Prince Sverre Magnus News & Current Events Part 1: December 2023 -

[LadyFinn]

She could have attended without joining them publicly on their walks from one location to another. Just like Ingrid-Alexandra's boyfriend was present at some of her major life events without officially being presented as her boyfriend.

Yes, I agree.

The argument in this case might be that it officially is considered a 'private event'. The Swedish royals did bring their partners to their father's very public 60th birthday party celebration (although Emma and Jonas walked in together instead of with their royal partners).

Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine had all dated with their boy-/girlfriends for 4 to 7 years and they all were much older than Magnus and this girl. And Daniel, Emma and Jonas didn't arrive with them and pose to the media with them. Magnus and this girl are very young and have been dating for a short time.

Lovely to see Sverre Magnus and his girlfriend attending the wedding events with his family. A nice contrast from the recent unfortunate events surrounding Marius.

I'm a little cynical. Perhaps if there wasn't this scandal with Marius, the girlfriend wouldn't have been there with the crown prince family posing for the media and giving something else to write about.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

There are also a few examples in the Dutch royal family. The princes Pieter-Christiaan and Floris brought their girlfriends to the christening of Amalia in June (2004). Both of them got engaged at the end of the year (although they weren't announced until early the next year) and got married in the fall (August and October) of the next year (2005). It was definitely talked about at that point as a significant step for them to have them publicly join them before they were engaged. Mabel Wisse Smit famously also joined the family during the funeral of prince Claus, her then boyfriend's father. She was not front and center but did join the family (as anonymous as possible) when they entered the crypt with only the queen, her children (and children-in-law) as well as Claus' sisters.

Thank you, Somebody! So the relaxation of inclusion of unmarried partners began a bit earlier than I thought, but only for those who were moving towards eventual marriage (Daniel, Emma and Jonas walking in separately from the royal family is different in my view). Were the Dutch events considered official events or public but unofficial?

I'm a little cynical. Perhaps if there wasn't this scandal with Marius, the girlfriend wouldn't have been there with the crown prince family posing for the media and giving something else to write about.

It is an interesting theory, but even if that was the case, I think the appearance would have been originally requested by Magnus and/or his girlfriend, with his parents at most agreeing to it due to the special circumstances. As seen with Marius and his public relations missteps, the Crown Prince Couple don't seem to demand that their adult children act in ways that benefit the family's media image.

 

[tommy100]

I'm not saying this to be mean but I look at my life, my friends and family and how many are with their girlfriend / boyfriend from when they were 18. Not many at all. That is why this feels unnecessary to me, they are putting her very much in the public eye for a teen romance.
I don't have an issue with her attending or indeed even staying with the RF, but I just think its really unfair to expose someone so young to the media. The issue now IMO is they have set the precedent that she can be photographed and is happy to be seen as SM girlfriend. She could easily have attended and even sat with the RF without arriving with them. A huge misjudgement to me.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I'm not saying this to be mean but I look at my life, my friends and family and how many are with their girlfriend / boyfriend from when they were 18. Not many at all. That is why this feels unnecessary to me, they are putting her very much in the public eye for a teen romance.
I don't have an issue with her attending or indeed even staying with the RF, but I just think its really unfair to expose someone so young to the media. The issue now IMO is they have set the precedent that she can be photographed and is happy to be seen as SM girlfriend. She could easily have attended and even sat with the RF without arriving with them. A huge misjudgement to me.

I agree… It’s about protecting her right to her private life…

Even if the norwegian media are far less agressive than then their british and german counterparts, it is still to ask a lot of a 17 year old to be on the frontpages everywhere all over the country with the royal family..

With the 2 storms going on simulatenously in the Norwegian RF, she and Sverre Magnus are in a thankful position and can be seen as a beacon of light in the middle of the storms… But even storms dwindles down one day…

 

[Somebody]

Thank you, Somebody! So the relaxation of inclusion of unmarried partners began a bit earlier than I thought, but only for those who were moving towards eventual marriage (Daniel, Emma and Jonas walking in separately from the royal family is different in my view). Were the Dutch events considered official events or public but unofficial?

The christening of the future queen was an official but not a state event which was televised and had representatives from society present.

Had it been a state event (like the wedding of her parents and her father's inauguration) Amalia's grandfather would not have been prrsent.

The presence of Anita and Aimée was indeed seen as an indication of upcoming marriages.

 

[Toledo]

Sverre Magnus won the lottery with this beautiful girlfriend of his. Despite her age she has already quite a resume that also leads us to see she is both beauty and brains. She's the hope we need to forget and move past the wedding they attended today.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I think the NRF don't mind a positive side-story for once. - Nor I think, do the Norwegians.

Lovely to see Sverre Magnus and his girlfriend attending the wedding events with his family. A nice contrast from the recent unfortunate events surrounding Marius.

She's the hope we need to forget and move past the wedding they attended today.

If the new policy of the royal family is to treat girlfriends/boyfriends as public members of the family from the early stages of the relationship, in the long run it will actually multiply the odds of additional controversies. Earlier entry by boyfriends/girlfriends into the public side of the family means that more partners will have more opportunities to appear with the royal family and become "one of them" in the minds of the public, such that any unpopular choices they make will be associated with the royal family. As an illustration, imagine if Princess Märtha Louise and Durek Verrett had separated after one year as a couple: In this hypothetical situation, would his unpopularity with the public have been more damaging to the royal family if he had regularly appeared in public as "one of the royals" during that one year of dating, or if he hadn't?

 

[victor1319]

If the new policy of the royal family is to treat girlfriends/boyfriends as public members of the family from the early stages of the relationship, in the long run it will actually multiply the odds of additional controversies.

You are absolutely right! And to think, that the girlfriend of the Prince with her sweet 17 was alledgedly already on vacation with the Royal Family... In my mind it is all Mette Marit's fault: First the "rush in" with Princess Ingrid's boyfriend, also with vacation with the Royals and staying over night at the castle and then the shared flat, which was really small ... and now all of the same starting with Prince Sverre Magnus' girlfriend... I wonder, if Mette Marit is over-compensating for her wild years by allowing this.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

You are absolutely right! And to think, that the girlfriend of the Prince with her sweet 17 was alledgedly already on vacation with the Royal Family... In my mind it is all Mette Marit's fault: First the "rush in" with Princess Ingrid's boyfriend, also with vacation with the Royals and staying over night at the castle and then the shared flat, which was really small ... and now all of the same starting with Prince Sverre Magnus' girlfriend... I wonder, if Mette Marit is over-compensating for her wild years by allowing this.

Interesting observations! Marius would seemingly fit the pattern as well: However terribly he treated his girlfriends, he seems to have spent nearly all his adult years in long-term cohabiting relationships, and his longest-term girlfriend (of five years) was not only officially present at Princess Ingrid Alexandra's confirmation but listed under "family".

All the same, there is a difference between the private and public sides of royal family life. Even if there are legitimate reasons for the Crown Prince Couple to "rush in" their children's partners into their family's lives (perhaps to prevent a repeat of her self-confessed "wild past" as you guessed, perhaps to keep an eye on the partners, or perhaps simply to make them feel welcomed), it would not only be in the best interests of the monarchy, but beneficial to the couples themselves, to delay the public entry into royal life until the official engagement announcement, if any.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Amalie is wearing a dress that belongs to Mette-Marit! Ok, they're serious!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829934691903742041

Not only belonging to Mette-Marit, but people including royal expert Trond Norén Isaksen have observed that it is the dress worn by Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby for official pre-wedding photos before her wedding to Crown Prince Haakon.

I almost missed this post and now, on a second take, I get it. The young girl didn't have a dress gown-type to wear so CP Mette-Marit let her use one from her collection from younger days to match with her son's formal attire. That was a sweet gesture. And she even has matching jewelry, is it Mette's too? This young girl is ready for royalty.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829934691903742041

I'm not aware of any suggestions that Amalie Giæver Macleod did not have a formal gown to wear. Her parents reside in an affluent neighborhood and have allowed her to begin working as a model while still a minor, so it seems very unlikely that they would be unable or unwilling to buy or rent a formal gown for their daughter if she did not already have one.


Between the use of the Crown Princess's pre-wedding dress and the revelations about how news editors have long known of but kept silent about the relationship out of respect for the young couple's privacy, I think it is safe to infer that whoever made the decision about this introduction into the limelight was attempting to attract, not avoid, the public's attention.

 

[PhillyMonarchist]

This girlfriend look like Ingrid

Not only belonging to Mette-Marit, but people including royal expert Trond Norén Isaksen have observed that it is the dress worn by Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby for official pre-wedding photos before her wedding to Crown Prince Haakon.



I'm not aware of any suggestions that Amalie Giæver Macleod did not have a formal gown to wear. Her parents reside in an affluent neighborhood and have allowed her to begin working as a model while still a minor, so it seems very unlikely that they would be unable or unwilling to buy or rent a formal gown for their daughter if she did not already have one.


Between the use of the Crown Princess's pre-wedding dress and the revelations about how news editors have long known of but kept silent about the relationship out of respect for the young couple's privacy, I think it is safe to infer that whoever made the decision about this introduction into the limelight was attempting to attract, not avoid, the public's attention.

I mean she was going to be seen at the event with Sven in his mother dress i am sure they had a conversation to her telling her and warning about what would happen

 

[Tatiana Maria]

To be honest, I am rather bemused by the comments online (not specific to this forum) heralding Prince Sverre Magnus as a savior of the monarchy and urging the King and Crown Prince to designate him as a future full-time working royal. Aside from the question of whether Norway truly requires so many full-time working royals, he is only 18 years old, meaning that most of the public know little of him at this stage (as it should be), and there is no sure method to predict what sort of royal he will be. He may prove to be as lovable and respectable as his paternal grandfather, or he may prove to cause as much scandal as his brother and paternal aunt.

I wonder if some (certainly not all, but some) of the comments are rooted in the patriarchal notion that the future king's eldest son has a "right" to royal treatment even if he is not the eldest child. Reading older discussions on royal forums, it seems there was also much more upset when Prince Sverre Magnus was denied the HRH at birth compared to when Princess Märtha Louise was stripped of her HRH shortly before marriage.

(..)

 

[Prinsara]

it seems there was also much more upset when Prince Sverre Magnus was denied the HRH at birth compared to when Princess Märtha Louise was stripped of her HRH shortly before marriage.

But presumably that's also a pattern-breaking newborn child versus someone on the same level as her aunts (was not one of Harald's reasons that it would be unfair to his sisters to let his daughter keep it?). And as a gender-equity proponent, are you yourself not pleased "the future king's eldest son" did not sway Harald differently...?

Separately, I'm of two minds about the public sweetheart issue; on the one hand, they've been together for a bit of time and it still feels relatively innocent if she's at the one "family" event... but on the other hand, if they are not together for the rest of their lives, will every future person SM dates be (literally) paraded in the public eye and attending royal functions? That seems like it could get very messy, fast.

 

[Toledo]

To be honest, I am rather bemused by the comments online (not specific to this forum) heralding Prince Sverre Magnus as a savior of the monarchy and urging the King and Crown Prince to designate him as a future full-time working royal. Aside from the question of whether Norway truly requires so many full-time working royals, he is only 18 years old, meaning that most of the public know little of him at this stage (as it should be), and there is no sure method to predict what sort of royal he will be. He may prove to be as lovable and respectable as his paternal grandfather, or he may prove to cause as much scandal as his brother and paternal aunt.

I wonder if some (certainly not all, but some) of the comments are rooted in the patriarchal notion that the future king's eldest son has a "right" to royal treatment even if he is not the eldest child. Reading older discussions on royal forums, it seems there was also much more upset when Prince Sverre Magnus was denied the HRH at birth compared to when Princess Märtha Louise was stripped of her HRH shortly before marriage.



That is not what Victor said, he was not "advocating for a 1950s cosplay", and not rushing in partners into royal life is probably even more beneficial for monarchies in 2024 than it was in the 1950s (when royals' personal lives were not as much in the limelight).

When Haakon takes over someday Sverre Magnus position will probably be adjusted to fit into more royal duties. At that time, if his older sister is the CP and still unmarried and/or married with no children yet, he becomes the third in line.

When he was born and not given an HRH, I assumed was to avoid putting pressure in his future life. All these years he was, for me, under the radar until last week when his beautiful girlfriend was introduced here at RFs. So being a non-HRH for 18 years now did work out for him.

 

[Prinsara]

Not directed to Toledo, but just generally:

Now does it really matter if she's beautiful? He's a Prince (from a wealthy, extant monarchy); isn't "beautiful" about the minimum standard of what they are expected to and generally do date, with fairly little effort?

And would people think less of Magnus if Amalie was just ordinary-looking or not done up to model standards in a designer gown and expensive jewelry?

We could probably have a relatively interesting gender-based discussion about this...

 

[Toledo]

Not directed to @Prinsara, but just generally

My comment:
...All these years he was, for me, under the radar until last week when his beautiful girlfriend was introduced here at RFs.

I used the line his beautiful girlfriend as a compliment, like in my old office fellow workers show me pictures of their kids, whom I met as babies, and now as adults they have partners. First thing we say as a compliment is his girlfriend is so beautiful or her boyfriend is very handsome.

It's just a polite, complimentary figure of speech and I would have said the same if Amalie was like a Picasso painting with two eyes on the same side of the face.

Yet, I'm glad she is not like a Picasso painting but she's more in the lines of an 1894 François Flameng's Zinaida Yussupova painting

Although, my comment would have been very odd has I said:
...All these years he was, for me, under the radar until last week when his girlfriend, that looks like an old painting, was introduced here at RFs.

 

[Curryong]

I don’t think that posters are following patriarchal notions when discussing Sverre Magnus’s possible future public role as realistically pointing out that the NRF are a tiny group of working royals.
As we all know, King Harald is very elderly and in bad health. His daughter in law the CPrss has a very serious health condition which limits her royal duties and the heir to the heir, Prss I-A is still very young and in the midst of her further education.

If she marries at say 25 and has children in the following five years, who, besides her father, is likely to be a full time working royal? Is Ingrid-Alexandra not to be given any respite from full on royal duties as a young wife and mother if her husband remains in private life? And what if she remains single and childless? Imo it’s just plain commonsense to make sure that her younger brother should at least have some training in royal duties for the future, just in case.

 

[Somebody]

Why do you expect Ingrid-Alexandra's future husband to remain in private life? I fully expect the spouse of the future monarch to be fully dedicated to his role as consort - just like Daniel has shown in neighboring Sweden.

Nonetheless, I agree that any spare should be sufficiently prepared to take over if needed. It will always be a steep learning curve if that happens as they have been raised with different expectations than the heir - but for example Belgium has shown that it might be necessary to rely on the spare.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

As my replies to Curryong's and Somebody's comments and parts of Prinsara's comment cited examples from other European monarchies, I've taken them over to Royalty/Nobility and Gender in order not to go off-topic:

Those were not the comments I referred to. Not only do I agree that Prince Sverre Magnus should be trained in royal duties, but my view on the matter is that in every monarchy with a difficult-to-modify line of succession to the throne, every individual in line should be trained in royal duties, so Princess Märtha Louise and her daughters should either also be trained in royal duties or be excluded from the line of succession to the throne.

However, the popularity of calls (again, not only on this forum) for Prince Sverre Magnus to become a full-time royal exceeds the calls for female "spares" to become full-time working royals, even in royal families with a small roster of working royals. For Spain and Belgium (both of which have larger populations than Norway), royal watchers have had little objection to Infanta Elena and Princess Astrid being sidelined, even though the brothers who sidelined them "only" have elderly parents (of whom at least the fathers abdicated for a reason) and children too young for royal duties.



You're correct that the situations are not exactly the same. However, most of the "upset" comments I read were not "Why can't Sverre Magnus be an HRH until he gets married like his great-aunts or until he goes into business like his aunt?" but rather "Why can't Sverre Magnus be an HRH? He's the son of a king!"

There also seems to be no offense taken over British Prince Edward's daughter Louise being only a Lady while her younger(!) brother gets to be an Earl, compared to the outrage over Magnus the spare having a title "unequal" to his older sister the future queen.

I also read an old comment (I think on this forum) complaining that with Sverre Magnus not being an HRH, Ingrid Alexandra's future husband might outrank him. In contrast, I have never seen any royal watcher be disturbed by Crown Princess Mette-Marit outranking Princess Märtha Louise or Queen Sonja outranking Princess Astrid.


Perhaps Curryong meant that he could dedicate himself private home life and the care of his children, like the Duchess of Cambridge did for a period. But if what was meant was that he might remain working in private business life, that would be a clear example of sexist treatment as no female consort in the same position would be expected or allowed to do the same.

(was not one of Harald's reasons that it would be unfair to his sisters to let his daughter keep it?). And as a gender-equity proponent, are you yourself not pleased "the future king's eldest son" did not sway Harald differently...?

Yes, my understanding is that King Harald V's thinking was gender-equal (he has also spoken strongly in support of gender-equal succession to the throne), unlike those of some (not all) of his critics (again, to be clear, there were legitimate non-sexist reasons to criticize the breaks with tradition, and I am not grouping together everyone who disliked the decision).

 

[victor1319]

Why do you expect Ingrid-Alexandra's future husband to remain in private life? I fully expect the spouse of the future monarch to be fully dedicated to his role as consort - just like Daniel has shown in neighboring Sweden.

And it should be not forgotten, that a life in the spotlight can be hell! If living in the public does not really correspond with the personality, it will be really a burden! Let's not forget Princess Diana and in the second generation Prince Harry...

Folks from another background then Royal heir must be really trained and prepared for their job! And even the heirs! Otherwise it will end in tears...

 

[Mbruno]

I'm not saying this to be mean but I look at my life, my friends and family and how many are with their girlfriend / boyfriend from when they were 18. Not many at all. That is why this feels unnecessary to me, they are putting her very much in the public eye for a teen romance.
I don't have an issue with her attending or indeed even staying with the RF, but I just think its really unfair to expose someone so young to the media. The issue now IMO is they have set the precedent that she can be photographed and is happy to be seen as SM girlfriend. She could easily have attended and even sat with the RF without arriving with them. A huge misjudgement to me.

I agree. There is no need to publicize a relationship between an 18-year-old prince and his 17-year-old girlfriend, or give it any "official status" by having the couple appear together at a RF event with members of the Royal House. As you said, most relationships at that age are casual and unlikely to last. Besides, the fact that the girl is still a minor raises privacy concerns.

 

[BJB]

I have sort of my problem with this "she shouldn't have attended" or "should've have attended in public with the RF".

In my eyes a royal family should be allowed to be a family. Not that they have to play after old rules what is appropriated and not. There might have been a time where it would have been inappropriate for them to be seen together before at least an engagement. But that not represents what is normal for others of their generation. They should show some level of dignity and values, but there is nothing won by sticking to old rules which not fit a modern society anymore.

And in any other family (not even in a "regular" celebrity family) someone would've made a big deal out of the 18-year old nephew of the bride bringing his 17-year old girlfriend to a wedding.

What other options would've been there:

Tell her she can't attend because her boyfriend is part of the royal family. That would be, in my eyes, be a slap in her (and his's) face.

Or have her arrive alone, which obviously would've sparked a lot of questions who the 17-year-old girl belongs to, who seems to have no ties to the bride or groom. People would've been able to count one and one togehter anyways. In my eyes that also can't be the solution, especially with the back in the mind that the people at this event which she knows would've been the royal family. We all had been young and we all know the feeling of being that one person surrounded by much older people, it isn't the most pleasant thing.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I have sort of my problem with this "she shouldn't have attended" or "should've have attended in public with the RF".

In my eyes a royal family should be allowed to be a family. Not that they have to play after old rules what is appropriated and not. There might have been a time where it would have been inappropriate for them to be seen together before at least an engagement. But that not represents what is normal for others of their generation. They should show some level of dignity and values, but there is nothing won by sticking to old rules which not fit a modern society anymore.

And in any other family (not even in a "regular" celebrity family) someone would've made a big deal out of the 18-year old nephew of the bride bringing his 17-year old girlfriend to a wedding.

However, in every other reigning family (not regular celebrity family) with which I am familiar, and even in the Norwegian royal family on every other occasion, the "new/normal/modern" general custom for royals of their (and every other) generation is for an unknown to the public, still a minor, not engaged to be married girlfriend/boyfriend not to be treated as a member of the royal family at an event being filmed by news media.

In my view, far from "not fitting a modern society anymore", the custom of keeping royals' unofficial partners out of royal life until a wedding is near is a perfect fit for society in 2024 (even more so than in the past), for the reasons I explained earlier in the thread.

What other options would've been there:

Tell her she can't attend because her boyfriend is part of the royal family. That would be, in my eyes, be a slap in her (and his's) face.

Then in your eyes, every other 17-year-old girlfriend/boyfriend of a royal other than Amalie Giæver Macleod has been slapped in the face, as none of them have attended public events with royal families?

Or have her arrive alone, which obviously would've sparked a lot of questions who the 17-year-old girl belongs to, who seems to have no ties to the bride or groom. People would've been able to count one and one togehter anyways.

I cannot think of any occasion when a lot of questions were sparked about a royal wedding guest who was not already known to the public, just because they attended the wedding without a date at their side.

Nor can I think of an instance when people "counted one and one together" and assumed that an unknown teenager arriving at royal wedding alone or with someone other than a romantic partner (she could have arrived with her parents or other friends, for example) must be the girlfriend/boyfriend of a teenage member of the royal family.

Can you name an example of either?

In my eyes that also can't be the solution, especially with the back in the mind that the people at this event which she knows would've been the royal family. We all had been young and we all know the feeling of being that one person surrounded by much older people, it isn't the most pleasant thing.

Nothing would prevent her from interacting with Sverre Magnus, or other 17/18-year-old wedding guests, behind closed doors if she attended the wedding as a private guest (though there was no particular need for her to attend since, as you said yourself, she has no apparent ties to the bride and groom).

 

[PhillyMonarchist]

O

However, in every other reigning family (not regular celebrity family) with which I am familiar, and even in the Norwegian royal family on every other occasion, the "new/normal/modern" general custom for royals of their (and every other) generation is for an unknown to the public, still a minor, not engaged to be married girlfriend/boyfriend not to be treated as a member of the royal family at an event being filmed by news media.

In my view, far from "not fitting a modern society anymore", the custom of keeping royals' unofficial partners out of royal life until a wedding is near is a perfect fit for society in 2024 (even more so than in the past), for the reasons I explained earlier in the thread.



Then in your eyes, every other 17-year-old girlfriend/boyfriend of a royal other than Amalie Giæver Macleod has been slapped in the face, as none of them have attended public events with royal families?



I cannot think of any occasion when a lot of questions were sparked about a royal wedding guest who was not already known to the public, just because they attended the wedding without a date at their side.

Nor can I think of an instance when people "counted one and one together" and assumed that an unknown teenager arriving at royal wedding alone or with someone other than a romantic partner (she could have arrived with her parents or other friends, for example) must be the girlfriend/boyfriend of a teenage member of the royal family.

Can you name an example of either?



Nothing would prevent her from interacting with Sverre Magnus, or other 17/18-year-old wedding guests, behind closed doors if she attended the wedding as a private guest (though there was no particular need for her to attend since, as you said yourself, she has no apparent ties to the bride and groom).

sbe was wearing a old dress of mm too

 

[Tatiana Maria]

O

sbe was wearing a old dress of mm too

It was a dress worn by the then Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby for official pre-wedding photos for her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon.

 

[Somebody]

(...)
I cannot think of any occasion when a lot of questions were sparked about a royal wedding guest who was not already known to the public, just because they attended the wedding without a date at their side.

Nor can I think of an instance when people "counted one and one together" and assumed that an unknown teenager arriving at royal wedding alone or with someone other than a romantic partner (she could have arrived with her parents or other friends, for example) must be the girlfriend/boyfriend of a teenage member of the royal family.

Can you name an example of either?

Nothing would prevent her from interacting with Sverre Magnus, or other 17/18-year-old wedding guests, behind closed doors if she attended the wedding as a private guest (though there was no particular need for her to attend since, as you said yourself, she has no apparent ties to the bride and groom).

In general I agree, however, she was known by the Norwegian media, so I am not completely sure she would have gone unnoticed by them. If she showed up in this way (which I would have recommended if they felt the need for her to attend), there was still a risk that the Norwegian media would decide to publish based on her attendance.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

In general I agree, however, she was known by the Norwegian media, so I am not completely sure she would have gone unnoticed by them. If she showed up in this way (which I would have recommended if they felt the need for her to attend), there was still a risk that the Norwegian media would decide to publish based on her attendance.

By "this way", do you mean the way her attendance was actually handled? If so, could you elaborate on why you see that as recommendable over having her attend privately?

 

[Toledo]

It was a dress worn by the then Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby for official pre-wedding photos for her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon.

I hope that foreshadows a future royal wedding in the making, hopefully when both are done with school and more mature for a lifetime commitment. What is good here is she is now adjacent to the NRF, and it gives her the time to see and experience what is it like before she says yes to an engagement.

Or they can just marry next year when she is 18 and that's fine too. You can't fight love. When it gets you, it gets you!

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I hope that foreshadows a future royal wedding in the making, hopefully when both are done with school and more mature for a lifetime commitment. What is good here is she is now adjacent to the NRF, and it gives her the time to see and experience what is it like before she says yes to an engagement.

Or they can just marry next year when she is 18 and that's fine too. You can't fight love. When it gets you, it gets you!

If there turns out to be an engagement announcement in the offing waiting for her 18th birthday, I will withdraw my criticism of this incident. Unlikely as it is, it would surely be fascinating to see, now that the national average age of first marriages has risen to 35 for women and 37 for men, the reactions from the public to an 18- or 19-year-old prince announcing his plans to marry his 18-year-old girlfriend.

 

[Somebody]

By "this way", do you mean the way her attendance was actually handled? If so, could you elaborate on why you see that as recommendable over having her attend privately?

No, by ‘this way’ I meant the way you proposed, i.e. attending privately. Given that she was known by the press, there would still be a reasonable chance that she would have been outed as SM’s girlfriend.