Queen Mette-Marit Inherits 1902 Turquoise Tiara After Princess Astrid's Death

Q: With Princess Astrid gone, who will inherit the legendary turquoise parure she safeguarded through war and exile?

The turquoise parure is expected to pass back to Norway’s main royal line, not remain with Princess Astrid’s private branch. That expectation is based on both the jewel’s history and Astrid’s own stated wishes. The tiara began as a 1902 gift from King Edward VII to Queen Alexandra, then passed to Queen Maud and into the Norwegian royal family. It was kept with the family through wartime exile and later came into Astrid’s care after her mother’s death. Although the set was assigned to Astrid as personal property when the royal jewel collection was divided in 1968, reports say she repeatedly hoped it would stay with the senior royal house. In practical terms, that means the parure is likely to be controlled by the reigning line now headed by King Haakon, rather than inherited for continued use by one of Astrid’s five children. The most likely future wearers are the senior women of that line, especially Queen Mette-Marit and, in time, Princess Ingrid Alexandra. No formal public probate announcement appears to have named a single individual heir yet. But the strongest reporting indicates the set will remain available to the core Norwegian monarchy as a dynastic heirloom, preserving the role Astrid envisioned for it: a working royal jewel worn by future generations rather than a private family keepsake.

Q: Did the profound emotional toll of King Harald V's funeral ultimately cause the peaceful passing of Norway's 94-year-old princess?

There is no evidence that King Harald V’s funeral caused Princess Astrid’s death. What is known is that Astrid, 94, died peacefully on Sept. 11, two days after attending her brother’s funeral. The Norwegian palace said she “fell asleep” and passed away peacefully, but it did not link her death to the funeral or to acute emotional distress. Available reporting points instead to longstanding frailty. Astrid had suffered significant health problems in recent months, including hospitalization for pneumonia in March and treatment for heart failure in May, when she reportedly received a temporary pacemaker. She appeared at the funeral in a wheelchair, underlining that her health was already fragile. It is reasonable to say the funeral came during an emotionally difficult period for her and the family. She had just lost her younger brother, with whom she had shared a lifetime of royal duty and family history. At her age, grief and physical strain can weigh heavily. But that is not the same as proof of causation. In short, the timing invites speculation, but the facts support a more careful reading: Princess Astrid appears to have died of natural causes after a period of declining health, shortly after what became her final public appearance at King Harald’s funeral.

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 11

Princess Astrid's turquoise tiara and matching parure are set to pass to Queen Mette-Marit and Norway's main royal line after Astrid's death was announced on Sept. 11.
The transfer fulfills Astrid's stated wish that the jewels remain in active royal use rather than stay in storage, to be shared by the new family of King Haakon VIII, Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid.
The diamond-and-turquoise set began in 1902 as a gift from King Edward VII to Queen Alexandra, later passing to Queen Maud of Norway and then to Astrid after Crown Princess Märtha's 1954 death.
Astrid formally kept the tiara as personal property from 1968 and made it one of her signature court pieces during decades of service, including her years as de facto First Lady.