Johan Ferner

Johan Martin Ferner (né Johan Martin Jacobsen; 22 July 1927 – 24 January 2015) 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,^[1] together with Finn Ferner (his brother), Erik Heiberg, Tor Arneberg and Carl Mortensen.^[2] He was married to Princess Astrid, the sister of King Harald V of Norway and Princess Ragnhild.^[1]

Johan Martin Ferner
Ferner in 2007
Born	Johan Martin Jacobsen (1927-07-22)22 July 1927 Asker, Norway
Died	24 January 2015(2015-01-24) (aged 87) The National Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Burial place	Ris Cemetery, Oslo, Norway
Spouses	Ingeborg Hesselberg-Meyer ​ ​ (m. 1953; div. 1956)​ Princess Astrid of Norway ​ ​ (m. 1961)​
Children	5
Relatives	Finn Ferner (brother)
Sports career
Medal record Sailing Representing  Norway Olympic Games 1952 Helsinki 6 metre class

Family

Johan Ferner was the son of master tailor Ferner Jacobsen (1884–1964), who established a department store in Oslo, and his wife, Ragnhild Olsen (1889–1966). 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.^[1] His grandfather was maritime pilot Johan Martin Jacobsen (1850–1907) from Tjøme, son of blacksmith Jacob Andreas Knudsen (1819–1868).

Marriages and children

Firstly, on 20 January 1953, Johan Ferner married artist Ingeborg 'Bitte' Hesselberg-Meyer (later Rostad; 1931–1997). They divorced in 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.^[3]

The couple had five children:

• Cathrine Ferner (b. 22 July 1962, Oslo),^[4] married 9 December 1989 in Oslo, Arild Johansen (b. 18 June 1961, Oslo), and has two children:
  • Sebastian Ferner Johansen (b. 9 March 1990, Oslo), married Ida Belinda Lundstrøm, and had two children:
    • Nicoline Johansen (b. 2019).
    • Ferdinand Johansen (b. 2021).
  • Madeleine Ferner Johansen (b. 7 March 1993, Oslo), married 17 October 2022 in Oslo, Ole-Aleksander Karlsen, and has one daughter:
    • Hermine Karlsen (b. 2023).
• Benedikte Ferner (b. 27 September 1963, Oslo),^[5] married firstly 30 April 1994 in Oslo (divorced 1998) Rolf Woods (b. 17 June 1963, Oslo), without issue, and married secondly on 2 December 2000 in Oslo and separated in 2002, Mons Einar Stange (b. 26 May 1962, Oslo), without issue.
• Alexander Ferner (b. 15 March 1965, Oslo),^[6] married 27 July 1996 in Holmenkollen Kapell, Oslo, Margrét Gudmundsdóttir (b. 27 March 1966, Reykjavík, Iceland), and has two children:
  • Edward Ferner (b. 28 March 1996, Bærum, Norway).
  • Stella Ferner (b. 23 April 1998, Bærum, Norway).
• Elisabeth Ferner (b. 30 March 1969, Oslo),^[7] married 3 October 1992 in Oslo, Tom Folke Beckmann (b. 14 January 1963, Oslo), and has one son:
  • Benjamin Ferner Beckmann (b. 25 April 1999, Oslo).
• Carl-Christian Ferner (b. 22 October 1972, Oslo),^[8] married 4 October 2014 in Oslo, Anna-Stina Slattum Karlsen (b. 23 February 1984).^[9] :^[10]

Honours

National honours

•  Norway: Knight Commander of the Order of St. Olav^[11]
•  Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Haakon VII
•  Norway: Recipient of the King Olav V Silver Jubilee Medal
•  Norway: Recipient of the King Olav V Commemorative Medal
•  Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V
•  Norway: Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal

Foreign honours

•  Belgium: Knight Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II
•  France: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
•  Germany: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
•  Jordan: Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence
•  Luxembourg: Knight Commander of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau, Special Class
•  Netherlands: Knight Commander of the Order of the Crown
•  Spain: Knight Grand Officer of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
•  Sweden: Recipient of 50th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI

Ancestry

Ancestors of Johan Ferner

8. Jacob Andreas Knudsen (1819–1868), blacksmith 4. Johan Martin Jacobsen (1850–1907), maritime pilot 9. Maren Erichsdatter (1814–1867) 2. Ferner Jacobsen (1885–1964), tailor 10. Thor Henrik Mathisen (1818–1953) 5. Inger Lovise Thorsdatter (1848–1938) 11. Pernille Andersdatter (1819–1888) 1. Johan Martin Ferner 6. Jakob Kristian Olsen (1856-1909) 3. Ragnhild Olsen (1889–1966) 7. Hulda Fossum (1861-1937)