Crown Prince Haakon comments on the Märtha decision – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country

– We think we have arrived at a good solution, because there are several stakeholders here, says Crown Prince Haakon. – We have to take into account the people in Norway, and then there are the poor people that we have to take into account. In addition, we have to take the family into account. So a good solution is to balance all these considerations, and we think we have succeeded. He met the press when he will be present at a commemoration for the Ski Association’s volunteers. After a two-month long process to clarify Princess Märtha Louise’s role in the Norwegian royal house, it became clear yesterday that she will stop representing the royal house. She will retain the title of princess, but will no longer work and be on assignments on behalf of the royal house. And neither she herself nor her fiance Durek Verrett shall use the title of princess or mention her connection to the royal family in a commercial context. The crown prince led the process – We have arrived at a solution which we hope and believe will give greater distance between the princess’s activities and the royal house, said King Harald. The royal couple said yesterday that the process had been led by Crown Prince Haakon and the Chief of Court, and that it had brought the family closer together. – Even if we disagree on certain things, we are happy with each other. And that is the most important thing. So I have the feeling that the family is now very close to each mother in a new, nice way, said Queen Sonja. – We have gained a great understanding of each other. It is after all two cultures meeting. I have the feeling that Durek now understands more of what the monarchy and the royal house stand for in a country. At least he says he has learned a lot. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – Difficult topic When he spoke about the then ongoing process last month, the crown prince put into words what he thought was “a difficult topic”: A process which, on the one hand, was supposed to take care of the duty and responsibility for the he referred to as the institution – i.e. the monarchy – and human considerations and feelings on the other side. – On the one hand, my sister got engaged, and I got to know Durek Verrett and think it’s nice to be with him. And I would like him to feel welcome in our family, said Crown Prince Haakon. – At the same time, I feel a great responsibility for the institution, and I have of course noticed that some of what has been said and done has created a lot of discussion and has been controversial. We have to talk about that and find out. That’s what we try to do when we have this process, where we try to find a good way forward. At the same time as we get the feelings. Durek Verrett and Märtha Louise came last month to the opening of the autumn exhibition at the cultural center in Ås, where the princess’s daughter Maud Angelica Behn exhibits her own paintings. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB



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