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(CNN) - Ari Behn, author and former husband of a Norwegian princess, committed suicide on Christmas Day, Behn's family spokesman Geir Håkonsund announced.
“It is with great sadness in our hearts that we, the closest relatives of Ari Behn, must announce that he took his life today. We ask for respect for our privacy in the future, ”Håkonsund said in a statement.
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Behn, 47, was the ex-husband of Princess Martha Louise, the eldest daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, and the fourth in line to the throne. They got 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 have warm and affectionate memories of him."
“We are grateful to have met him. We regret that our grandchildren have lost their beloved father and ask that they have a deep compassion for their parents and siblings, who have now lost their beloved son and brother, ”the statement said.
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Behn was a Norwegian author who wrote three novels, three story collections and three plays, according to Behn's website.
He co-authored a book with Princess Martha Louise about his wedding and has been a model "for a clothing chain," says his website.
Ari BehnRealeza