Mette-Marit, the single mom who became Princess of Norway

Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is an interesting figure in the circles of European royalty. She has an unusual background and always draws much media attention.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

As a child, she witnessed her parents' divorce. While studying, she became a single mom. It was right at that moment, when she was raising her young son by herself, that she met a man called Haakon. He was the Crown Prince of Norway.

Mette-Marit was born in Kritiansand, southern Norway, into a family without noble ancestry. Her father Sven O. Høiby worked as a journalist for the local newspaper and her mother Marit Tjessem for a bank.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Born in 1973, Mette-Marit spent her childhood dancing ballet, singing in the 'Benedict' choir, joining the scouts and visiting the local church every Sunday.

Image: norwegianroyalfamily, Instagram

When Mette-Marit was 11, her parents divorced. Her father was not a good influence. Rumor has it that he had drinking problems, and she decided to live with her mother.

Mette-Marit has always been a sporty girl. In her childhood she spent many weekends on the coast and in the Setesdal Valley; that's when she learned to sail. She also played volleyball and even became a coach. As you can see here, she's also good at skiing.

In 1989, at the age of 16, she travelled to Australia as an exchange student. In her book 'Homeland and Other Stories', Mette-Marit recalls: "Until I travelled to Australia, I had been the most conscientious young woman in the world... But then I said to myself, 'Stop. I can do no more. I cannot meet the expectations that others have for me.'"

When she returned from Australia, Mette-Marit lived through a time when she felt rage and anger towards her family and society. That's why she shaved her head in high school.

Mette-Marit studied Philosophy, Chemistry, and Information Technology at Agder University College. She graduated in 1997.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Prince Haakon was not her first love. In 1996, Mette-Marit appeared on the reality show 'Lysthuset' looking for a partner. Not long afterwards, she would find someone.

Image: still from 'Lysthuset,' 1996

On January 13, 1997, Mette-Marit gave birth to a son, Marius Borg Høiby. The father was Morten Borg, an ex-convict. Vanity Fair would reveal later that Borg had been in prison in 1991 for trading cocaine.

Mette-Marit was a single mom in her mid-twenties when she met the Crown Prince of Norway.

She met Prince Haakon in 1999 at the Quart Festival in Kristianland. Some time later, they started dating.

Image: Instagram

Prince Haakon had always followed the beaten path with conventional girlfriends. Now, he brought a single mom and party person home to his parents.

In 2000, Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit moved into an apartment in Oslo together. At that time, Mette-Marit had a summer job in a clothing store.

Mette-Marit was a continuing student. She specialized in the field of Ethics at the University of Oslo and studied there from 2000 to 2002.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Having lived together for a year, the couple got engaged. Mette-Marit was an unusual fiancé for a prince, and Haakon even threatened to renounce the throne if they wouldn't let him marry her.

At age 28, Mette-Marit married Prince Haakon. The wedding was celebrated on 25 August 2001 in the cathedral of Oslo. That day, Mette-Marit became the Princess of Norway.

Although Mette-Marit married a prince, her first son Marius has no rights in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne. Even so, the young man is one of the most beloved members of the Norwegian Royal Family.

In 2003, Mette-Marit went to London to study at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Her interests were 'The Global Refugee Crisis' and 'Development Theories'. She also spent three months at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation to study its policy regarding the HIV virus.

In 2006, Mette-Marit became an international ambassador for the UN and its fight against AIDS. She leads Norwegian delegations to the International AIDS Conference.

With Prince Haakon, Mette-Marit would have two more children.

On January 21, 2004, Ingrid Alexandra was born; the couple's first daughter and, after Crown Prince Haakon, the second in line for succession to the Norwegian throne.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Ingrid Alexandra was the first princess to go to a public school. Her parents wanted her to have a childhood like any other child.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

On December 3, 2005, the youngest, Prince Sverre Magnus was born. He is third in the line to the throne. Like his sister, Magnus got his primary education in a public school. He then moved on to the Montessori private school in Oslo.

Unlike his sister Ingrid, who holds the title of Royal Highness, Sverre Magnus holds the title of Highness.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Ingrid Alexandra, Mette-Marit's daughter, is expected to be the second queen in Norway's history.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Together, they are a very happy family.

Although Mette-Marit's first son, Marius, often doesn't enter the official royal family portraits, it doesn't mean he is not part of the family. Here we see them on holiday, in one of the private images released by the Norwegian Royal Court.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

Mette-Marit always had a difficult relationship with her father, Sven O. Høiby. In 2005 he got remarried to Renate Barsgard, a stripper half his age. This and other life choices described by some as "inappropriate" hurt the relationship between Mette-Marit and her father.
A year after his wedding, Høiby was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mette-Marit and Haakon visited him occasionally in the hospital in Oslo until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 70.

In 2008, Mette-Marit began studying at the Norwegian Business School. She received the Petter-Dass Prize and was later named a Global Leading Thinker for being one of the most creative people in business.

She also worked as a volunteer cooking and serving food to the poor. Mette-Marit was named the World Economic Forum's Global Youth Leader.

The princess promotes Norway and its industry when traveling through the country. Here she and Crown Prince Haakon went 'embedded' in the Ineos Petrochemical Plant in the County Of Telemark.

Her earlier studies in liberal arts have been useful to the princess. In 2017, Mette-Marit became the ambassador for Norwegian literature at the International Arena.

The beautiful Princess of Norway always makes for stunning appearances during galas and public events.

She represents Norway with traditional, flowery headpieces that look great on her.

Sometimes, she and Prince Haakon lose their formal composure while attending official events.

She likes to wear sporty outfits and makes a clear showing of her love for the country. Here she's enjoying the 2011 World Ski Championships in Oslo with her husband. A little bit of sun in the cold Norway winter: delightful.

However, not everything has been glitter and glamour for the princess. In March 2018, Mette-Marit suffered from vertigo and had to undergo surgery.

Image: Royal Court of Norway, handout

In October of that year, she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which limited her appearances in official events.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Royal House was particularly worried about Mette-Marit's health because of her pre-existing condition.

Mette-Marit has made the Norwegian royal family more diverse and lively. Shaped by her experiences as a child and a single mother, she is accessible to ordinary people and a refreshing presence in the palace.