Crown Princess Victoria Returns to Oslo for Princess Astrid's Funeral

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden returned to Oslo on Wednesday, Sept. 23, for the funeral of Princess Astrid of Norway.

Astrid, 94, was the elder sister of the late King Harald V. She died on Sept. 11, two days after her brother's state funeral, according to Town & Country. Her final public appearance had been at that service.

The funeral for Astrid was held at Ris Church in Oslo. The service was scheduled for 1 p.m. local time and was broadcast live to Norwegian media.

Victoria's presence marked her second visit to Norway within the month. She had attended Harald's state funeral at Oslo Cathedral on Sept. 9, where she read the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

It was a reading with history. Victoria had delivered the same prayer at the 2001 wedding of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit at Oslo Cathedral. The family ties run close. Harald was Victoria's godfather, and Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf is Haakon's godfather.

At Ris Church, Victoria sat in the second row directly behind Haakon and Mette-Marit. She sat next to Princess Märtha Louise and her husband, Durek Verrett.

One member of the Norwegian family was not present. Prince Sverre Magnus, the younger child of Haakon and Mette-Marit, was absent from the service and was not listed in the official program.

Sverre Magnus had played a prominent role in the state funeral for his grandfather, King Harald V, two weeks earlier. He had started his first semester at Forward College in Lisbon just days before Astrid's funeral, according to Town & Country.

The Norwegian Royal House had confirmed that Haakon, Mette-Marit, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Queen Sonja would attend the Sept. 23 service.

Harald died on Friday, Aug. 28, at 6:35 a.m. His death opened a period of mourning in Norway. Astrid's death closed it with a second loss for the same family.