Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner celebrates her 75th birthday
On 12 February King Harald and Queen Sonja hosted a dinner at the Royal Palace in honour of the 75th birthday of Her Highness Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner.
Guests at the dinner included the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as well as all of the Princess’s and Mr Johan Martin Ferner’s children and grandchildren.
Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner remains very active and continues to represent His Majesty The King and the Royal Family, undertaking several official engagements each year. The Princess chairs the board of directors of Crown Princess Märtha’s Memorial Fund. She is also an active patron of a number of organisations. She devotes particular attention to activities relating to children and adolescents with dyslexia.
First Lady
When Crown Princess Märtha died in 1954, Princess Astrid assumed the role of First Lady. She continued in this role until 1968, when then Crown Prince Harald married Miss Sonja Haraldsen. During those years before the Crown Prince was married, Princess Astrid represented Norway and the Royal Family on many occasions, both at home and abroad. She accompanied her father, King Olav, on his consecration tour in 1958, as well as on a tour of Northern Norway the following year.
In 1961 Princess Astrid married Mr Johan Martin Ferner (born 22 July 1927) in Asker Church. King Olav decided by royal resolution that after her marriage the Princess’s title would be Her Highness Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner.
Current news
Welcoming the Restauration to the US
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon, along with a couple of thousand attendees, welcomed the sloop Restauration to New York, exactly 200 years after the vessel carrying Norwegian emigrants arrived in the United States. In 1825, they crossed the Atlantic in search of a new and better life. This voyage is regarded as the beginning of organised emigration from Norway.
Met with Governor Walz in Minnesota
Minnesota is one of the states in the United States where a large proportion of the population has Norwegian ancestry. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon is therefore also visiting this state and its largest metropolitan area, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, during his trip to the United States to mark the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration to the US.
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