Norway: Princess Martha Louise’s daughter Maud Angelica Behn talks about impact of Ari Behn’s death

18 Jun, 2020 by Helena-Reet Ennet

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NordenBladet – Maud Angelica Behn, daughter of Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn is also the granddaughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja. She impressed many with her moving speech at her father’s funeral in January this year. Ari Behn took his own life on Christmas Day 2019. For the first time since the death, Princess Martha Louise and her daughters have talked about the hard time with the Norwegian Telegram Agency.

Maud Angelica Behn, who is seventeen, says that she felt overwhelmed and in shock after her father’s death. Nevertheless, today she is proud of the poignant speech she made in his honour. She says: “It was so important to me to give that speech. It meant so much to me that I could get some value and something nice out of all the awfulness. And I felt that I could do that with my speech and to use my grief to say something to others.”

Princess Märtha Louise and her daughters Emma Tallulah Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Maud Angelica Behn also gave NTB a tour of Gallery Varden where a selection of Ari Behn’s art will now be on display. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday.

This week the family has been on several trips to Jeløya, where a memorial exhibition is being prepared. It will include a selection of Ari Behn’s paintings as well as prints made by Maud Angelica.

Maud Angelica was very open about receiving support from a psychologist and from a care group she has participated in. Nevertheless, she told NTB the past months have been painful. She continues: “Mom has said it is a bit like breathing in and out. Sometimes you have to think about it, and sometimes not. My father was very good with words and compliments. It was so poetic and nice.”

Princess Märtha Louise says it has been difficult time for the children after their father died, continuing “luckily, things are getting better and better gradually. At the same time, there are many good memories to look back on. That they are going to grow up without a father is just heart-breaking.”

Featured image: Princess Märtha Louise (By Richter Frank-Jurgen – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)