Background and personal life
– Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was born in Kristiansand, Norway.
– Her parents divorced, and her father later remarried.
– She has a sister and two older brothers.
– Mette-Marit grew up in Kristiansand and spent time in Setesdal and on the coast.
– She was active in a local youth club and played volleyball.
– Mette-Marit had a relationship with John Ognby and later had a son with Morten Borg.
– She met Crown Prince Haakon at the Quart Festival in Kristiansand.
– Mette-Marit became a single mother before meeting the prince again.
Engagement, marriage, and family
– The announcement of Mette-Marit’s engagement to Crown Prince Haakon received negative reactions.
– She was a single mother to a son named Marius Borg Høiby from a previous relationship.
– Mette-Marit’s first official appearance as the intended bride was at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
– The couple married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral.
– They have two children together, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Public life and education
– Mette-Marit attended lectures in development studies at the University of London.
– She was accepted as an intern at NORAD, the Norwegian government’s development organization.
– The Crown Princess attended lectures at the University of Oslo.
– Mette-Marit is a patron of the Norwegian Red Cross and other organizations.
– She was named a Young Global Leader under the World Economic Forum and is a member of the Global Shapers Community.
Health, philanthropy, and UNAIDS involvement
– Mette-Marit was diagnosed with a form of pulmonary fibrosis in 2018.
– She is being treated at Oslo University Hospital and has restricted her royal duties.
– The Crown Princess established Maverick Collective with Kate Roberts.
– She was appointed as an ambassador for Norwegian literature in the international arena.
– Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon established The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s Foundation to support projects for young people in Norway.
– Mette-Marit serves as a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador, focusing on youth empowerment in the AIDS response.
– She has participated in international AIDS conferences and visited different countries to raise awareness.
Controversies and scandals
– In 2012, Mette-Marit assisted a Norwegian couple in procuring surrogacy services in India, despite it being banned in Norway.
– The following year, surrogacy was banned in India as a form of human trafficking.
– In 2019, she faced controversy due to her friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
– Mette-Marit expressed regret for not investigating Epstein’s past and cut off contact with him.
– Her friendship with Epstein was revealed in the context of the scandal involving Prince Andrew.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mette-Marit,_Crown_Princess_of_Norway