Members of Norway’s royal family attended the funeral of
Princess Martha Louise’s ex-husband, Ari Behn was laid to rest at Oslo Cathedral on Friday.
They had three daughters who were all in attendance. King Harald, Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit alsl joined by foreign royals, Prince Daniel of Sweden and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands attended.
Prince Daniel’s wife, Crown Princess Victoria couldn’t attend as their daughter Princess Estelle broke her leg in a skiing accident in the Alps.
Ari Behn, a playwright and author got married to King Harald’s eldest daughter Princess Martha Louise in 2002 and divorced in 2017. Princess Martha went on to marry Shaman Durek after the breakup.
Also in attendance, Prince Daniel of Sweden and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, close friends of Ari Behn and Princess Martha Louise. In a statement, the Swedish royals said:
“It is with great sadness that we received the message of Ari Behn’s death. We will remember Ari as the warm, cordial and spiritual man he was. It was a privilege to get to know Ari. Our thoughts go to his daughters and family.”
Ari’s eldest daughter Maud Angelica delivered an emotional eulogy to her father, with her mother Princess Martha Louise standing by her side all daughters placed flowers on their father’s casket.
In a statement, King Harald said of his former son-in-law:
“It is with great sadness that the Queen and I have received the message of Ari Behn’s passing. Ari has been an important part of our family for many years, and we carry warm, fond memories of him. We are grateful that we got to know him. We grieve that our grandchildren have now lost their dear father, and have deep compassion for his parents and siblings, who now have lost their dear son and brother. We ask that Ari’s immediate family get some rest during this difficult time.”
