Royal wedding lookback: Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will have a reminder of joy amid the multiple scandals their family is navigating, with their 23rd wedding anniversary falling on August 25.
The 2001 ceremony was Norway's first royal wedding since 1968, with the couple putting their own twist on tradition. Here are the main details.
The engagement
Crown Prince Haakon, son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, met Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in 1999 through mutual friends – though it's said they had also crossed paths at a music festival in the mid-'90s.
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Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby announce their engagement, December 2000. Getty
Their romance proved a controversial one, with local media having a field day over Mette-Marit's "wild past", plus the fact she was already living with Haakon – a first for a Norwegian future king.
The former waitress was a single mother to a four-year-old son, Marius, and had a history of partying and alleged drug use. There was also controversy over her father having married a stripper half his age.
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The couple was undeterred, and announced their engagement on December 1, 2000.
Haakon proposed with a diamond and ruby ring that previously belonged to his late grandmother Crown Princess Märtha and has since been worn by Queen Sonja when she was engaged.
The couple pictured during their first public appearance post-engagement. Getty
Days before their wedding, Mette-Marit addressed her past in a joint press conference with her husband-to-be.
"My youthful rebellion was stronger than it was for many people. We stepped over limits, and I'm very sorry about that," the bride-to-be, then 28, told reporters.
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"It was a costly experience for me, that I took a long time to get over. I would like to take this opportunity to say that I condemn drugs.
"I cannot make these choices again, even though I would wish I could. I hope that I can now avoid talking more about my past, and that the press will respect this wish."
The wedding
On the eve of their big day, Haakon and Mette-Marit threw a pre-wedding party at Oslo's Akershus Castle.
The following morning, they exchanged vows in a one-hour ceremony at Oslo Cathedral. Thousands of residents had lined the streets for the special occasion.
Haakon and Mette- Marit on their wedding day, August 2001. Getty
Putting her own stamp on wedding tradition, Mette-Marit opted against walking down the aisle on her father's arm.
Instead, she had Prince Haakon wait outside the cathedral for her to arrive, with the couple then walking to the altar together.
The bride wore a cream silk crepe dress designed by Ove Harder Finseth, featuring long sleeves, a corset-style bodice, flared skirt and two-metre train.
She secured her six-metre silk tulle veil with an antique tiara dating back to 1910. The diamond daisy bandeau had been given to her by her parents-in-law.
The bride wore an antique tiara given to her by parents-in-law King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Getty
Mette-Marit's wedding bouquet was unique, featuring purple blooms woven into long green vines that hung down from her hand.
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The groom wore a black army uniform with a red sash and medals.
Royal guests included Britain's Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex; Sweden's Queen Silvia, King Gustav, Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine; Queen Sofia of Spain and son Prince Felipe (now King Felipe); Denmark's Queen Margrethe II; and Monaco's Prince Albert.
The best man was also a familiar face: the then-Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, now King Frederik X. Mette-Marit's son Marius played the role of page boy.
King Frederik of Denmark was the best man. Getty
Readings were given during the nuptials by the groom's sister Princess Märtha Louise and Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Mette-Marit was so overcome with joy, she cried throughout the entire ceremony.
Afterwards, the newlyweds, along with Marius, appeared on the balcony of the palace.
Married life
Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit have welcomed two children together: Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre.
King Harald, Queen Sonja, Marius Borg Hoiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend celebrations of Princess Ingrid's 18th birthday. Getty
Princess Ingrid, who turned 20 in January 2024, is Norway's future monarch after her father.
She graduated high school in April 2023 and briefly worked as a school assistant and environmental worker at Uranienborg School before signing up for the military.
The Princess, who will be the second female monarch, after the 15th-century Queen Margaret, started her 12 months of mandatory military service in the Engineer Battalion in Brigade Nord and is now working in a service position.
Her younger brother, Sverre Magnus, is now 18 and has graduated from Elvebakken Upper Secondary School, the same school his sister attended.
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