Norway's Princess Astrid dies two days after attending brother King Harald's funeral

What the report says

Princess Astrid of Norway has died at the age of 94, the royal palace said, two days after she attended the funeral of her brother, King Harald V, in Oslo. BBC World News reported that Astrid’s death comes shortly after the end of Harald’s reign, which lasted more than 35 years before he died last month at 89.

In a tribute, the new king, Haakon VIII, said his aunt had represented the Royal House “in a warm and dutiful manner” throughout her long life. He also praised her work on care and inclusion for people in vulnerable circumstances. The prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, said she will be buried at state expense and that flags will be flown at half-mast across Norway.

Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V and had become Norway’s first lady in 1954 after the death of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha. BBC World News noted that she kept that role until Harald married in 1968. Her health had declined in recent months, and she received hospital treatment for pneumonia in March.

Her death follows a period of public mourning for the Norwegian royal family. Harald’s funeral drew European royals, heads of state and thousands of members of the public to Oslo, underscoring the monarch’s long national significance and the close public interest in the family’s recent losses.