Johan Ferner


Johan Martin Ferner was a Norwegian sailor and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the 6 metre class with the boat Elisabeth X at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, together with Finn Ferner, Erik Heiberg, Tor Arneberg and Carl Mortensen. He was married to Princess Astrid, the sister of King Harald V of Norway. He was also the brother-in-law of Princess Ragnhild.

Family

Johan Ferner was the son of master tailor Ferner Jacobsen, who established a department store in Oslo, and his wife, Ragnhild Olsen. He inherited the department store in 1964. Ferner was originally his father's given name and was adopted as a family name by Johan Martin Ferner and his siblings. His grandfather was maritime pilot Johan Martin Jacobsen from Tjøme, son of blacksmith Jacob Andreas Knudsen.

Marriages and children

Firstly, on 20 January 1953, Johan Ferner married artist Ingeborg 'Bitte' Hesselberg-Meyer. They divorced 1956. He then remarried at Asker Church outside Oslo on 12 January 1961 to Princess Astrid of Norway, the second daughter of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden.
The couple had five children:

National honours