Princess Astrid of Norway Dies at 94, 2 Days After King Harald V's Funeral

Q: Beyond her temporary pacemaker, what undisclosed health battles did Princess Astrid quietly endure during her final public farewell to her brother?

Beyond the temporary pacemaker fitted during treatment for heart failure in May, Princess Astrid was also quietly dealing with pneumonia, worsening mobility problems and broader frailty in the months before her final public appearance. The palace had already said she was hospitalized with pneumonia earlier in 2026, and outside reporting described her as having been ill for some time before that admission. By the time she attended King Harald’s funeral, she arrived in a wheelchair because of recent health problems, underscoring that her condition had weakened her significantly even if the palace did not spell out every detail. Astrid herself had previously acknowledged that her legs were failing, saying, “It’s my legs that fail and not so much my head,” a remark that points to the mobility difficulties she was living with while still trying to remain active in public life. Other coverage also noted she had used a wheelchair in recent years and had not made an official public appearance since May before appearing for her brother’s funeral. So, aside from the pacemaker, the health struggles known around her final farewell were pneumonia, heart failure recovery, and serious mobility decline. The Royal House has not disclosed any additional specific illness tied directly to her death.

3 articles · Updated · HOLA! USA · Sep 11

Princess Astrid died peacefully on Sept. 11 at 94, the Norwegian Royal House said, just two days after she attended the state funeral of her younger brother, King Harald V, in Oslo.
King Haakon VIII ordered flags at the Royal Palace flown at half-mast and called her death a great loss, praising her warm public service and support for generations of the royal family.
Recent health troubles had left Astrid in a wheelchair at Harald’s funeral; the palace had disclosed pneumonia earlier in 2026 and heart-failure treatment with a temporary pacemaker in May.
Born in 1932, Astrid became Norway’s de facto first lady after her mother’s 1954 death and carried royal and charitable duties for decades, leaving Norway’s royal family with another loss just 14 days after Harald’s death.