Princess Astrid of Norway has died at the age of 94, only two days after attending the funeral of her brother, the late King Harald V, Norway's royal palace has announced.

Her appearance at the funeral on Wednesday was her final public engagement. Princess Astrid, who had been in declining health in recent months and was treated in hospital for pneumonia in March, attended the service in a wheelchair alongside international dignitaries and European royalty.

Her nephew, King Haakon VIII, paid tribute to her lifetime of service. "Throughout her long life, Princess Astrid represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner," he said in a statement, adding: "In her work, Princess Astrid was always particularly concerned with care and inclusion for the most vulnerable in society."

Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, confirmed that the princess will be buried at state expense, with flags flown at half-mast across the country.

Princess Astrid was the last surviving child of King Olav V, who reigned from 1957 until 1991. She took on the responsibilities of Norway's first lady at the age of 22 following the death of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha, in 1954. Because her father did not remarry, she carried out those duties for 14 years until her brother married in 1968.

Her death follows that of King Harald, who passed away last month aged 89 after reigning for more than 35 years. Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Oslo on Wednesday as his funeral procession made its way from the royal palace to Oslo Cathedral.

The congregation included the Prince of Wales, three Nordic monarchs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and five foreign prime ministers.

The double bereavement comes during a difficult period for the Norwegian royal household. Earlier this year, disclosures revealed that Queen Mette-Marit had maintained frequent contact with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after which she stated that she regretted ever meeting him.

In June, her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison for two counts of rape. Høiby, who is not a member of the royal family but was raised within the household, was granted permission to attend King Harald's funeral while under house arrest pending an appeal.

Arrangements for Princess Astrid's state funeral have not yet been finalised. I will provide further updates as details are confirmed by the royal palace.