Else Werring

Else Werring, née Wilhelmsen (29 April 1905 – 23 November 1989) was a Norwegian royal servant.

Personal life

She was born in Tønsberg[1] as a daughter of ship-owner Halfdan Wilhelmsen (1864–1923) and Ragnhild Oppen (1869–1952).[2] She was a granddaughter of the founder of Wilh. Wilhelmsen Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (1839–1910), an aunt of Tom Wilhelmsen and a niece of businessmen Finn, Axel and Wilhelm Wilhelmsen.[3]

In March 1926 she married ship-owner Niels Werring.[2] The couple had three children; the daughter Ragnhild (who married Henning Astrup) and the sons Niels, Jr. and Morten.[4]

Career

Else Werring had middle school, and also attended school for two years in England and one year in France.[1] The Werring couple lived at the property Munkebakken in Lysaker, and led a social life which included royals. In January 1958 she was appointed by Olav V of Norway as mistress of the robes (overhoffmesterinne) for the Norwegian Royal Family. When assuming the position, royal-friendly newspaper described her as "representative, highly cultivated, as beautiful as her predecessor in the office, mrs. Borghild Anker, and as eminent a hostess as her".[4] Her main assignment was to assist the Crown Princess in her tasks as a hostess at the court.[5] As such she played an important role in the social life at the Royal Palace. In 1958 the entire Court of the Norwegian Royal Family comprised as little as seven people; Richard Andvord, Ingvald Smith-Kielland, Odd Grønvold and Ellinor Grønvold, Ingeborg von Hanno and Vincent Bommen.[6] In 1985 she retired and was replaced by Ingegjerd Løvenskiold.[7]

She was also a council member in the Nansen Academy from 1948 to 1962 and in the Filharmonisk Selskap from 1952 to 1960. She was a board member of several philanthropic institutions in Tønsberg.[1] As a godmother in the baptising of ships belonging to her family's shipping company Wilh. Wilhelmsen, she donated "godmother gifts" to non-profit organizations.[8][9] She was an active churchgoer, and was fond of art collecting, literature, skiing, tennis and horseriding.[5]

She was decorated as a Commander of the Order of St. Olav in 1967,[1] and upgraded to Commander with Star in 1980.[10] She also held the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog and the Order of the Polar Star.[11] She died in November 1989.[2][12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Steenstrup, Bjørn, ed. (1973). "Werring, Else". Hvem er hvem? (in Norwegian). Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 586. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Kolltveit, Bård. "Niels Werring". In Helle, Knut. Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  3. ↑ Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007). "Wilhelmsen". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Fru Else Werring utnevnt til overhoffmesterinne". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 29 April 1985. p. 10.
  5. 1 2 Bistrup, Rie (12 April 1975). "Notre Dame med blink i øyet". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 22.
  6. ↑ "VG presenterer Det norske hoff – ett av verdens mest beskjedne". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 27 September 1958. p. 4.
  7. ↑ Bistrup, Rie (20 April 1985). "Til topps i Kong Olavs hoff". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 25.
  8. ↑ Gilbo, Ole S. (11 February 1974). "Wilhelmsens hittil største". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 13.
  9. ↑ "Stor gave til Sjømannsmisjonen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 13 February 1974. p. 11.
  10. ↑ Torgersen, Rolf Normann (1987). Ordener (in Norwegian). Oslo: Nye Atheneum. p. 189. ISBN 82-7334-148-8.
  11. ↑ "Overhoffmesterinne Else Werring 70 år". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 29 April 1985. p. 10.
  12. ↑ Smith-Kielland, I. (29 November 1989). "Else Werring (obituary)". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 15.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 23, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.