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Norwegian King Haakon has begun his reign with deeply personal grief!
After consigning his late father, King Harald V, to the earth in the middle of this week, another key member of the royal family passed away on Friday, September 11th, 2026.
The grieving monarch announced the death of his aunt and his father's elder sister, Princess Astrid, at the age of 94.
"Princess Astrid has passed away. His Majesty the King has received with great sorrow the news that Princess Astrid has passed away. The Princess fell asleep today, Friday 11. September, 94 years old," the palace confirmed the sombre update.
Now, sharing his first message, Haakon shared, "Princess Astrid turned 94 years old. For 14 years, from 1954 to 1968, Princess Astrid was Norway’s first lady, and she had official assignments until the end."
Inside look into Princess Astrid's key royal responsibilities
The 53-year-old King revealed that "Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned about care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society. She was very loyal and always carried out her tasks with dedication, presence and an infectious spirit."
He concluded his tearful message by describing the importance of the late former first lady of Norway, stating, "Aunt Astrid was an important support for King Harald and the rest of us in the family."
Alongside the tearful note, Haakon also honoured his deceased aunt by sharing throwback black-and-white images featuring the late Princess and his dad, King Harald, who also died a few years before his elder sister.
A hearfelt musical nod to late princess
The detail that broke millions of hearts was the heart-wrenching Norwegian song, Siste Dans (Last Dance) by Amanda Delara.
Fans' reaction over Haakon's tribute to Princess Astrid
As the new message from His Majesty resurfaced, several fans showed support for the entire Norwegian Royal Family over their back-to-back family loss.
One said, "Accompanied his little brother to the end, and then to travel after. Strong, beautiful Princess Astrid, thank you for everything. Rest in peace."
"My heart is with the Royal Family. Sending you all my love, tenderness and warmth at this deeply sad time," another added.
"It is surreal that both His Majesty King Harald V and Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, are gone," another lamented.
So far, Princess Astrid's funeral service has not been announced yet.
