JUST IN: Concern grows inside Norway’s royal circle after Princess Astrid, 94, is hospitalised during recovery — with the latest palace update drawing fresh attention

Princess Astrid of Norway, 94, Hospitalized amid Pneumonia Recovery

The Royal House of Norway confirms that the princess is recovering from pneumonia

Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner attends the celebrations of Princess Ingrid Alexandra's Official Day at Deichman Museum on June 16, 2022 in Oslo, Norway.

NEED TO KNOW

  • Princess Astrid, 94, is recovering after being hospitalized for pneumonia and missed a Belgian state visit to Norway
  • King Harald and Queen Sonja reportedly visited her in the hospital
  • Astrid served as Norway’s First Lady from 1954 to 1968 and has supported the royal family throughout her life

Princess Astrid of Norway is on the mend after contracting pneumonia.

On March 31, the Royal House of Norway confirmed to PEOPLE that King Harald’s older sister, 94, is recovering from pneumonia.

“We can confirm that Princess Astrid has had pneumonia, but is now recovering,” a spokesperson said, referencing a statement first released on Saturday, March 28.

Minister of Culture Lubna Jaffery, Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway and Princess Astrid attend the opening of Queen Sonja's Ceramics Symposium at The Royal Art Stable on November 25, 2025 in Oslo, Norway.
Queen Sonja of Norway and Princess Astrid (center) attend the opening of Queen Sonja’s Ceramics Symposium at The Royal Art Stable on November 25, 2025 in Oslo, Norway.Per Ole Hagen/Getty

On March 30, Hello! magazine reported that she was at Oslo National Hospital as she recovered from pneumonia and had been admitted on Friday, March 27.

Princess Astrid didn’t participate in the Belgian state visit to Norway, which ran from March 24 to March 26.

According to the outlet, the Norwegian palace’s head of communication, Guri Varpe, said that Astrid needed “rest and convalescence” following her illness.

King Harald and his wife, Queen Sonja, reportedly visited her in the hospital.

The King of Norway was also recently hospitalized for infection and dehydration while vacationing in Tenerife in late February, but he was discharged after a few days and resumed royal duties in March.

Astrid turned 94 on Feb. 12, a special occasion that the palace celebrated by releasing a new tiara portrait of her.

Princess Astrid is not in the line of succession to the throne but has supported the crown throughout her life.

Iceland's President Halla Tómasdóttir (4th R) and her husband Björn Skúlason (4th L) pose for a photo with King Harald V of Norway (3rd R) and his wife Queen Sonja of Norway (2nd R) as well as Princess Astrid of Norway (R), Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (2nd L), Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (3rd L), their daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (L) in the Bird Room at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, on April 8, 2025.
Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir (4th R) and her husband Björn Skúlason (4th L) pose for a photo with King Harald V of Norway (3rd R) and his wife Queen Sonja of Norway (2nd R) as well as Princess Astrid of Norway (R), Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (2nd L), Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (3rd L), their daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (L) in the Bird Room at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, on April 8, 2025.LISE ASERUD/NTB/AFP via Getty

She served as the First Lady of Norway, a position comparable to the role of a Queen Consort, from 1954 to 1968, following the death of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha, and before her brother married Sonja Haraldsen, the future Queen of Norway.

Princess Astrid married Johan Martin Ferner in 1961 and they had five children, who do not hold working royal roles.

Astrid’s most recent royal duty shared to the royal family of Norway’s Instagram page was in December 2025, when she attended the Christmas concert performances by the Norwegian Girls Choir and the Silver Boys and carried a little dog in her lap.

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