Today marks the tenth anniversary of Crown Prince Haakon’s official announcement of his relationship with HRH Mette-Marit.

In the past

The Crown Princess has risen above her image as a single mother, and previously party-happy person from Sørlandet, to become one of the world’s most popular Royal personages.

HRH Mette-Marit was born in Kristiansand on Norway’s Southern coast on 19 August 1973, the youngest child of Ms Marit Tjessem and Mr Sven Olav Bjarte Høiby.

She conceived her first son, Marius Borg Høiby in 1997, and became Crown Princess upon her marriage to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon on 25 August 2001.

Fædrelandsvennen was the first paper to break the story of the Crown Prince’s girlfriend on 29 December 1999.

Beate Barth-Nossum, the paper’s political editor at the time, tells NTB she recalls the people of Sørlandet’s reaction which was, mildly-speaking, critical.

A thin line

But The Crown Princess has managed to leave extreme scepticism behind to become the Norwegian Peoples’ greatest pride, according to Barth-Nossum, now head of the society division at public relations and communications firm Burson-Marsteller.

However, Barth-Nossum believes HRH is constantly walking a tightrope.

“Crown Princess Mette-Marit is popular because she behaves as expected, without scandals and surprises. It gives her a solid status, whilst at the same time she is probably quite vulnerable. It wouldn’t take more than social or political excess before it’s perceived as being a violation of expectations,” she says.

The Royal Couple have two children of their own, Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and their son, His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus, and live at their country residence called Skaugum outside Oslo.