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Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

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Princess Astrid
Princess Astrid when she was a russ from Nissen's Girls' School in 1950
Born (1932-02-12) 12 February 1932 (age 93)
Villa Solbakken, Oslo, Norway
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1961; died 2015)​
Issue
  • Cathrine Ferner
  • Benedikte Ferner
  • Alexander Ferner
  • Elisabeth Ferner
  • Carl-Christian Ferner
Names
Astrid Maud Ingeborg
HouseGlücksburg
FatherOlav V of Norway
MotherMärtha of Sweden
Norwegian royal family
* Member of the Norwegian Royal House

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".[1]

Life

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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. 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. Princess Astrid was named after her maternal aunt, paternal grandmother, and maternal grandmother.[2] 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.

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.[3] 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.[4] She then studied economics and political history for two years at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.[5]

Her confirmation took place on 9 May 1948 in the Palace Chapel. Princess Astrid studied ceramics with Halvor Sandøs and had her own pottery studio in Skaugum. She was an accomplished ski-er and yachtswoman.[6]

Princess 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.[7][2] 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 Princess Astrid married commoner John Martin Ferner in Oslo. They met when she hired him to sail her yacht in a race.[8] 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[9] and no longer got the annual endowment of 50,000 Norwegian crowns that she previously received as First Lady.[10] They raised their family in Vinderen. She now lives in Nordmarka, Oslo.

In 2002, the government granted the Princess an honorary pension in recognition of her efforts on behalf of Norway, both during and following her years as first lady.[11] 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.[12]

In February 2012, Princess Astrid celebrated her 80th birthday with a private dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo.[13]

Marriage and children

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Princess Astrid married commoner Johan Martin Ferner in Asker Church on 12 January 1961.[14] They had five children, seven grandchildren, and as of 2023, three great-grandchildren.[15]

  • Cathrine Ferner (b. 22 July 1962, Oslo),[16] 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:
      • Nicoline Johansen (b. 25 April 2019).
      • Ferdinand Johansen (b. 25 January 2021).
    • Madeleine Ferner Johansen (b. 7 March 1993, Oslo), married 17 October 2022 in Oslo, Ole-Aleksander Karlsen, and has one daughter:
      • Hermine Karlsen (b. 10 August 2023).
  • Benedikte Ferner (b. 27 September 1963, Oslo),[17] 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),[18] 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),[19] 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),[20] married 4 October 2014 in Oslo, Anna-Stina Slattum[21] and they have two daughters together:[22]
    • Fay Slattum Ferner (b. 10 July 2018 Oslo, Norway).[23]
    • Fam Slattum Ferner (b. 28 January 2021, Oslo, Norway).[21][23]

Patronages

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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.[24]

She is a patron of several organisations with a focus on children and young people with dyslexia, having the condition herself.[25][26]

  • 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[27]

Titles, styles and honours

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Styles of
Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
Reference styleHer Highness
Spoken styleYour Highness

Titles

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  • 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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See also: List of honours of the Norwegian royal family by country

Princess Astrid has been awarded the following orders and decorations:[28]

National honours

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Foreign honours

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Honorific eponym

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ "Honeymooner Astrid may come to Britain". Daily Herald. London, UK. 11 January 1961. p. 4.
  2. ^ a b "Princess Astrid celebrates her 80th birthday". Norwegian Royal House. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Her Highness Princess Astrid". Kongehuset.no. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  4. ^ Hartvig Nissens skole 150 år. 1999.
  5. ^ "Princess Astrid to marry commoner". The Birmingham Post. Birmingham, UK. 14 November 1960. p. 13.
  6. ^ "The Norwegian Princesses". The Scotsman. Edinburgh, UK. 17 October 1962. p. 6.
  7. ^ "Princess Astrid to marry commoner". The Birmingham Post. Birmingham, UK. 14 November 1960. p. 13.
  8. ^ [inshttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19601114/221/0028ert "Princess to marry Mr"]. Daily Mirror. London, UK. 14 November 1960. p. 28.
  9. ^ "Princess Astrid to marry commoner". The Birmingham Post. Birmingham, UK. 14 November 1960. p. 13.
  10. ^ Boulay de La Meurthe, Laure (1984). There are still kings : the ten royal families of Europe. New York, USA: C N Potter. p. 143. ISBN 9780517548387.
  11. ^ "Her Highness Princess Astrid". royalcourt.no.
  12. ^ "Plaque commemorating the King's exile". Kongehuset.no. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  13. ^ Berglund, Nina (12 February 2012). "Palace dinner for princess' 80th : Views and News from Norway". Newsinenglish.no. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  14. ^ Wisdom, Rachel (2013). A shopkeeper's daughter. Indiana, USA: Bloomington. p. 86. ISBN 9781490815435.
  15. ^ "Family Ferner". Tv2.no. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Johan Martin Ferner", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), 22 August 2023, retrieved 21 May 2024
  17. ^ "Johan Martin Ferner", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), 22 August 2023, retrieved 21 May 2024
  18. ^ "Johan Martin Ferner", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), 22 August 2023, retrieved 21 May 2024
  19. ^ "Johan Martin Ferner", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), 22 August 2023, retrieved 21 May 2024
  20. ^ "Johan Martin Ferner", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), 22 August 2023, retrieved 21 May 2024
  21. ^ a b Birth announcement in Aftenposten 25 February 1984 No. 95 p. 18 and Norwegian tax lists of 2001 and 2009.
  22. ^ "OHF-styret". OSF. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012.
  23. ^ a b "Descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark". heinbruins.nl. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  24. ^ "kongehuset.no - Crown Princess Märtha's Memorial Fund". 6 December 2007. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007.
  25. ^ "2007 Scandinavian Hall of Fame Awards". The Bismarck Tribune. North Dakota, USA. 8 October 2007. p. 8.
  26. ^ "rganisations under the patronage of Princess Astrid". royalcourt.no. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  27. ^ "Organisations under the patronage of Princess Astrid". Kongehuset.no. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  28. ^ "The Decorations of HH Princess Astrid". Royalcourt.no. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  29. ^ "The Decorations of HH Princess Astrid". Royalcourt.no. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Tildeling av Kong Harald Vs jubileumsmedalje 1991-2016" (in Norwegian). 25 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016.
  31. ^ "Fálkaorðuhafar" (in Norwegian). 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  32. ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Boe.es. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  33. ^ "No. 40020". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 November 1953. p. 6232.
[edit]
Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
Born: 12 February 1932
Honorary titles
Preceded by President of Organizing Committee for Winter Olympic Games
1952
With: Haakon VII of Norway, Olaf Helset, House of Glücksburg 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Princess_Astrid,_Mrs._Ferner&oldid=1297293917"