests in handicrafts. Princess Astrid studied ceramics with Halvor Sandøs.

Princess Astrid's mother died on 5 April 1954 from cancer at age 53 when Astrid was 22 years old. From her mother's death until her brother's marriage in August 1968, Princess Astrid 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. Princess Astrid raised her family in Vinderen; she now lives in Nordmarka, Oslo. Her hobbies include knitting, embroidery, reading and painting porcelain.

In 2002, the Government granted the Princess an honorary pension in recognition of all her efforts on behalf of Norway both during and following her years as first lady. 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.

In February 2012, Princess Astrid celebrated her 80th birthday with a private dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo.

Marriage and children
Princess Astrid married commoner Johan Martin Ferner in Asker Church on 12 January 1961. Together, the couple have five children, seven grandchildren, and as of 2023, three great-grandchildren.


 * Cathrine Ferner (b. 22 July 1962, Oslo), 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).
 * Nicoline Johansen (b. 2019)
 * Ferdinand Johansen (b. 2021)
 * Madeleine Ferner Johansen (b. 7 March 1993, Oslo), married 17 October 2022 in Oslo, Ole Aleksander.
 * Hermine Aleksander (b. 2023)
 * Benedikte Ferner (b. 27 September 1963, Oslo), 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), 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), 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), married 4 October 2014 in Oslo, Anna-Stina Slattum Karlsen (b. 23 February 1984). He works for the family business, Ferner Jacobsen AS.
 * Fay Ferner (b. 10 July 2018)
 * Fam Ferner (b. 28 January 2021)

Patronages
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.

She is a patron of several organisations. She has been particularly involved in work for children and young people with dyslexia, herself having 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

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
Princess Astrid has been awarded the following orders and decorations:

National honours

 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Dame of the Royal Family Order of Haakon VII of Norway
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Dame of the Royal Family Order of King Olav V of Norway
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Dame of the Royal Family Order of King Harald V of Norway
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the King Haakon VII Golden Jubilee Medal
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Haakon VII
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the King Olav V Silver Jubilee Medal
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the King Olav V Commemorative Medal
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal
 * 🇳🇴 Norway: Recipient of the Holmenkollen Medal

Foreign honours

 * 🇧🇪 Belgium: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
 * 🇫🇮 Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
 * 🇫🇷 France: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
 * 🇩🇪 Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
 * 🇮🇸 Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
 * 🇯🇴 Jordan: Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan
 * 🇱🇺 Luxembourg: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange
 * 🇵🇹 Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
 * 🇪🇸 Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden: Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden: Recipient of 90th Birthday Medal of King Gustav V
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden: Recipient of 50th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand: Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao

Honorific eponym

 * Antarctica: Princess Astrid Coast

Ancestry
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.