Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is mourning the death of family member Magnar Alfred Fjeldvær, who sadly passed away at the age of 83 on Monday 15 June, according to Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet. Magnar was the partner of Mette-Marit's mother, Marit Tjessem.
Through a palace spokesperson, King Harald V and Queen Sonja told the publication: "Our warmest thoughts go to Marit Tjessem and Magnar Fjeldvær's immediate family." Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her husband Crown Prince Haakon said: "We will miss Magnar, he meant a lot to the family."
READ: Prince Harry thanks veterans for their support to one of Meghan Markle's closest projects
Magnar's funeral will take place at Oddernes Church in Kristiansand, southern Norway on Friday.
Mette-Marit's parents Marit Tjessem and the late Sven O. Høiby divorced in 1984. Marit went on to marry second husband Rolf Berntsen in 1994, who died in 2008. She is believed to have confirmed her relationship with Magnar in 2011 and the couple attended a number of royal events together, including King Harald's 25th anniversary as monarch in 2016.
MORE: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene make rare public appearance with twins
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit with their children
Heir to the throne Crown Prince Haakon married Mette-Marit in August 2001 at Oslo Cathedral. At the time of the royal wedding, Mette-Marit already had a son Marius Borg Høiby from a previous relationship. She went on to have two children with Crown Prince Haakon – Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, born in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
Norway's royal family also mourned the loss of Princess Martha Louise's ex-husband Ari Behn, who died by suicide in December 2019. King Harald, Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were among the royals to pay their respects at Ari's funeral in January 2020.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.