Haakon and Mette-Marit

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

On Saturday 25 August, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon will be marrying Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in a ceremony in Oslo Cathedral. This isn’t an uncontroversial or universally popular match; for one thing, Mette-Marit and Haakon have been living together for months, and Mette-Marit is a single mother who admits to having partied a little too hard in her youth. But the King and Queen heartily approve of the marriage, and the most recent polls show that something like 70% of the Norwegian people believe she can grow to be a good Queen.

This thread is for thoughts on the couple and their marriage.

Oh, you want pictures? Here you go.

2

Woohoo! Now I can spend Saturday waving the flag I got during my recent vacation to northern Europe, and tell everyone that I’m celebrating the marriage of Haakon and Mette-Marit.

Isn’t Haakon the same royal figure who publically ripped off his tie, declaring it a straitjacket on men that should be abandoned? If so, I’m all for him doing whatever suits him.

3

<semi-OT>

Didja ever notice that the first few notes of the Norwegian national anthem sound exactly like “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly”?

</semi-OT>

4

Hey, I clicked on the pix link, and then when I clicked on the “Other picture series” link on that link, the “Other picture series” link stole my Straight Dope window, just took it right over!! A window coup d’etat! And I thought the Norwegians were so peaceful…

The nefarious Norwegian “Other picture series” link.

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/bildeserier/

What does “Hva skal du stemme?” mean? “Do the stems [children] have school today?”

“Di nyeste ringelydene”? [that’s a stumper]

But I think I know what “horoskop” means.

And “Aftenposten best pa nett!”? “The Aftenposten is the best website on the Net?”

Not if they’re gonna keep stealing my windows, they aren’t.
Anyway. We will now proceed to judge people solely by their looks:

Well, he’s better looking than Prince Charles, but she’s not as pretty as Di, although she is good-looking in a healthy Nordic outdoorsy sort of way. She looks like one of those L.L.Bean models, posing in a bulky sweater next to a canoe on a Maine woods set.

He looks mostly like a businessman. Is he going to be a “king” someday? He’ll have to work on the image, then. Longer hair, for a start, maybe a sort of sweaty ringlet thing would be good.

[sub]and while i am here in another window, the aftenposten site has been loading and loading and loading, permanently hung up on “1 item remaining”[/sub]
MOBILMORO!
MOBILMORO!
MOBILMORO!
MOBILMORO!
MOBILMORO!
MOBILMORO!
MOBILMORO!

5

OK, so I’m a complete sucker for royalty. I like the parades, the guards in galla uniforms and the fact that everyone delivers soppy speeches at weddings, even kings.

But I also do like it when royals show a bit of backbone and do things their way - like a prince moving in with a single mother and if people dislike that, they can jolly well go jump in a fjord. I certainly would’ve watched the wedding if it hadn’t been for the fact that my own princess (Hi, Sweetie) is visiting.

Mette-Marit looks the part - very regal - but DDG is right about Haakon having to work a bit on the charisma. For comparison, I humbly submit Crown prince Frederik of Denmark. (Still single, btw.) http://galleryofcelebrities.com/frederik.htm

flodnak, I expect you to watch that wedding!

S. Norman

6

THEY’RE MARRIED!

Aftenposten’s English website has lots of photos and stories about the wedding up right now - go look fast if you want to see.

(More later, I’ve got a cold :()

7

Yeah, it made the news on CNN (at least CNN.com and I think Headline News) here in the States. Good for them, they are a lovely couple and I hope it all works out for them.

I was on the phone with Anniz while it was on Swedish TV, and she was happy to see Sweden’s princess at the wedding, too.

Now, why the hell does Aftenposten have an English site, but not Sweden’s Aftonbladet. I might actually have to learn Swedish…

8

They are a very cute cuople,
and I hope they’ll get a long and good life together.:slight_smile:

9

The little I saw of the wedding was indeed very beautiful. I loved the gown. But why, in the name of any hairdresser, does she have to wear her hair the same way all the time? Even at her own wedding.

10

good grief, that is a long train on that dress.

i believe that our own ms riddles has dibbs on frederik of denmark

11

The newspapers over here reported on a Lutheran priest who lamented that the prince had chosen to marry someone of such low status.

The priest in question has reportedly been told to shut up by his bishop.

I think he should reconsider his choice of career, since a Christian priest is exactly the last person who should concern himself with someone’s supposed “status”.

I hope they’re happy together and that the ill-wishers learn enough to feel properly ashamed.

12

I should think so, seeing as the Queen is, IIRC, from “common” stock also.

I like the Swedish attitude towards their royalty. Prince Haakon has been shacked up with a single mom for months at least, and the nation seems to pretty much be OK with this. I’d hate to see the furror if Prince Charles pulled the same thing.

Question: What does Mette-Marit’s son’s status become? I’d assume that he has no shot at the throne as things are now, but what if Haakon adopts him? Does he get a full title, or a courtesy title, or what? What if Haakon does adopt him? Does the boy then get a title? What about the Boy’s biological father, whom, IIRC, is doing time for drug posession? Where does he fit in? Mrs. Tranq is bursting with curiosity, and I admit to being somewhat intrigued myself.

13

Why would Sweden care? It’s Norway’s problem. :smiley:

And, I think Sweden is probably a bit distraught about me stealing Anniz from them to worry about who their prince is practicing making heirs with.

14

Maybe if it doesn’t work out he can marry Princess Grace’s younger, crazy (crazier?) daughter. :wink:

15

Marius (Mette-Marit’s son) cannot get a title, whether or not Haakon adopts him. The Norwegian constitution expressly prohibits courtesy titles, and abolished all the hereditary titles other than straight royalty (i.e. there are no Dukes or Counts or Earls in Norway). So if you’re not born with a title, the only way to get one is to marry the heir to the throne… In any case, it’s unlikely Haakon will adopt Marius, since the little guy’s father (who served his sentence and was released) is very much involved in his son’s life. Even without a title, though, the press and the public seem to have become fond of young Marius already… he’s going to get a lot of attention!