Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in Kristiansand, Norway, on 19 August 1973), is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon.
| Born | August 19, 1973 (age 33) |
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| Title | Crown Princess of Norway |
| Spouse | Haakon Magnus, Crown Prince of Norway |
| Children | Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus |
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[edit] Background and Education
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Crown Princess Mette-Marit is the daughter of journalist Sven O. Høiby and his ex-wife Marit Tjessem. The crown princess has a sister and two elder brothers, and grew up in Kristiansand, in the southern part of Norway. She spent many weekends and holidays in the nearby valley of Setesdal and at the seaside, where she learned to sail. During her youth she was active in the local youth club Slettheia, where she was also an activity leader. As a teenager she played volleyball, qualifying as referee and coach.
After starting at Oddernes upper secondary school in Kristiansand, Mette-Marit spent six months at Wangaratta High School in Australia, as an exchange student with the exchange organization Youth For Understanding. Later, she attended Kristiansand Katedralskole, where she passed her final examinations in 1994. After another break from her studies, Mette-Marit attended Bjørknes Private School and then took the examen philosophicum (the preliminary university examination) at Agder University College.
By her own admission, Mette-Marit experienced an unconventional phase before she met Crown Prince Haakon Magnus. As a part-time student, she took longer than usual to complete her high school education before going on to take preparatory university courses at Agder. She then worked for a year at a café in Oslo.
In the late 1990's, Mette-Marit frequently attended the Quart Festival, Norway's largest rock festival, in her hometown of Kristiansand. As a result, she met Crown Prince Haakon, since he used to attend the festival as well. They were introduced by mutual friends.
| Styles of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway |
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| Reference style | Her Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Ma'am |
[edit] Courtship and Marriage
Although King Harald had earlier broken with custom by marrying the commoner Sonja Haraldsen, the relationship between the crown prince and Mette-Marit sparked controversy. Many felt that Mette-Marit's past (which included a relationship with a man convicted on drug charges), her status as an unwed mother, and the couple's choice to live together before being married, would damage the dignity and the image of the royal family. Although few expressed personal criticism of Mette-Marit, her introduction into the monarchy led to a debate about the standards for royalty in Norway. The controversy largely dissipated once the couple were engaged and then married. The new biography on the King revealed that the couple was permitted to live togeather before marriage for security reasons.
Her first official appearance as the intended bride of the Crown Prince was at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall on 10 December 2000, following the announcement of the couple's engagement on 1 December.
The couple married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral, Oslo and now live at Skaugum estate, outside Oslo. Upon her marriage she acquired the title HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit.[1]
[edit] Children
Before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, Mette-Marit gave birth to a son on 13 January 1997, Marius Borg Høiby, whose father is Morten Borg, who had been convicted of buying cocaine in 1991. Marius has since been accepted as a member of the royal family, and the relationship between Morten Borg and the royal family is, by all accounts, amicable.
On 21 January 2004, Mette-Marit gave birth to a daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who became second in line to the Norwegian throne after her father, Crown Prince Haakon.
Mette-Marit gave birth to her third child, Prince Sverre Magnus, on 3 December 2005. He is third in the line to the Norwegian throne after his sister, Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
[edit] Royal Duties and Further Education
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is interested in art and culture, especially literature and music. She also has a strong social commitment and carries out charity work as part of her official duties as Crown Princess. In October 2005 she accompanied Crown Prince Haakon, King Harald and Queen Sonja to the United Kingdom on a royal tour to mark the centenary of Norway's independence.
During 2002 and 2003 she undertook development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She was also accepted as an intern at NORAD, the Norwegian government's development organization. At present Mette-Marit is attending lectures at the faculties of arts and social sciences at the University of Oslo.
The Crown Princess is a UNAIDS Special Representative.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official biography
- Palace reacts to lies about Marius from the newspaper Aftenposten.
- German magazines have been reprimanded by the national press committee A collection of information and links on a homepage.
