Ari Behn, an author and the former husband of a
Norwegian princess, died by suicide on Christmas Day, Behn's family's
spokesman Geir Håkonsund announced.
"It is
with great sadness in our hearts that we, the very closest relatives of
Ari Behn, must announce that he took his own life today. We ask for
respect for our privacy in the time to come," Håkonsund said in a
statement.
Behn, 47, was the ex-husband of
Princess Martha Louise, the eldest child of Norway's King Harald V and
Queen Sonja, and the fourth in line to the throne. They married in 2002
and divorced in 2016, according to Behn's website.
In
a statement issued on Wednesday, King Harald and Queen Sonja called
Behn "an important part of our family for many years, and we carry warm,
fond memories of him."
"We are grateful that we
got to know him. We grieve that our grandchildren have now lost their
beloved father — and have deep compassion for his parents and siblings,
who have now lost their beloved son and brother," the statement said.
Behn was a Norwegian author, writing three novels, three short story collections and three plays, according to Behn's website.
He
co-authored a book with Princess Martha Louise on their wedding and has
been a model "for a clothing chain," his website states. cnncom