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Stepfather of Norwegian crown princess dies at 75

Other News Materials 11 April 2008 03:30 (UTC +04:00)

(dpa) - The stepfather of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette- Marit, Rolf Berntsen, died Thursday at age 75, media reported.

Berntsen died at a hospital in the southern city of Kristiansand, the crown princess's mother, Marit Tjessem, was quoted as telling Norwegian news agency NTB.

He underwent a heart transplant in 1991, according to the newspaper Faedrelandsvennen, and in the past year was reported as being in poor health, missing out on several private gatherings of the royal family.

Berntsen did attend the private parties organized when King Harald and Queen Sonja both turned 70 last year.

In recent years, he was also involved in a trust that helped addicts through job training.

The king and queen were yet to announce if they were to attend Berntsen's funeral, scheduled for next week.

In March 2007, Mette-Marit's estranged father, Sven O Hoiby, died at age 70 after battling cancer.

The crown princess was 11 when Hoiby divorced her mother.

Hoiby often grabbed headlines and at times caused his daughter embarrassment with outspoken remarks and his marriage in 2005 to a former stripper half his age.

Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit married in August 2001.

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