Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mette-Marit |
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| Crown Princess of Norway | |
The Crown Princess at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, June 2013
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| Born | Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby 19 August 1973 Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway |
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| House | Glücksburg (by marriage) |
| Father | Sven O. Høiby |
| Mother | Marit Tjessem |
| Religion | Church of Norway |
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on 19 August 1973) is an important member of the Norwegian Royal Family. She is married to Crown Prince Haakon. He is the next in line to become the King of Norway. This means Crown Princess Mette-Marit will be the next Queen of Norway.
When she got engaged to Haakon in 2000, some people had questions because she was a single mother. She became Crown Princess of Norway when they married in 2001. The couple has two children together: Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus. They are second and third in line to the Norwegian throne. Mette-Marit also has an older son, Marius Borg Høiby, from a previous relationship. In October 2018, she was diagnosed with a lung condition called pulmonary fibrosis. She is getting treatment and has reduced her royal duties.
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Early Life and School
Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was born in Kristiansand, a city in southern Norway. Her father, Sven O. Høiby, was a journalist, and her mother, Marit Tjessem, worked at a bank. Her parents later divorced. Mette-Marit has a sister and two older brothers. Her stepbrother, Trond Berntsen, sadly died in the 2011 Norway attacks.
Mette-Marit grew up in Kristiansand. She spent many weekends and holidays in the beautiful Setesdal valley and by the coast. There, she learned how to sail. As a young person, she was active in her local youth club. She also played volleyball and became a referee and coach.
After starting high school in Norway, Mette-Marit spent six months in Australia. She was an exchange student at Wangaratta High School in North East Victoria. She finished high school in Norway in 1994. After that, she worked for a few months in London for the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce.
Mette-Marit later took college courses at Agder College. She also worked as a waitress at a restaurant in Oslo.
Meeting Crown Prince Haakon
In the late 1990s, Mette-Marit went to the Quart festival in Kristiansand. This was Norway's biggest music festival. She first met Crown Prince Haakon at a party during this festival. Years later, after she became a single mother, they met again at another party related to the festival.
Since becoming Crown Princess, Mette-Marit has continued her education. In 2012, she earned a master's degree in executive management.
Engagement and Royal Wedding
When Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit announced their engagement, some people and the media had mixed feelings. Some Norwegians were surprised by the choice. They mentioned her past and that she was a single mother. At the time, Mette-Marit had a son named Marius Borg Høiby, born in 1997.
Marius is not a royal and does not have a public role. In 2017, he moved to the United States to attend college.
Mette-Marit's first official appearance as the Crown Prince's future wife was at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. This was in Oslo on 10 December 2000. The couple had announced their engagement on 1 December. Crown Prince Haakon gave Mette-Marit the same engagement ring that his grandfather, King Olav V, and his father, King Harald V, had given to their fiancées.
The couple got married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral. After her marriage, she became Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Norway. They now live at the Skaugum estate, just outside Oslo.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have two children together:
- Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born 21 January 2004.
- Prince Sverre Magnus, born 3 December 2005.
Public Life and Work
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is a patron of the Norwegian Red Cross and many other groups. In 2010, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. In 2012, she joined the Global Shapers Community's international board.
In 2015, Crown Princess Mette-Marit helped create Maverick Collective. This group works to improve health for women and girls. On 26 April 2017, she became an ambassador for Norwegian literature around the world.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit also started The Crown Prince and Crown Princess's Foundation. This foundation helps young people in Norway. It aims to make young leaders stronger and help young people feel included.
In December 2008, she received the Annual Petter Dass prize. This award honors someone who helps bring people together.
In October 2018, she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. This lung condition will limit her official duties. She is receiving treatment at Oslo University Hospital.
Work with UNAIDS
Crown Princess Mette-Marit became a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador in 2006. Her main focus as an ambassador is to help young people be part of the fight against AIDS.
She has attended many international AIDS conferences. She has also visited several countries to raise awareness about UNAIDS' work. She helps UNAIDS with programs for young people and leadership. In recent years, her work has also focused on the role of young women and teenage girls in the AIDS response.
During the 2014 United Nations General Assembly, she spoke about how unfair treatment makes it harder to fight AIDS. She also talked about how social media can help young people speak up. During a visit to Tanzania in 2016, she said it was great to see young, skilled people leading the fight against AIDS. She also opened the Youth Pavilion at a big international AIDS conference.
Titles and Awards
Titles
- 19 August 1973 – 25 August 2001: Miss Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby
- 25 August 2001 – present: Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Norway
Mette-Marit has been Crown Princess of Norway since her marriage.
Arms
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Monogram
Honours and Medals
Awards from Norway
Norway: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav- Norway: Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of King Harald V
- Norway: Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V
- Norway: Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal
- Norway: Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal
Awards from Other Countries
Austria: Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
Bulgaria: Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains
Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant
Estonia: Member 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana- Estonia: Member 1st Class of the Order of the White Star
Finland: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
Germany: Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Japan: Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown
Lithuania: Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great
Luxembourg: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau
Netherlands: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau- Netherlands: Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal
Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Henry
Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
See also
In Spanish: Mette-Marit de Noruega para niños
