Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday: 21 January, 2022 & birthday celebrations


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Thanks for the interview! She was nervous but did very well. And kudos for her to dodging tricky questions.


Btw, I was also surprised to know that MM wants Ingrid to study medicine. I do agree that studying a variety of subjects can be beneficial, but I fail to see how studying medicine will allow her to increase sympathy and get closer to her people? I mean, just because I'm an historian doesn't mean that I have less empathy than doctors. I think that having such qualities comes from one's personality and not from their education. There are many doctors who don't care about people, but only care about status and wealth.


I do see MM's point given the family's health issues. But it did seem that Ingrid is not that interested in it, as it was her mom's preference and not her own. Actually, it seemed that Ingrid has everything sorted out, she clearly knows what she wants to do.
 
As a back up when the monarchy ends? Better be prepared.
very cynical...:sad:

Very good summaries of the Princesse´s birthday celebrations with all what happened so far:




 
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Btw, I was also surprised to know that MM wants Ingrid to study medicine. I do agree that studying a variety of subjects can be beneficial, but I fail to see how studying medicine will allow her to increase sympathy and get closer to her people? I mean, just because I'm an historian doesn't mean that I have less empathy than doctors. I think that having such qualities comes from one's personality and not from their education. There are many doctors who don't care about people, but only care about status and wealth.

And I think that shows a lack of understanding of what medicine ideally does, or are you saying that all historians are intelligent and dedicated?

No one said that ALL doctors are caring and compassionate (or that it’s the only profession that would make her a good sovereign), and yes, quite a lot is personality, but that actually is what a lot of medical education is based on and teaches you to do. The sheer length and intense craziness of an M.D. and post-graduate training means most people have far, far easier options if they’re only interested in status and wealth.

MM, unfortunately, has seen a lot of doctors. I’m guessing she has a few she likes and is grateful for, and would be pleased if Ingrid turned out that way.
 
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Arrival at Skaugum estate in Asker near Oslo, Norway, January 21st, 2022.

https://www.anpfoto.nl//search.pp?pos=3
https://www.anpfoto.nl//search.pp?pos=1

Is that a tesla car?


Yes, it is. Ingrid was also driven to the NRK interview at the Palace in this Tesla, it's shown in the beginning of the video.

Second part of my translation of Princess Ingrid Alexandra's NRK Interview


Interviewer: I’ve heard the Princess is a good storyteller. Who are the digiluttene?

Ingrid: Digiluttene is a rat breed that lives in the mountains, and which I wrote about in 4th grade. I made a little book about different digilutter.

Interviewer: Which you have invented?

Ingrid: Yes. A new breed, looks a bit like rats. So I drew all the digiluttene, wrote a little about each digilutt and made a book.

Interviewer: Digiluttene is a name you came up with?

Ingrid: Yes, I do not quite remember how.

Interviewer: Who did the Princess read the stories to?

Ingrid: Most of the time it was Mom and Dad.

Interviewer: And they liked it?

Ingrid: Yes, they liked it a lot. Before I learnt to write, I got Mom and Dad to write down all my stories – I told them and they wrote them down.

Interviewer: What does everyday life look like for the Princess?

Ingrid: I’m pretty grumpy in the mornings, so Dad makes me coffee sometimes, which gets me in a slightly better mood.

Interviewer: Does he bring it to bed?

Ingrid: No, to the car. He often drives us to school since we live so far away. Then I go to school. After school, I might work on homework, go for a walk, go skiing or hang out with friends and such.

Interviewer: What is school like for you?

Ingrid: Very good. Elvebakken is a great school.

Interviewer: Which subjects to you like best?

Ingrid: I love many of my subjects. It’s more fun this year since we have chosen subjects ourselves. I like Geography, and Chemistry, and English… I love many of the subjects.

Interviewer: Which subjects does the Princess like the least?

Ingrid: The least?

Interviewer: Where you think: “Ah! Do we have that again?”

Ingrid: Maybe I should not say that on television.

Interviewer: No?

Ingrid: No, I think perhaps not.

Interviewer: Are there any special topics that the Princess likes to write about?

Ingrid: Oh, many things. Writing about people and demography… That is very exciting. And we have learnt a lot about space last year, which was very inspiring. We have also learnt a lot about sustainable development – about how we can develop further in an environmentally friendly way.

Interviewer: You are a Princess. When did you realize that you were a Princess?

Ingrid: In a way, I have always known that. There was no specific time when I figured it out.

Interviewer: Do you often think about the fact that you are a Princess?

Ingrid: No, I don’t. Of course there are situations where I am reminded of it. But I do not know anything else. It’s not something I think much about.

Interviewer: In which situations are you reminded of it?

Ingrid: In situations like this one, I suppose. (laughs)

Interviewer: When you take on official engagements?

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you sometimes think in your everyday life, “no, I can’t do that”? For example when you are at a party or out in public?

Ingrid: Yes, of course I try to make smart choices. But I think that’s something everyone tries to do.

Interviewer: You do not feel that the Princess role limits your life?

Ingrid: In a way. But I’m just trying to make the best of it. I have to limit myself a bit… I cannot have social media and things like that, I limit pictures that are taken of me… All these things I try to do because I want to have a relatively normal youth and not be so much in the media at this time.

Interviewer: How important is privacy to the Princess?

Ingrid: It’s very important to me.

Interviewer: The Norwegian Constitution states that the monarch must belong to the Church of Norway. What do you think about that?

Ingrid: It is written in the Constitution, I adhere to that. It has not been a big problem for me.

Interviewer: Do you feel that you can believe what you want?

Ingrid: This is not a big problem for me, I’m fine with it.

Interviewer: Has the Princess ever considered saying no to the role of Queen?

Ingrid: It is a great opportunity. I am grateful for the opportunity we have. You wonder… You can dream away and think: what would another life have been like? But it’s hard to imagine. I do not know what it would have been like without it. But I’m still young and it will be a long time until I become Queen. It’s in the cards that I intend to do it.

Interviewer: When the Princess says that it is easy to dream away, has one thought: “It would have been nice not to do it”?

Ingrid: No, one can always wonder what another life would have been like, but it’s hard to imagine not being in the role I’m in.

Interviewer: As the Princess herself points out: you’re still young. As things are now, when the time comes, will the Princess take on the role of Queen?

Ingrid: Yes, that is the plan.

Interviewer: What does Norway mean to the Princess?

Ingrid: I have a lot of love for Norway. We are the best country, definitely. We have all the seasons, we have snow, we have summer. We are very good in the Winter Olympics. We have a lot of good things. We have “russetiden”… (laughs)

Interviewer: We’ll talk about that now! You are in your second year of high school. (In Norway, there are 3 years of high school; 11th to 13th grade) How has it been during the pandemic?

Ingrid: It has been quite peculiar. It is much more difficult to learn things when we have home school. Elvebakken has been great – we have been at school as much as possible. That has been important for us. It’s also a little weird, our age group has been inside for so long. I noticed it this summer. Things had been shut down for a very long time, I still felt like I was 15 and didn’t have much control. Then everything opened up, I got a summer job – and felt like I became 2 years older in a week. It was pretty weird.

Interviewer: You grew up at that job?

Ingrid: In a short time when everything reopened…

Interviewer: What was it like jobbing? It was a regular job, can I say that?

Ingrid: I worked as a runner together with my girlfriends, it was fantastic!

Interviewer: Runner, that is…?

Ingrid: You run with food and polish water bottles, glasses and things like that.

Interviewer: Where did you work?

Ingrid: At a restaurant in Oslo.

Interviewer: Next year, there will be the russ celebration. Will you be participating?

Ingrid: I will graduate high school and celebrate russ just like everybody else. (russ is how Norwegian high school students celebrate their graduation)

Interviewer: What do you think it will be like?

Ingrid: I’m sure it’s going to be nice.

Interviewer: What happens after high school?

Ingrid: We have a plan, but it changes often. I do not want to share it with the public yet, because it can change. And then I would set expectations for myself that it is perhaps wise to avoid.

Interviewer: Can the Princess say anything about which educational choices she is considering?

Ingrid. I have considered many, but it changes.

Interviewer: We have seen the Princess visit Camp Rena, you have flown on the F-16 in Bodø. Tell me about that.

Ingrid: It was pretty cool. I learnt a great amount about the military on my trips. They were also my first official engagements alone. Both visits were absolutely fantastic! I met a lot of wonderful people. Especially when I visited Rena – I met an all-female unit who was around my age. They welcomed me so wonderfully and were absolutely amazing. The flight was also very educational. Both visits were absolutely fantastic!

Interviewer: So will the Princess join the military?

Ingrid: I would rather not answer that.

Interviewer: But as monarch, you will be the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Do you have to join the Armed Forces to become Queen?

Ingrid: I have conscription on an equal footing with everyone else. The Constitution does not say that I need a military education. Not just because of my role, at least.

Interviewer: Would the Princess consider a gap year?

Ingrid: We’ll see.
 
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She is a very circumspect young lady when she wants to be. And she has learned to do it pretty gracefully. Good for her.
 
And I think that shows a lack of understanding of what medicine ideally does, or are you saying that all historians are intelligent and dedicated?

No one said that ALL doctors are caring and compassionate (or that it’s the only profession that would make her a good sovereign), and yes, quite a lot is personality, but that actually is what a lot of medical education is based on and teaches you to do. The sheer length and intense craziness of an M.D. and post-graduate training means most people have far, far easier options if they’re only interested in status and wealth.

MM, unfortunately, has seen a lot of doctors. I’m guessing she has a few she likes and is grateful for, and would be pleased if Ingrid turned out that way.
No, and I didn't mean it in a bad way. Actually, I interpreted the conversation here as studying medicine would make her a better ruler for her people. If I misread it, then I apologize. What I meant was, she can study, for example, economics and be likewise considerate and kind towards her people.:flowers: No hard feelings.
 
No, and I didn't mean it in a bad way. Actually, I interpreted the conversation here as studying medicine would make her a better ruler for her people. If I misread it, then I apologize. What I meant was, she can study, for example, economics and be likewise considerate and kind towards her people.:flowers: No hard feelings.

She can of course study anything and be considerate and kind. But there are reasons why her mother probably brought up medicine. Both given things that have happened and because trying to be a doctor generally does require a level of compassion in a way many other professions don’t — also helping you to be a good monarch.

So MM wants her to be a doctor, specifically, and not an accountant or a geologist.

Even when it’s so unlikely given the “queen” thing. And there’s probably a reason Ingrid is willing to air her wishes very publicly. Though it may just be because she loves her mom.
 
Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday: 21 January, 2022

The official website has always used both



HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra

and

HRH The Princess



as formal titulature for Ingrid Alexandra, in the same manner it uses both



HM The King

HM The Queen

HRH The Crown Prince

HRH The Crown Princess



and



HM King Harald V

HM Queen Sonja

HRH Crown Prince Haakon

HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit



for the other members of the Royal House. (Refer to the sidebar in the posted link, for example.)



Very similar to the UK and how they handled Queen Elizabeth II once her father was King. She never inherited the title Princess of Wales, instead was given title Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth. How id imagine it would be handled if Princess Charlotte had been older than Prince George, and William came to the throne. Probably will be the case for Charlotte regardless once William is King. In this case, they just minus Ingrid Alexandra.
 
I could be wrong but in UK the children of monarch, future monarch or not, always are The Prince/ss (Name). Margaret, who aren't heir, was also The Princess Margaret after her father ascended to the throne as well. It has nothing to do with future monarch or not. Charles is The Prince Charles as well (but normally used the highest title instead).

But in Norway Ingrid Alexandra is called HRH The Princess while her brother is still addressed as Prince Sverre Magnus (no The, see Duc), MAYBE SM will be called The Prince when he's 18 but I don't see that coming. Norway always differentiates the future monarch and spare (IA being HRH when SM not).
 
Third and final part of Princess Ingrid Alexandra's NRK Interview


Interviewer: The Princess has got her own office already. And her own adjutant, a kind of secretary.

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: What does the Princess need the adjutant for?

Ingrid: The adjutant is with me when I am at official engagements. Up to now, I have not been at so many, and I plan not to do so many more until I finish my studies. He is only there to help me when I go on official trips, he has got another job as well.

Interviewer: Perhaps he will give you some good advice?

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: Who do you go to when you need advice?

Ingrid: It depends a bit on what kind of advice. I go to friends a lot, and to Mom and Dad. If you mean in terms of my role, I have not been in the public eye that much up to now. But eventually… There are many heirs to the throne of the same age in Europe now, so I hope that we can be helpful to each other.

Interviewer: How much contact do you have?

Ingrid: Quite a lot with Sweden and Denmark. We visited Victoria, Daniel, Estelle and Oscar this summer. That was really lovely.

Interviewer: But you and your peers, do you communicate on Snapchat? Do you have your own group?

Ingrid: Not yet. (laughs) It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together because of corona. The last time was probably 2 or 3 years ago.

Interviewer: Does the Princess have any role models?

Ingrid: I have many role models, but I can name a few. Some of my biggest role models are my cousins Maud, Leah and Emma. They have been through some of the toughest things that children can go through. And they are still so positive and joyful, and make the best out of every situation. And of course both of my brothers, I look up to them very much. I have seen my little brother Magnus go from small and shy to big and grown-up. He has real control over his affairs now. And Marius, who I have perhaps always looked up to. Not necessarily because he is so cool, but more because of the loyalty he shows towards people.

Interviewer: And you also have the same taste in music?

Ingrid: (laughs) Yes, we do.

Interviewer: What type of music is that?

Ingrid: A lot of old rap.

Interviewer: You have talked about your brothers and your cousins. What do they think of you calling yourself the best grandchild? The King has said that.

Ingrid: (laughs) No, I’m sure they also think they are the best grandchildren. But they are wrong. (laughs)

Interviewer: (laughs) Very objective assessment.

Ingrid: Yes. (laughs)

Interviewer: Does the King come to you and say: now I will teach you how to be a monarch?

Ingrid: No, he’s not exactly the type. He has never sat me down and taught me. I have not gone to “Queen school”, but I learn a lot from him through what he does and what he tells me about.

Interviewer: Some or many believe that the monarchy is old-fashioned and undemocratic. What do you answer to that?

Ingrid: I think that it is not our job to decide. It must be up to democracy, and then we get to do our part.

Interviewer: The Crown Prince Couple have said that the Princess is very engaged, loves to discuss at the dinner table. So much that they sometimes get bored.

Ingrid: (laughs) Yes.

Interviewer: Does the Princess recognize herself?

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: What was the last thing you discussed that made them bored?

Ingrid: Oh, I don’t remember. They get bored quite often. It’s often things from school. I talk about space, politics and all sorts of things. And in the end, Mom tends to leave – then I know she’s bored.

Interviewer: It is one thing to discuss around the dinner table at home with your loved ones. Can the Princess publically say what she thinks?

Ingrid: Yes, I can say a lot of what I think publically – but not anything politically controversial.

Interviewer: Why not?

Ingrid: It is important that we as a family – we are going to do a lot of engagements where we visit different places, so it is important that we are not biased, not involved in party politics and such things.

Interviewer: So that also means that the Princess cannot attend protests?

Ingrid: No, I’m not allowed to do that according to Dad.

Interviewer: But that is also because of the role of monarch?

Ingrid: You’d have to ask him that.

Interviewer: What does the Princess think of when I say “climate”?

Ingrid: I’m thinking about the future, perhaps.

Interviewer: The Princess is concerned about the climate issue?

Ingrid: Mhmm. I am.

Interviewer: What climate choices do you make in your everyday life?

Ingrid: I eat little meat, I’m trying to do that.

Interviewer: You’re doing that because of the climate?

Ingrid: Yes, it’s mostly because of the climate. I do a little, but of course not enough. But the most important thing is that everyone does a little bit, I think.

Interviewer: Can it be difficult to live in a climate-friendly way sometimes?

Ingrid: Yes, definitely.

Interviewer: Does the Princess sometimes want to shop online, for instance?

Ingrid: Yes, that happens.

Interviewer: The climate is an issue that the Princess’ generation has grown up with. Another issue, or historical event, is the 22nd of July. Does the Princess remember that day?

Ingrid: I don’t remember much of it, I was quite small. But I remember sitting in the cabin listening to the radio when it happened. I also remember very well that we visited the Cathedral and laid down flowers. Maybe a little the mood – that everyone was sad. But even though my generation was very young when it happened, I feel that it has affected our generation.

Interviewer: In connection with the 10-year anniversary last year, the Princess was at Utøya.

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: Tell me about that.

Ingrid: It was a very intense experience. I noticed it when we took a boat over to island. Although we talked about completely different things, there was a very strange atmosphere. You notice that something gloomy has happened there. But at the same time, it was very nice too. And it is important to remember, so that we do not make the same mistakes again, I think.

Interviewer: Now we will perhaps see you in a more public role in the future. What kind of relationship do you have with the press?

Ingrid: We have a very good relationship. I’ve been pretty sheltered so far. I hope that it continue a little longer, even though I’m turning 18.

Interviewer: The Princess does not like the spotlight?

Ingrid: No, I’m not that happy about it yet.

Interviewer: Does the Princess read what is written about her?

Ingrid: Yes. There is a lot of social media, so it is impossible to completely shield yourself. I read quite a lot, even though I perhaps shouldn’t.

Interviewer: But has the Princess found any ways to deal with it in the future?

Ingrid: I find that difficult. I have not quite found my way to deal with it yet.

Interviewer: Critical things are sometimes written about the Royal Family, that’s how it is. Does the Princess get upset when she reads these things, or does it bounce off?

Ingrid: Yes, I might say so. When it is family members, it is difficult not to care about those articles.

Interviewer: One of the things that the European press likes to write about when they mention the royals is who they are with, or not with. What do you answer when people ask if you have a boyfriend?

Ingrid: I think that’s my private life, and it is very important that it stays in my private life. I do not intend to say much about it. It has never happened to me that I have been asked on the street if I have a boyfriend, or that people have come up to me. So I have not really had that problem.

Interview: Have you seen the footage of when your father, the Crown Prince, turned 18?

Ingrid: I have!

Interviewer: You’re laughting?

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: Why?

Ingrid: I think he found it awkward.

(Excerpt of Crown Prince Haakon’s interview is shown)

Interviewer: He took the task very seriously.

Ingrid: He took the task very seriously!

Interviewer: Does the Princess feel the same?

Ingrid: Yes. Yes, I was nervous about this interview, but I hope that I can laugh about that later.

Interviewer: The big celebration is postponed due to the pandemic, but will there be a celebration anyway?

Ingrid: Yes, we’re having a family dinner. Maybe I will invite some friends on one of the days, we will probably be fewer than we had planned.

Interviewer: Now the Princess has completed her fist major TV interview.

Ingrid: Yes.

Interviewer: I think it went very well. What do you think yourself?

Ingrid: It went smoothly. (laughs)

Interviewer: We wish you a happy birthday and good luck! Thank you very much!

Ingrid: Thank you very much!
 
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:previous:Thank you so much!!!! It was a pleasure to read the interview :flowers:
Third and final part of Princess Ingrid Alexandra's NRK Interview

Interviewer: Who do you go to when you need advice?

Ingrid: It depends a bit on what kind of advice. I go to friends a lot, and to Mom and Dad. If you mean in terms of my role, I have not been in the public eye that much up to now. But eventually… There are many heirs to the throne of the same age in Europe now, so I hope that we can be helpful to each other.

Interviewer: How much contact do you have?

Ingrid: Quite a lot with Sweden and Denmark. We visited Victoria, Daniel, Estelle and Oscar this summer. That was really lovely.
Very interesting part. I hope too that they get along well with each other. I wonder whom she was talking about? It was obviously not Estelle (they do have a friendly relationship, but Estelle is young to give advice). Maybe Elisabeth? Christian?
 
:previous:Thank you so much!!!! It was a pleasure to read the interview :flowers:

Very interesting part. I hope too that they get along well with each other. I wonder whom she was talking about? It was obviously not Estelle (they do have a friendly relationship, but Estelle is young to give advice). Maybe Elisabeth? Christian?

Amalia is closest in age and the families are close. In addition, she explicitly mentions Christian.
 
Amalia is closest in age and the families are close. In addition, she explicitly mentions Christian.
Ah yes, she mentioned Denmark :flowers: Christian even went to her confirmation. I wonder if her upcoming gala event will include some of the heirs in Europe? It would be great to see them all together.


The last time we saw some of them together was at Victoria's wedding, right? Ah, and at a gathering before Charles and Oscar were born (they even released a picture back then).
 
Ah yes, she mentioned Denmark :flowers: Christian even went to her confirmation. I wonder if her upcoming gala event will include some of the heirs in Europe? It would be great to see them all together.


The last time we saw some of them together was at Victoria's wedding, right? Ah, and at a gathering before Charles and Oscar were born (they even released a picture back then).

There was a meeting of the heirs (and children) in Norway some years ago. As the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain had new monarchs in the last decade the group of heirs has been reduced, so it was mainly the Scandinavian heirs and Guillaume and Stephanie.
 
There was a meeting of the heirs (and children) in Norway some years ago. As the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain had new monarchs in the last decade the group of heirs has been reduced, so it was mainly the Scandinavian heirs and Guillaume and Stephanie.
Yes, that was the gathering I was talking about, right before Oscar was born (was it the year before? 2015? I can't recall...).
 
Old school rap?! I never would have figured.
She's a smart and cool girl with a good head on her shoulders so to speak.
 
I may have missed it but did the Princess receive the Royal Family Order of Harald V of Norway?
 
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So let's go through the happenings on January 20 (the day before her birthday):

Ingrid's visit to the Parliament (the Storting):
The President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani from the Labour Party (read about him in this English Wikipedia article - link) greeted the Princess outside the building, then showed her the Storting chamber (where he told her about the workings of the parliament and Norway as a parliamentary democracy) before they walked into ''Eidsvollgalleriet'' (''the Eidsvoll gallery,'' which is a room in the Storting flanked with pictures of the so-called ''Men of Eidsvoll,'' who adopted the Norwegian Constitution in 1814). Ingrid and the president then had a closed meeting at his office, which was also attended by two other politicians:
1. The First-Vice-President of the Storting, Svein Harberg from the Conservative Party. The reason why his position is called First-Vice-President BTW is because it's the highest-ranked among five Vice-Presidential positions in the Presidium.
2. The youngest ever serving MP, the 20-year-old Maren Grøthe from the Centre Party (althrogh it should be said that she is not an MP in her own right, she is a so-called deputy MP who replaces Ola Borten Moe while he is a government minister).

When the meeting was over, they walked into ''Eidsvollgalleriet'' again, where Ingrid signed the guestbook with not only her name but also with a little heart symbol (which is a sweet and very typical teenage-girl-thing to do - see a photo of it in the NRK article posted a bit down in the post).
The president then said goodbye to her outside the building after about a 50-min visit.

And when talking to the media afterwards, the president said, among other things, that the Princess was ''curious and interested.'' He also said that ''it was great to receive what could be Norway's first female head of state and that the monarchy has a great future,'' etc (yes, he had to say that, but you could see that he meant it).


Ingrid's visit to the Supreme Court:
Chief Justice Toril Marie Øie (read about her in this English Supreme Court article - link) greeted the Princess outside the building, then took her inside the court's vestibule and introduced her to four of the other 19 justices before telling her about the building. They then walked up the staircase and into the Chief Justice's office where Toril Marie Øie, among other things, told Ingrid about the damages to the building during the July 22 attacks in 2011, before she told her about the King-chair (which stood inside the office) and said she hoped the Princess would take a sit in it (such as CP Haakon did the day before he turned 18 in July 1991) to which Ingrid replied with a smile ''selvfølgelig'' (''of course''), the media was then thrown out and they had a private chat. The Chief Justice then showed Ingrid the two courtrooms (while at the same time telling her about the workings of the court) before they said their goodbyes in the court's vestibule after about an hour-long visit.

And when talking to the media afterwards, Toril Marie Øie said, among other things, that the Princess was ''interested'' (especially in which cases the Supreme Court deals with) and that ''she asked good and relevant questions.''


Ingrid's visit to the Prime Minister's office:
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre from the Labour Party (read about him in this English Wikipedia article - link) greeted the Princess outside the building and took her into his office where they had a private chat. This was followed by a private lunch, which was also attended by the Minister of Justice, Emilie Enger Mehl from the Centre Party and some government staffers. (The 28-year-old Enger Mehl BTW is the youngest member of the current government, although not the youngest ever.) And before the media was thrown out, you could hear that Jonas Gahr Støre told Ingrid about the workings of the government.
The visit lasted almost two hours before the prime minister said goodbye to the Princess outside the building.

Støre then held a press meeting about the visit and said, among other things, that the Princess was ''interested, had many questions and was very exciting to talk to.''

Another thing to mention (which I perhaps will talk more about in the constitutional thread later) is that the prime minister is a personal friend of the CP-Couple, so Ingrid would have met him several times in the past. Støre even said when he became prime minister last year that he will declare himself biased if that should be needed, such as he did when the Stoltenberg government (which he was part of from 2005 to 2013) discussed the CP-Couple's apanage.
And now that he is the prime minister himself, he could easily be accused by the media of raising the apanage because they are friends, etc.


You can both read more about the day and watch the whole NRK broadcast in this NRK article (link). See the visit to the Storting from 38:00, the visit to the Supreme Court from 01:55 and the visit to the Prime Minister's Office from 03:10:00.

You can also read more in this English Royal House Article (link).

My impression of the Princess throughout the day:
A bit shy, but at the same time very confident, friendly and smiley. And as you can see in this short facebook-video (link), she really gave the photographers time to take their pictures (although understandably she didn't take any questions from reporters).

And now to the three people who accompanied the Princess:
1. Leader of the Royal Secretariat at the Royal Court, Olav Heian-Engdal (photo-link). In addition to being in the car with the Princess and accompanying her around, he also attended the private meeting with the President of the Storting and the private lunch with the Prime Minister (althrogh not the private meeting with the Chief Justice, I think).
Not sure about his age, but think he's in his late 30s or early 40s. He was previously assistant-leader of the Royal Secretariat with the responsibility of CP Haakon's official program and has worked at the court since at least 2014. Became leader of the Royal Secretariat in 2017 (and is in that capacity number two in the court after the Lord Chamberlain). The secretariat BTW is responsible for organising and coordinating the public and private engagements of members of the Royal House, i.e. the King/Queen, the CP-Couple and Ingrid. They also take care of the official programme and correspondence of princesses/princes who are not members of the Royal House, i.e Märtha & Astrid and most likely Sverre Magnus after he turns 18 in December 2023.
2. Adjutant (aide-de-camp/equerry) to the Princess since January 1st, Fredrik Ness Engh (read more about him in post 63). In addition to being in the car with the Princess and accompanying her around, he also attended the private lunch with the Prime Minister.
Not sure about his age, but think I read somewhere that he was born in 1982. Not any good work-related photos of the man, but you can see him in the broadcast above (the guy in uniform).
3. Communication manager at the Royal court, Guri Ofstad Varpe (photo-link). She was very much in the background handling the media, but you could notice her.
Not completely sure about her age, but she was 46 in April 2018. Had experience from both politics, journalism and communication before joining the Royal Court as Communication manager in June 2018, where she IMO has been doing a very good job, handling both the princess-title stuff with Märtha and the Epstein stuff with CP Mette-Marit very well.

Should also be mentioned that the Princess used the CP-Couple's official state car, known as A-3 (which is a stretched Binz Limousine from 2012 - here is a pretty good photo of it from Norway's Constitution Day in 2021 - link).
 
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Post 2:

TV-Coverage:

The state-owned NRK1:
The 5-hour broadcast (posted above in the other post) was presented live from the palace park by news anchor, Ingerid Stenvold (photo-link - and yes, unlike the Princess, she writes her name with an ''e''). She was born in 1977 and has worked at NRK since 2001. Not covered royal events before but has reported on the RF in regular news broadcasts and seems to be pretty pro-monarchy in her presenting style.

For most of the broadcast, she was joined by two so-called experts:
1. NRK's royal reporter/commentator/expert, Kristi Marie Skrede (photo-link). Not completely sure about her age, but she was 52 in January 2021 and has covered the RF for NRK since at least 2005 and has been the main responsible for royal coverage at NRK-News since 2007 (when the now late royal reporter/commentator/expert, Anne Baggethun retired). Skrede, who IMO is very serious/reliable, used to be quite balanced in her royal reporting but has in recent years been pretty pro-monarchy in her style.
2. Former political editor in the liberal-conservative newspaper Aftenposten, Harald Stanghelle (photo of him with the King - link). He was born in 1956 and often comments on the RF, politics and other stuff on both NRK and TV2. Is republican by principle but is actually very pro-monarchy in his style and holds nothing back when he praises King Harald, with whom he had several interviews for his best-selling 2020-book ''Kongen Forteller'' (''the King tells''). And he often refers to the King as ''folkekongen'' (''the king for all'') and ''folkets konge'' (''the people's king'') and says that King Harald's ''enorme posisjon blant det norske folk'' (''enormous position among the Norwegian people'') is due to the way he talks about inclusiveness and equality and the way he handles tragedies and natural-disasters in Norway. He also describes him as more popular than the very popular King Olav V (something most commentators agree with).
The coverage also included appearances by NRK's political commentator, Lars Nehru Sand (photo-link) and NRK's new culture commentator, Inger Merete Hobbelstad (photo-link). And the ultra-pro-monarchy royal author, Tor Bomann-Larsen (photo-link / born 1951), who is often used by the media here for royal events. He is most known BTW for his eighth-part biographical book-series about King Haakon VII and Queen Maud from 2002 to 2019, where he in the second volume (which was released in 2004) came up with a controversial theory that King Olav V was not the biological son of King Haakon VII. But despite this, he is regarded as very serious/reliable.

Talked about? Well, everything from the fact that there is currently high support for the monarchy among young people and that Ingrid looked much more relaxed than the way more serious 18-year-old CP Haakon in 1991 (they added that it was a different time when things were more formal and that he, in contrast to Ingrid, was the main heir, since his grandfather King Olav had died earlier in the year). They also said they were impressed with how Ingrid handled herself, reminding us that she is just 18.

The commercial TV2 News Channel:
News presenter, Elin Ludvigsen (photo-link / born 1971) reported live from the Storting before she moved herself to the Prime Minister's office (while political reporter Stål Talsnes stood outside the Supreme Court). She has always been very pro-monarchy in her style and has together with TV2's late royal commentator/expert Kjell Arne Totland (who died in 2019), covered several Norwegian royal events, including the Regent-Couple's joint 80th Birthday celebrations in 2017.
She was joined by the always knowable royal historian and author, Trond Norén Isaksen (photo-link / born 1981), who has been TV2's royal commentator/expert since Kjel Arne died. He is not a constitutional monarchist by principle but said some years ago that he believes the monarchy is the best solution for Norway.

Talked about: Much of the same as at NRK. However, when you have a detail-oriented historian like Trond Norén Isaksen as royal commentator/expert, the TV2 coverage automatically becomes a bit more nerdy than the one at NRK (something a nerd like me really appreciates).
Norén Isaksen also praised the media for leaving Ingrid alone until now. This is (he said) in contrast to when CP Haakon and Märtha Louise were in their late teens when the media was already speculating about boy/girlfriends and everything.
(I have previously gone through digital newspaper archives, and he's right, they already talked about Märtha's boyfriend by name when she turned 18 in 1989).
He further said that he hopes the media will hold back for a few more years and that they (when the time comes) will have confidence in Ingrid's ability to choose a spouse who is right for her. And that the Norwegian media will not make it a ''hell'' (his word), such as they did with CP Harald & Sonja Haraldsen and CP Haakon & Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.
(Agree, but if she should end up with a rich American or something like that, the egalitarian Norwegian media is not going to like it. But that is not a discussion for this thread).

The TV2 broadcast BTW is not available online (but you would have needed a subscription to watch it anyway).

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Double-quoted post:
It's here, but I'm not sure the subtitles are in anything but Norwegian. https://tv.nrk.no/program/NNFA31000022

Same link, but that is the full interview.

Here's her "rapid-fire” questions. https://www.vgtv.no/video/231541/15-kjappe-spoersmaal-med-prinsesse-ingrid-alexandra
I don´t know in which room she was interviewed here-perhaps in Skaugum, I guess - but obviously not her new office at the Palace, but I noticed an old photo of the young british Queen and Prince Philip framed in the background!https://www.instagram.com/p/CMH4X5XHhQB/

I just wanted to say how impressed I was about her "performance" at her birthday-gift-cour! The Princess was dignified and regal, but still charmingly humle and accessible. I think she did tremendously well, great poise!
Yes, the VG interview was conducted in the library at Skaugum, located among the reception rooms on the first floor. And in the background, you can look into the breakfast room. (The CP-Couple, Ingrid and Sverre Magnus, BTW, live in a private apartment on the second floor.)

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Regarding the title stuff that has been discussed here:
Yes, Ingrid is described as ''HKH Prinsessen'' (''HRH The Princess'') on the first page of her profile on the Royal House website (and on the page for her decorations), which in all certainty is due to her being the future heir and Monarch.
Should also be said that the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) since 2015 has been doing the same thing when they have referred to members of the Royal House by only their styles/titles (and not by names) when they have appeared on the palace balcony on May 17th (Norway's Constitution Day). - While Sverre Magnus OTOH (who is not part of the Royal House and therefore not a Royal Highness) was described as ''Prince Sverre Magnus'' (and not just ''the Prince'').
 
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Thanks ROYAL NORWAY for the details of IA's birthday events!:flowers:

A question regarding the title: has Harald or Haakon ever being addressed as HRH The Prince before they became Crown Prince and when their grandfather were still alive? Is it a "newly invented" formal title or just an informal one to indicate IA's position?
 
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Interesting question. One thing that is different in tjis generation (other than the change in the law of succession) is that Haakon's and Harald's siblings were royal highnesses from birth while Ingrid's sibling Sverre Magnus is not.
 
And now to the birthday itself, January 21:

11:00 am: The Princess was invited by the King to observe the weekly Council of State meeting with the government at the Royal Palace.
English Royal House article about it (link). Plus an NRK-video (link).
(The poster wartenberg7 BTW also posted a YouTube video of it in post 122.)

And as usual during the State Council meetings, King Harald and CP Haakon were wearing the gala uniforms of the army without medals and the St. Olav sash.

When the King came in, he said ''god dag alle sammen'' (''good day everyone''), to which the government replied with ''god dag Deres Majestet'' (''good day Your Majesty''). Then the Crown Prince came in and said ''god dag statsråd'' (''good day Council of State'') to which the government replied with ''god dag DKH'' (''good day Your Royal Highness''). This was followed by a smiling Ingrid who said the same as her father to which the government replied in the same way as they did to the Crown Prince.
You can also hear the prime minister saying happy birthday to her, to which Ingrid replied with ''tusen takk'' (''thank you very much'').

But why did the King say good dag everyone, while CP Haakon and Ingrid said good day Council of State?
1. Probably just the King being his informal self.
2. Or perhaps since the Council of State (on the paper) is the King's council, he sees himself as part of it in a way (and if that's the case, he would literally have said hello to himself if he had said ''good day council of state'').
The Crown Prince, OTOH, only takes a seat there on a weekly basis (except when he is regent) and Ingrid was just invited as a one-off basis guest, so they were both greeting the council as observers in a way. And it's therefore fitting for them to say as they did.
And we have no other videos to compare it with either since this is the first time the media has been let in to film from the council chamber during the covid-restrictions. Because usually the King and the Crown Prince would have walked around the table greeting all the ministers. Such as they did during the change of government in October last year when Norway was fully opened up before we went into semi-lockdown again in December. Watch this 9-min YouTube video of it (link) where the King and Crown Prince greet the outgoing government from 0:00 - and the incoming government from 6:00.


And now to the constitutional part of why Ingrid was invited:

Article 35 in the constitution (which can be read in English here - link) says:
As soon as the heir to the throne has completed her or his eighteenth year, she or he is entitled to take a seat in the Council of State, although without a vote or responsibility.
''The heir to the throne'' is taken as to mean the first in line, which means that Ingrid will not take a regular seat in the Council of State before the King dies and she becomes Crown Princess.

So why was she attending? Because article 12 in the constitution says:
The King himself chooses a Council from among Norwegian citizens who are entitled to vote. This Council shall consist of a Prime Minister and at least seven other Members.

The King apportions the business among the Members of the Council of State as he deems appropriate. Under extraordinary circumstances, besides the ordinary Members of the Council of State, the King may summon other Norwegian citizens, although no Members of the Storting, to take a seat in the Council of State.

Husband and wife, parent and child or two siblings may never sit at the same time in the Council of State.
So the King just invited her (as the future heir and monarch) on a one-off basis to celebrate her age of majority day.


About the Council Chamber:

Read about it in this English Royal House article (link), which includes information about the throne-chairs used by the King and Crown Prince.
(Ingrid BTW was just using a rococo chair from the white drawing-room.)

And since there are no photos in the article that show how the room used to look like, let's post two pictures of it:
During the reign of King Haakon VII (link).
During the reign of King Olav V (link).
(You can see how it looks like now in the article.)


My coverage of the day will continue later.

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Thanks ROYAL NORWAY for the details of IA's birthday events!:flowers:

A question regarding the title: has Harald or Haakon ever being addressed as HRH The Prince before they became Crown Prince and when their grandfather were still alive? Is it a "newly invented" formal title or just an informal one to indicate IA's position?

You're very welcome! :flowers:

And have replied to your question in the title-thread (link).
 
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This is tangential, but it’s interesting how the picture of Haakon VII arriving carrying Olav seems to have always been there. In The King’s Speech they had it in the king’s personal quarters so there would be an excuse to show it for the plot. Unless there is more than one copy of the painting...?
 
That will be an exciting event to watch. Which foreign guests should we expect? The Scandinavian Royals? Or the godparents?
 
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