– You cannot think of something like what has happened. It’s completely adventurous, says Marit Tjessem (85). She laughs and shakes her head when she answers questions about how she thinks her young stepdaughter’s life has turned out. Marit Tjessem is the mother of Norway’s next queen. The Crown Prince couple are celebrating their 50th birthday in the Palace’s backyard together with invited guests from all over the country. The presenter is Atle Bjurstrøm. It is very rare that she presents herself for an interview. Now she and her son Espen Høiby reveal that no one in the family really believed that the relationship between Mette-Marit and the crown prince would last. – We thought that nothing could come of this. We didn’t have much faith in that future, he says. – I was simply wrong, says the brother. – I never thought it would end like this, says the mother. We have to go back to July 1999. Things are boiling in the summer town of Kristiansand. Quartfestivalen is underway and thousands of young people gather around the stages on Odderøya. Blur, Massive Attack and Marilyn Manson are some of the artists in action. It’s high season for music and romance. In the middle of the summer idyll, rumors begin to swirl. Rumors that a very special summer fling that should have occurred during the festival. Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit. It doesn’t take long before the first pictures appear. Life is turned upside down for Mette-Marit and the entire family. – I remember it as completely crazy. The whole row of photographers with big lenses standing outside my apartment. I thought it was quite embarrassing, and tried to hide as best I could, she says. Marit Tjessem smiles when she thinks back to this summer. Eldest son Espen laughs. See the full interview with Marit Tjessem and Espen Høiby at the bottom of the article. Questions kept the mother awake all night The first pictures of the newly in love couple were taken outside Marit Tjessem’s apartment. As a mother, she had realized it for a while; sweet music had arisen between the daughter and Norway’s heir to the throne. She doesn’t remember how her daughter told her about it, but she remembers what she thought. – I thought it was too wild, she replies matter-of-factly, and smiles. But regardless of skepticism, Marit Tjessem had to press. The daughter had invited the new boyfriend to lunch. – I lay awake all night thinking about what to serve, she says. It became something you might not initially think of serving a crown prince: The brother about the sister: – Bold and clear We know the story now. Mette-Marit from Kristiansand got her Haakon Magnus of Norway. But the single mother had a challenging start to life in the public eye. Part of that was due to her colorful youth, which she eventually chose to talk about at a press conference before the wedding. – I want to tell about my past, she began. Mette-Marit then talked about youth rebellion, living contrary to what was accepted and about an environment where boundaries were crossed. At the same time, she wanted to put a stop to it and asked not to be asked any more questions about the past. – It was very demanding for all of us. I think any human would have found it very invasive. It was also for us as a family. But it has blown over. I think she coped incredibly well, says the brother. – And it just shows that when the love and will are strong enough, and not least a patient husband, then anything is possible. – So you say it like that? Espen laughs, thinks about it a bit, and replies: – Yes, he is a patient fellow. He is patient, generous and considerate. Because I have occasionally asked the question if my sister is really from the south, because she is not quiet. Before he elaborates: – She is quite clear about how she wants it. But it’s also very good, because she has a tremendous impact. The mother and brother therefore agree that the crown princess herself helped set the standard for how her life as a royal should be. – She has been both bold and clear. So perhaps thinking a little outside the box has been good for everyone, both for the Royal Household and for Mette-Marit herself, he says. Wanted to be alone with grandchildren Espen, Per and Kristin Høiby grew up with parents Marit Tjessem and Sven O. Høiby. Mette-Marit as a baby. When the eldest man was 14, the youngest girl, Mette-Marit, was born. No one thought that this would be Norway’s future queen. The parents eventually divorced. But the family has always been close-knit. They have held family councils and discussed small and large challenges that have arisen. And suddenly the little sister had become part of the Norwegian royal house. – We are not part of the Royal House in any way, but we are associated with it. We see ourselves as part of a family with a slightly larger spotlight. It has mostly had a positive effect on us, he says. Marit Tjessem nods. She says that she needed some training from the Castle on how things worked. For example, which of the royals you can and cannot greet. But when the grandchildren were to be looked after, she did not want the royal staff to be present. – I wanted to be alone with them when I was the one looking after them. She is also clear that there is no difference in raising grandchildren with the title of prince or princess. Finally, we want to know if she, as a mother, feels extra pride when the little girl performs in official contexts. When she is out there among people, as Crown Princess of Norway. Our future queen. Then the 85-year-old woman has to swallow a little extra. Because she is moved when she gives us the answer: – I absolutely do. See the interview with Marit Tjessem and her son Espen.
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Mette-Marit’s mother did not think the relationship would last – Sørlandet
