Ari Behn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ari Behn
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Behn in 2006
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| Born |
Ari Mikael Bjørshol
30 September 1972 Århus, Denmark
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| Died | 25 December 2019 (aged 47) Lommedalen, Norway
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| Resting place | Cemetery of Our Saviour, Oslo, Norway |
| Alma mater | University of Oslo |
| Occupation | Author, visual artist |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
Ari Mikael Behn (born Ari Mikael Bjørshol; 30 September 1972 – 25 December 2019) was a Norwegian author, playwright, and artist. He was well-known for his marriage to Princess Märtha Louise of Norway from 2002 to 2017. Even though he was married to a princess, he remained a private citizen and did not hold any royal titles.
Before 1996, he was known as Mikael Bjørshol. Ari Behn became famous in the literary world with his 1999 collection of short stories called Trist som faen ("Sad as hell"). This book received many good reviews and sold nearly 100,000 copies. After he married Princess Märtha Louise in 2002, he wrote more books, including four novels and two short story collections. He also wrote a book about his wedding.
Ari Behn was involved in many creative projects. He helped design a set of china called "Peacock." In his later years, from 2013 until his death, he became a visual artist. He painted in a style called neo-expressionist, which was inspired by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. His artwork was shown in many places around the world between 2017 and 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ari Behn was born as Ari Mikael Bjørshol in 1972 in Aarhus, Denmark. His parents, Olav Bjørshol and Marianne Rafaela Solberg, were both teachers from Norway. They got married in 1973.
His family lived in different places, including Aarhus, Denmark; Plymouth, England; and Tennevoll in Northern Norway. In 1978, they settled in Moss in Southern Norway. Ari attended the Waldorf School in Moss starting in 1979.
In the 1990s, Ari Behn studied history and religion at the University of Oslo. He earned a bachelor's degree from the university.
He was known as Mikael Bjørshol during his childhood. In 1996, he changed his name to Ari Behn. He took his maternal grandmother's maiden name. The name Behn comes from Germany. He had two younger siblings, Anja Sabrina and Espen.
His Work
Ari Behn was a founding member of an artist group called Den Nye Vinen ("The New Wine"). This group started in Oslo in 1993.
He became very successful as a writer in Norway with his first book, Trist som faen ("Sad as hell"), which came out in 1999. This collection of short stories received many positive reviews and sold over 100,000 copies. While he published other novels later, his first book remains his most famous.
Ari Behn also worked on other creative projects. He designed a china set called "Peacock" for Magnor Glassverk. He also worked as a model for a clothing company.
He made TV documentaries, including one about the Afghanistan War in 2002 called Øst for krigen – invitert av Taliban. He also appeared in comedy films like Team Antonsen in 2004 and Long Flat Balls in 2006.
Ari Behn was a freelance writer for different newspapers and magazines. In 2011, he co-hosted a TV series called Ari og Per on NRK with his friend Per Heimly. They also appeared together on another TV show in 2013, called "Ari and Per Solve World Problems" on TVNorge.
He was also a playwright. His first play, Treningstimen ("The Training Hour"), was shown in 2011.
From 2013 until his death, Ari Behn was a painter. He painted in a neo-expressionist style, and he said Jean-Michel Basquiat was his biggest inspiration. As a painter, he was very successful in Norway, selling many artworks. His paintings were shown in international galleries starting in 2017.
In 2018, Ari Behn published a book called Inferno. This book talked about his life after his divorce.
Marriage and Family
On 24 May 2002, Ari Behn married Princess Märtha Louise. She is the oldest child of Harald V of Norway, the King of Norway.
At the time of their wedding, Princess Märtha Louise was second in line to the Norwegian throne. She was also in the line of succession to the British throne because she is a descendant of Edward VII. Ari Behn remained a private citizen during their marriage. He did not have any royal titles or special privileges.
Ari and Märtha Louise had three daughters:
- Maud Angelica Behn (born 2003)
- Leah Isadora Behn (born 2005)
- Emma Tallulah Behn (born 2008)
All three of their daughters are also private citizens. The family lived in different places, including Islington in London, New York, and then in the Lommedalen valley outside Oslo.
On 5 August 2016, the Royal Court announced that Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn had started divorce proceedings. They planned to share custody of their three daughters. Their divorce was finalized in 2017.
Death
Ari Behn died at his home in Lommedalen on 25 December 2019.
The Norwegian royal family, including King Harald V and Queen Sonja, shared their sadness about his death. His funeral was held at Oslo Cathedral on 3 January 2020.
Ari Behn's publisher mentioned that he had finished writing a children's book with his oldest daughter, Maud Angelica. It is not yet known if this book will be published.
His resting place is the Cemetery of Our Saviour in Oslo.
Honours
National honours
Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V- Norway: Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal
- Norway: Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal
Foreign honours
Netherlands: Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown
Sweden: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
Images for kids
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Behn in 2006
See also
In Spanish: Ari Behn para niños
