Meet Johan Martin Ferner, her husband. He was a successful businessman and former Olympic sailor—yes, an actual Olympian who sailed boats for Norway in the 1952 Helsinki Games. He won a silver medal, which is basically a fancy way of saying he was really good at going in circles on water.
But here’s the plot twist: Johan was a commoner. He wasn’t a prince, a duke, or a knight wearing shiny armor. He was just a guy with a boat and a dream. Astrid fell for him anyway, and they got married in 1961. The Norwegian press probably went, “But where’s the tiara?!” while Astrid just shrugged and said, “I like boats.”
Johan passed away in 2015 at age 88, but their marriage lasted 54 years. That’s longer than most Hollywood marriages last before the first commercial break.
63 Laura Kuhn Photos & High Res Pictures - Getty Images
The Kids: A Miniature Royal Army (Sort Of)
Astrid and Johan had five children. Yes, five. That’s a whole soccer team, minus the goalie. Their names are Cathrine, Benedikte, Alexander, Elisabeth, and Carl-Christian. And no, you don’t need to memorize that for a test—just know they’re all tall, blonde, and probably very polite.
The kids grew up mostly out of the spotlight, which is a royal miracle. No scandals, no tabloid fiascos, no “I’m dating a wizard from Instagram” nonsense. They’re just normal Norwegians with really good manners and possibly a secret stash of royal cookies.
Today, Astrid has 10 grandchildren. That’s enough to field two soccer teams. Imagine the chaos at family Christmas—five kids, 10 grandkids, and one 93-year-old princess trying to decide who gets the last piece of lefse (Norwegian flatbread). It’s a battlefield covered in wool sweaters.
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Princess Astrid of Norway, 94, Hospitalized amid Pneumonia Recovery
