Princess Ingrid Alexandra begins university in Oslo, on exchange from Sydney after abrupt departure
Princess Ingrid Alexandra has officially begun her studies at the University of Oslo, two months after abruptly leaving Sydney to be with her sick mother.
The 22-year-old is on exchange in her homeland of Norway as she remains a student at the University of Sydney, having moved to Australia in July last year for a three-year degree. But she decided to return home less than 12 months later as the monarchy faced crises on multiple fronts.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is now on exchange at the University of Oslo from Sydney University, where she began a three-year degree in July last year. The Royal House of Norway
The young royal’s future in Sydney remains up in the air as she is needed in Norway now, more than ever, for public engagements to ease the burden on her elderly grandparents, the king and queen, and parents following her mother’s transplant surgery.
The development from the Royal House of Norway came as the princess’ older brother Marius Borg Høiby, who was found guilty of rape and assault in June, was told he must remain under house arrest for the next month after a court denied his latest bid for freedom.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra was photographed exploring the campus on Monday as classes began for the new semester.
She will take various courses at the Faculty of Social Sciences including in the fields of comparative politics and conflict resolution, the palace said in a statement. The courses are part of her degree in social science, specialising in international relations and politics, through Sydney University.
The Royal House also announced Prince Sverre Magnus − Ingrid Alexandra’s younger brother − will move abroad to study.
The 20-year-old will start a Bachelor of Business Management at Forward College, studying economics, statistics and accounting. He’ll begin the course in Lisbon, Portugal, followed by a second year in Paris before completing his third year in Berlin.
Last year the prince created his own company, Sverre Magnus Productions, to develop his skills in film and photography. He is not expected to take on full-time royal duties in the future.
Monday’s statement from the palace also confirmed what many royal watchers had been expecting: Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus will be called on to step in for the king and queen, and crown prince couple, when needed.
Ingrid Alexandra photographed at the University of Oslo on Monday as she began her first semester. The Royal House of Norway
“In the coming years, both the princess’s and the prince’s most important task will be to study,” the Royal House said.
“They will nevertheless be able to carry out selected official assignments for the Royal House when it fits in with their studies.”
Norway’s royal family has far fewer so-called working royals than in other monarchies across Europe.
Crown Prince Haakon, 53, has taken time away from public life to care for his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit who received a lung transplant in early June.
The princess and her brother Prince Sverre Magnus represented Norway’s Royal House at the World Cup in the US in July. They will carry out more official duties in between their university studies. Getty Images
The crown princess had been on the waiting list for just 12 days when the Royal House confirmed she had undergone surgery. Princess Ingrid Alexandra had left Australia days before to be with her mother.
Mette-Marit was discharged from hospital in July and thanked her organ donor for the “gift of life” along with medical staff. She is expected to remain out of the public eye during her recovery, which is likely to take a year.
Meanwhile, King Harald V is 89 and has been in and out of hospital − most recently in February while he was on holidays in Tenerife − while his wife Queen Sonja, 88, has also had heart issues recently.
Remarkably, both still carry out public engagements though to a reduced schedule compared to previous years.
“It seems quite clear that both she [Princess Ingrid Alexandra] and her brother Prince Sverre Magnus will face greater responsibilities,” Norwegian historian and author Trond Norén Isaksen told nine.com.au in June.
“Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus are the only ones who can step in and take some of the burden off their father’s shoulders.”
Australian return in doubt
The Royal House, however, has not said when Princess Ingrid Alexandra will return to Australia to finish her degree.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s stay in Australia had allowed the royal some form of normality, but it was marked with drama back home.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra moved to Australia to study in July last year. Photo: Raquel Pires Photography/The Royal House of Norway
In the same month her course began, Norway’s Attorney-General brought criminal charges against her older brother while her mother’s chronic lung condition deteriorated.
Ingrid Alexandra left Sydney on June 2, weeks after she carried out her first public − and possibly last − engagement in Australia.
Her father Crown Prince Haakon previously said his daughter “plans to get her degree and complete it in Australia” while admitting “how long she will stay home, we will have to come back to that”.
But Isaksen cast doubt on whether the princess will ever return to Australia.
He said: “In the time to come they [Ingrid Alexandra and her younger brother Sverre Magnus] will both be needed to keep the wheels of the monarchy turning and I personally doubt it will be possible for the princess to resume her studies in Australia, as Sydney is simply too far away from Oslo for her to be able to combine her studies with royal duties.”
Marius Borg Høiby remains under house arrest
On Monday, Oslo’s District Court withheld an order to keep Marius Borg Høiby under house arrest for a further four weeks.
The 29-year-old had appeared in court asking to be released from home detention where he’s been for the past month.
Marius Borg Høiby, pictured in January, will spend the next four weeks under home detention at the royal family’s private estate after his latest bid for freedom was denied. Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix via AP
In July Høiby was granted release to the crown prince family’s private estate, Skaugum, with an electronic ankle monitor, one month after he was sentenced to four years for rape and assault in mid-June.
“I have done everything I can to show the prosecution that there is no risk of recurrence,” Høiby told the court on Monday morning.
But his application for freedom was denied, in line with the prosecution’s request, with the court citing the risk of reoffending.
Norway’s King Harald, pictured with the crown prince family including Marius Borg Høiby, in 2022. Getty
Høiby, who is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship before she married Crown Prince Haakon, has no royal titles but grew up as part of the royal family.
He was convicted of rape and assault and sentenced to four years in prison but has since appealed the verdict.
Under Norway’s legal system, an appeal means the case will be retried again, in full, likely later this year or early next.
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