Princess Astrid's Rescue Dog Wilma Dies Days After Her

Wilma, the 12-year-old rescue chihuahua who spent years riding on Princess Astrid of Norway's lap, has died only days after the princess.

The Norwegian palace confirmed the dog's death through communications adviser Simen Sund in an email to NRK, Norway's public broadcaster, according to Town & Country. Wilma was living with one of Astrid's children at the time. She was 12 years old.

Princess Astrid died on Sept. 11 at age 94. The palace announced her death in a statement, reported by Reuters. She was the older sister of King Harald V, Norway's king. Her death came two days after her younger brother's funeral, a back-to-back loss for the family and the country.

Astrid had been a working member of Norway's royal family for decades. She served as the country's first lady from 1954 to 1968, acting as the senior woman at official events alongside her father. She continued to represent the Norwegian Royal House, the family's official working institution, until her death on Sept. 11, 2026.

Earlier this year, her health had faltered. She was treated at Rikshospitalet for heart failure and received a temporary pacemaker, a small device that helps regulate the heartbeat. The palace disclosed that hospital stay in May.

Dogs were part of her story from the start. Her parents gave her a first dog for her second birthday. Dogs accompanied her throughout her life, and the Norwegian Royal House biography notes she was rarely seen without Wilma in her later years, according to the Norwegian Royal House.

Wilma arrived as a rehoming dog from Solplassen, a Norwegian rest home for ownerless dogs. She lived with Astrid for several years. Small and steady, she was often placed on the princess's lap during official engagements and missions. That made her a familiar sight to Norwegians who followed the princess's work.

What makes this stand out is the timing. A 94-year-old princess dies. Days later, her constant companion follows. For American readers who know a royal dog as more than a pet, from Queen Elizabeth II's corgis to rescue dogs in California, the image needs little translation. It was companionship, plain and visible, to the end.