Top News:Princess Martha Louise of Norway’s ex-husband Ari Behn, 47, takes his own life

The ex husband of Norway’s Princess Martha Louise has taken his own life, it has been announced tonight. The Royal Palace confirmed the news in a statement on Christmas Day.

Ari Behn, 47, who was the father of Martha Louise’s three children, died by suicide, the Norwegian Royal Palace confirmed in a heartbreaking Christmas Day statement.

Mr Behn leaves behind three young children, who he shares with the princess, 48. The couple married in 2002 and divorced in 2017. In the same year he accused disgraced Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey of groping him under a table at a Nobel Peace Prize concert.

Mr Behn and Martha Louise’s first daughter, Maud Angelica, was born in 2003, their second daughter Leah Isadora in 2005, and their third daughter, Emma Tallulah, in 2008. In a statement this evening, King Harald said: ‘It is with great sadness that the Queen and I have received the message of Ari Behn’s passing.

‘Ari has been an important part of our family for many years, and we carry warm, fond memories of him.

‘We are grateful that we got to know him.

‘We grieve that our grandchildren have now lost their dear father, and have deep compassion for his parents and siblings, who now have lost their dear son and brother.

‘We ask that Ari’s immediate family get some rest during this difficult time.’

Geir Hakonsund, Mr Behn’s manager, said on behalf of his family: ‘It is with sadness in our hearts that we, the closest relatives of Ari Behn, announce today that he has taken his life.

‘We ask for respect for our privacy in the coming time.’

Mr Behn’s former partner, Princess Martha Louise announced a new relationship with Shaman Durek, 44, on Instagram in May. It came two years after the royal divorced her husband, Mr Behn, of 15 years.

At the time, she wrote: ‘He has made me realize that unconditional love actually exists here on this planet…And to those of you who feel the need to criticize: Hold your horses.

‘It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. I don’t choose my man to satisfy any of you or the norms or boxes you have chosen in your mind for me to be in.’

In 2017, Mr Behn accused disgraced actor Kevin Spacey of allegedly groping him under the table at a Nobel Peace Prize concert. Recalling the alleged incident in 2007, he said: ‘We had a great talk, he sat right beside me.

‘After five minutes he said, ‘hey, let’s go out and have a cigarette’. Then he puts his hand under the table and grabs me by the balls.’

Behn said he put Spacey off by telling him: ‘Er, maybe later.’

The 47-year-old published his first book in 1999, a collection of short stories whose English translation is ‘Sad as hell’.

Behn also wrote several novels and plays, and in 2018 published his last book, ‘Inferno,’ in which he detailed his struggle with mental health issues.