On August 25, 2001, with before a host of European royalty, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon married the woman who was described by
the New York Times as “no ordinary commoner.” The bride is Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby, then 28, who was referred by
the press as "unconventional" and "uncommon" enough to be a modern-day Cinderella. She was after all a waitress and
a mother to a four-year old who had a background on "heavy partying in Oslo's drug-filled 'house party' milieu."
The couple were introduced to each other through friends in
1999. Their eight-month-long engagement included a period of living together in
an Oslo apartment. It was severely criticized by the conservative Church of Norway and even the Royal Family’s popularity dipped a record low at that time.
All is well that ends well, so they say. King Harald V of Norway supported his son's
decision given that he himself endured hardship as he tried to
convince his father to allow him to marry commoner, Sonja Haraldsen. Mette-Marit also clarified that she did not
use drugs. "I would like to take this opportunity to say that I condemn
drugs... I hope that I can now avoid talking more about my past, and that the press
will respect this wish," she told in a press statement. The public support
eventually rallied behind the couple and her honesty and sincerity endeared her
to the Norwegians.
Even King Harald praised
the bride-to-be for her courage despite the initial backlash that she
endured. "You are extraordinarily open and honest. You are
extraordinarily committed. You have extraordinary determination. You have
extraordinary courage,” the King told Mette-Marrit during the wedding day. "Today
you have made an extraordinary choice. You are in love with Haakon to an
extraordinary extent. And today you have chosen to embark on an extraordinary
life," he continued.
In egalitarian Norway, the pomp and splendor associated with
the royal wedding was a breath of fresh air. The ceremony at Oslo Cathedral saw
the crown princess wore a bridal gown that she collaborated with designer Ove Harder
Finseth and seamstress Anna Bratland. It was made of "thick silk crêpe and soft
silk tulle, custom-dyed ecru." The
skirt, inspired by Queen Maud’s gown, was made more regal by the a
two-metre-long train. Mette-Marit looked every inch of a princess on her wedding
day with the tiara that she wore. It was made in 1910 and gifted to her by no less
than the King and Queen.
Norwegians were one with their Royal Family in
celebrating the wedding. After all, the last royal wedding the country had
seen was King Harald and Queen Sonja’s wedding in 1968. Oslo’s
streets were "lavishly decorated... wreathed in red, blue and white flowers," noted Hello! Well-wishers lined the
streets of the capital with Norwegian flags at hand, eager to catch a glimpse
of their Cinderella and her Prince Charming .
After the wedding, the entourage and guests proceeded to the
Royal Palace for the banquet. Guests included 4 kings, 5 queens, 6 heirs to the
throne and 21 princes and princesses, not to mention 750 other distinguished
guests. A second wedding banquet was
held concurrently at the Oslo Military Society.
Aside from the members of the Norwegian Royal Family, the
host of foreign royalties who were there included Queen Margrethe II and Crown
Prince Frederik of Denmark; King Carl and Queen Sylvia of Sweden with Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl and Princess Madeline; Queen Sofia of
Spain then-Prince Felipe; King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians, with then-Prince Philippe; the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg with Grand Duke
Jean and Granduchess Josephine Charlotte, the Hereditary Grand Duke, and Prince
Guillaume and Princess Sibilla; King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the
Hellenes; Princess Benedikte of Denmark; Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson von Pfeil
und Klein-Ellguth; Prince Charles and the Earl and Countess of Wessex; Prince Wilhlem-Alexander of the Netherlands and her then-fiancee Máxima Zorreguieta; Prince Constantijn
and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands; and Prince Albert of
Monaco.
The couple were blessed with two children, Princess Ingrid
Alexandra, the second-in-line to the throne, and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Image source: The Royal House of Norway's official website.
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