In August, Norway’s crown prince pair celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. The couple decided to delay their celebration due to coronavirus concerns. On the date of their anniversary, Princess Ingrid Alexandra was quarantined due to a Covid diagnosis and has since recovered.
The 2001 royal wedding was an international occasion, with royals from several other European countries in attendance. Crown Prince Haakon was elegantly clad in his naval dress uniform. His best man was cousin Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.
Mette-Marit looked luminous in a sleek modern wedding dress inspired by the silhouette of the gown that Queen Maud had worn for her 1906 coronation. Along with a grand veil, Mette-Marit wore an Edwardian diamond tiara that was given to her by the King Harald and Queen Sonja. The headpiece has become a signature look for her as crown princess. Mette-Marit’s four-year-old son Marius (now 24) was a page boy in the bridal party.
In the same year, the royal pair established the Crown Prince Pair Foundation which now celebrates 20 years. To mark this occasion, 20 scholarship recipients were invited to lunch at the couple’s Skaugum estate in September.
After they wed, the crown prince pair went on to earn master’s degrees and have two children together, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (now 17) and Prince Sverre Magnus (15). Haakon and Mette-Marit support causes on behalf of youth, and also campaign in areas such as industry, innovation, mental health, literacy and more.
Earlier this summer, the pair were interviewed about their two decades of marriage on the NRK radio program “Sommer i P2.” Of Mette-Marit, Haakon said that when they met, “She was nice to talk to and it felt safe when we were together. The fact that she had a small child really only told me that she was not afraid to take on commitment and responsibility. It really was similar to my situation. We both were involved in something we saw as important.” He added that he is proud that they have built such a wonderful thriving family together.
See Mette-Marit’s understated Instagram post from August 25, 2021.
Photo Credit: Lise Åserud, Scanpix