Durek Verrett Pays Tribute to Princess Astrid After Week of Royal Loss
Durek Verrett said goodbye to Princess Astrid of Norway in a short post on Instagram Stories.
“Love you, Aunt Astrid. You are now with your family in heaven,” wrote Verrett, the husband of Princess Märtha Louise. “I will really miss you. I am so sad.” The messages were shared after Astrid’s death was announced, as reported by Town & Country.
Astrid died on 11 September 2026. She was 94, according to the Norwegian Royal House.
She was the elder sister of King Harald of Norway. Her death came two days after her brother’s funeral, People reported. That timing has made the past week one of back-to-back loss for the family.
For American readers, Astrid’s old title needs a translation. She served as Norway’s First Lady from 1954 to 1968. In a monarchy, that meant she acted as the official hostess for the royal family, taking on public duties normally associated with a queen or a king’s spouse.
She did not step away after that. Astrid continued to represent the Norwegian Royal House, the working institution of the monarchy, until her death. That kind of lifelong public role is common in European royal families, where senior relatives attend official openings, anniversaries and charity events for decades.
The new tribute follows a family funeral that drew wide attention in Norway. Princess Märtha Louise and Verrett attended the funeral service for King Harald, as documented by Reuters Connect. The service brought together the king’s children, grandchildren and extended family in Oslo.
Verrett had also posted a tribute to King Harald on Instagram Stories after the king’s death. His presence at the funeral was his first public appearance since a kidney transplant two weeks earlier, People reported. Instagram Stories, the disappearing photo-and-text posts, have become his most direct way to speak to followers.
Verrett is a recent addition to the family. He married Princess Märtha Louise on Aug. 31, 2024, in Geiranger, Norway. They had been together for six years before the wedding, which was held in a small fjord town on Norway’s west coast.
What makes this stand out is the compression. Two deaths days apart. A husband still recovering from major surgery, attending a king’s funeral and then mourning an aunt by marriage. His words were simple. They stayed with family and grief.
