Princess Astrid of Norway passed away on Friday at the age of 94, the Royal Palace said in a statement. Astrid was the older sister of Norway’s long-serving King Harald, who died in August after over 35 years on the throne. His funeral was held on Wednesday. He was 89-years-old. He was succeeded by King Haakon VIII, his second-born, but only son. “Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner,” the new king said in the statement. The princess will be buried at state expense and flags will be flown at half-mast across Norway, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said. Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who reigned from 1957 to 1991. She took on the role of First Lady at the age of 22 in 1954 when her mother died, and held it until her brother married in 1968. The statement did not provide a cause of death but Astrid’s health had deteriorated recently, and in March she was hospitalized with pneumonia.
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