“	I’ve been called overzealous, hunting and studying criminals. I guess I wanted to know how they thought. If they feel.	”
— "The Museum Makeover Job"

Astrid Pickford is the Duke of Hanover’s daughter and Sophie’s stepdaughter.

History

Around when Astrid was ten, Sophie started seeing Astrid’s father, and though Astrid was a bit reserved towards Sophie at first, she soon became very loving. Sophie became Astrid’s stepmother after she married her father, and Astrid would spend weekends with them.^[1]

After Astrid failed a math exam, Sophie took Astrid on a girl’s day to the Tower of London to see the crown jewels. Sophie gave Astrid a diamond and told her that she should never let anyone put limits on her. The following day Sophie left without saying goodbye. ^[1]

After witnessing her father’s life get destroyed by grifters (and drink himself to death), Astrid went on to study and hunt criminals, becoming an Interpol agent. She pursued Sophie and Ramsey, believing they were behind her father’s demise.^[2]

As an Interpol agent, Astrid chased Parker and Hardison across Europe. ^[2]

Season 2

The Museum Makeover Job

While working at Interpol, Astrid received a tip that Ramsey was going to steal something from the Monarch Museum of London. She arrives right in time to chase two thieves out of the museum. Worried about the thieves returning, she stays in the museum despite the museum’s curator’s displeasure.

While securing the museum, Astrid comes across an IYS agent (Harry). Later, he shows her a stolen Rembrandt painting that has resurfaced in Berlin, with a note from Parker to Astrid. Astrid ignores the bait and stays in the museum, coming across a restoration expert from Dubai (Sophie).

When a plumber finds a bomb in the museum basement, Astrid doesn’t listen to the orders to evacuate. Dunbar later calls Astrid telling her the museum is being robbed. She goes to investigate only to run into Parker holding a golden statue. Astrid chases Parker before coming face to face with Ramsey and finding a Greek death mask he forged on the ground. Astrid arrests Ramsey, saying that he destroyed her father.

The Crowning Achievement Job

When alarms start going off at the museum, Astrid investigates, finding the Maharaja crown missing. Astrid assumes that Ramsey has people working with him and meets Arthur, who confirms her suspicions and makes her aware of her stepmother’s presence.

Astrid later comes face to face with Sophie. The pair talk and Astrid says that she has been after Sophie all this time, following her through various aliases. Sophie then tells Astrid her name. Sophie asks Astrid to give her a chance so that she can deliver the crown and the culprit. Eliot takes Astrid’s gun, and Astrid agrees to Sophie’s plan, allowing Eliot to tie her up.

Arthur finds Astrid and unties her, and they catch up to the Leverage crew and arrest them. After the arrest, Arthur returns to the museum, revealing he hid the real crown below its display case. When he turns around, he finds Astrid and Sophie there to arrest him.

Sophie and Astrid talk after everything has gone down. Astrid reveals that she wears the diamond Sophie gave her the day before she left as a necklace. Astrid gives the necklace to Sophie to give the diamond back, deciding not to arrest Sophie. Astrid tells Sophie she got a call from section chief James Sterling, promoting her. Sophie and Astrid hug goodbye, and Sophie slips the necklace back into Astrid’s pocket.

Season 3

In "The Weekend in Paris Job", Sophie mentions that she is trying to reconcile with Astrid. At the end of the episode, Sophie leaves Astrid to take the credit for the Leverage team's work. Sophie also mentions that Sterling gave Astrid a commendation

The Grand Complication Job

Astrid receives a video call with a live-feed video of Sophie bound to a chair. A garbled voice directs Astrid to stop the theft of the Grand Complication Marie Antoinette watch. If she fails to protect the watch, Sophie dies. Astrid gets on her motorcycle and speeds off. Astrid calls the New Orleans regional Interpol office, who is unwilling to help her.

At the event, Astrid tries flashing her Interpol badge to get the security guard to shut it down. But, the guard, believing Interpol isn’t a real thing, refuses. Astrid then manages to convince a woman to hand over her Marie Antoinette outfit. Inside the event, Astrid learns the watch is in the vault, but finds herself unable to sneak into it with all the partygoers around. Suddenly, music begins, and the partygoers move away, allowing Astrid to scoot into the vault before the door shuts.

Astrid suddenly comes face-to-face with Parker over the watch’s display. Astrid and Parker circle each other, arguing over whose fault Sophie’s endangerment is. Suddenly, a high-pitched sound causes the watch’s case to shatter. The lights go out for a second, and they find watch is gone when the light come back on.

Parker climbs up into the vent, with Astrid not far behind, where they end up on the roof. Astrid pulls out a knife she took from the catering, and they argue. Parker blames Astrid for chasing her and Hardison across Europe, causing them to split up, and leaving Parker feeling like she’d never see him again. Astrid accuses Parker of stealing Sophie away from her, leaving her feeling abandoned and replaced. Astrid tells Parker that she doesn’t know love, and only steals other people’s love. Parker admits she could never steal a mother’s love because she doesn’t know how it works.

In the confrontation, someone gets stabbed. Astrid’s phone begins to ring from an unknown caller and picks up, with one of her hands covered in blood. Bligh, voice garbled by a filter, announces that Astrid failed because the watch is gone. Astrid insists she can still get the watch. She then lies by saying Parker is dead.

Together, with the Leverage team, they find Sophie’s location. They go in to save Sophie, taking down Bligh for her to get arrested.

Back at the Leverage headquarters, Parker and Astrid start reminiscing about past jobs and connect.

Relationships:

Sophie

Sophie became Astrid’s stepmother after marrying the Duke of Hanover. She left Astrid when she was ten and hadn’t reached out for 20 years. Sophie, however, kept tabs on Astrid, helping her with her job from time to time.

Parker

Astrid believes Parker thinks she’s her nemesis.

In "The Grand Complication Job", Alexandra Bligh pits Astrid and Parker against each other to get at Sophie. Sophie utters that there’s a reason she keeps them apart, in fear that one of them will kill the other. Astrid blames Parker of stealing Sophie away from her, leaving her feeling abandoned and replaced. Parker tells Astrid that she doesn’t know love and only steals other people’s love. While saving Sophie, Astrid interprets Parker as referring to her as a part of her family. By the end of the episode, the two seem to have warmed to each other.

Appearances

Season 2

• The Museum Makeover Job
• The Crowning Achievement Job

Season 3

• "The Weekend in Paris Job" (mentioned)
• "The Grand Complication Job"

Skills

• Knowledge of Jiu Jitsu
• Can drive a motorcycle

Trivia

• Astrid is addressed as “Lady Astrid,” however that is a courtesy title she was given as the daughter of a duke and indicates that she did not inherit the estate after her father's death. Otherwise her title would be duchess.
• There is no indication that Astrid is married and took her partner’s name, so her father’s name is most likely William Pickford, the Duke of Hanover.
• Six British monarchs were members of the House of Hanover - King George I, King George II, King George III, King George IV, King William IV, and Queen Victoria.

References