Princess Astrid's beloved dog Wilma dies days after 94-year-old princess
Wilma, the 12-year-old chihuahua mix who lived with Princess Astrid of Norway, has died only days after her owner.
The Norwegian Royal Palace confirmed Wilma's death in a statement to NRK, Norway's public broadcaster. Palace communications adviser Simen Sund said the dog had been ill for some time. He said she had recently been living with one of Princess Astrid's children. NRK
Princess Astrid of Norway died on 11 September at the age of 94. She was the older sister of the late King Harald of Norway. Harald died aged 89 earlier in September. His state funeral was held two days before his sister's death on 11 September, leaving the family with two losses in the senior line within days. Hello! Magazine
Wilma had been the princess's constant companion for several years. She came to Princess Astrid as a rehoming dog from Solplassen, a rehoming and rest home for ownerless dogs. The small dog, described as a chihuahua mix, stayed with the princess at home and in public. People
She was present for what would be Princess Astrid's final engagement in May. That appearance made her familiar to those who followed the princess's late public work. Dogs had been part of that public image from the start of her life. Princess Astrid received her first dog when she was two years old.
Sund gave only a short account of Wilma's last period. The dog was 12 when she died. Illness had affected her for some time. Her move to live with one of Princess Astrid's children came as that illness continued, and she died a few days after the princess.
Princess Astrid was honoured with a funeral service at Ris Church in Oslo on 23 September. King Haakon of Norway and Queen Mette-Marit of Norway led the Norwegian Royal Family in remembrance. They were accompanied by Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and Queen Sonja of Norway. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden also attended the service at Ris Church.
The service closed a difficult month for the Norwegian household. The Palace record shows the sequence plainly. A state funeral for an 89-year-old king. The death two days later of his 94-year-old sister. A church remembrance on 23 September. Then confirmation that a 12-year-old dog, ill for some time, had died within days of her owner.
For many readers, that last detail will need little explanation. A dog taken on from a rehoming home, kept for years and seen at a final engagement, becomes part of how a public life is remembered. In this case the record is brief. Wilma lived with Princess Astrid for several years, moved to one of her children, and did not long survive her.
