Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (born 21 January 2004) is the eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and the grandchild of

King Harald V Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July ...

. She is second in line of

succession to the Norwegian throne The line of succession to the Norwegian throne consists of people entitled to become head of state of Norway. The succession is currently governed by Article 6 of the Constitution, altered most recently in 1990 to introduce absolute primogenitur ...

after her father. She is expected to become the country's second

female monarch This is a list of current and former female monarchs regardless of title, including queens regnant, empresses regnant, pharaohs and monarchs by other titles (grand duchess, princess, etc.). Consorts, such queens consort (i.e. spouses of male mo ...

, after the 15th-century Queen Margaret. She represents the fifth generation of the sitting Norwegian royal family of the

House of Glücksburg The House of Glücksburg (also spelled ''Glücksborg'' or ''Lyksborg''), shortened from House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, is a collateral branch of the Germans, German House of Oldenburg, members of which have reigned at vari ...

. She has a younger brother,

Prince Sverre Magnus Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (born 3 December 2005) is the younger child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. He is third in line to succeed his grandfather King Harald V, after his father and elder sister Princess Ingrid ...

, whom she ranks above in the line of succession after the implementation of

absolute primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inheritance, inherit the parent's entire or main estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child ...

in 1990.

Birth and baptism

The Crown Prince and Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

Born on 21 January 2004 at 9:13 am in The National Hospital, part of the

Oslo University Hospital Oslo University Hospital ( no, Oslo universitetssykehus; OUS) is a university hospital in Oslo, Norway. With over 24,000 employees it is the largest hospital organization in Europe. It is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University o ...

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the first child and only daughter of Crown Prince Haakon,

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the throne, and the second granddaughter of

and

Queen Sonja Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relations ...

. Her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has a son named Marius Borg Høiby, born in 1997 from a previous relationship. Following Ingrid Alexandra's birth, the already well-regarded royal family experienced an upsurge of popularity. Ingrid Alexandra was baptised by Bishop Gunnar Stålsett in the chapel of the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Mass ...

on 17 April 2004. Her grandfather the King, her aunt Princess Märtha Louise, the

Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Early life Crown Prince Fred ...

, the Crown Princess of Sweden, the then

Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias ( es, link=no, Príncipe/Princesa de Asturias; ast, Príncipe d'Asturies) is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the monarchy of Spain, throne of Spain. According to the Sp ...

, and her maternal grandmother Marit Tjessem were her godparents. The Crown Prince of Denmark and the Prince of Asturias were unable to attend the christening due to their respective weddings scheduled to occur within a month of the christening. On 31 August 2019, Ingrid Alexandra was confirmed in the Palace Chapel in

with all her godparents present.

Education

Ingrid Alexandra started her first day of school on 19 August 2010 at Jansløkka elementary school, a local state school attended by her half-brother. Her parents chose the school because they wanted her to have as ordinary a childhood as possible. Newspaper reports said Princess Ingrid Alexandra would walk to school with her half-brother, and local citizens could expect to see her occasionally out in the community with her classmates on school outings. School officials hoped to make the school a place where the princess could make friends and enjoy some relief from public scrutiny. On 17 June 2014, the Norwegian Royal Family notified the public that from the start of the 2014–2015 school year, Princess Ingrid Alexandra would transfer to the private English-language Oslo International School, reportedly because her parents wanted her to be fluent in English. Her younger brother, Sverre Magnus, was to transfer to Oslo's

Montessori The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

school. Princess Ingrid Alexandra was transferred to Oslo's Uranienborg School to complete her lower secondary education. In the fall of 2020 she began further schooling at Elvebakken Upper Secondary School in Oslo.

Activities

On 19 June 2010, Princess Ingrid Alexandra served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of her godmother, the Crown Princess of Sweden. In December 2012, the Princess attended an interview with her father by a Norwegian television programme in aid of Environmental Agents, the children's environmental organization. Her mother was supposed to attend, but the Crown Prince attended instead as the Crown Princess was ill. She has taken part in traditional celebrations of the

Constitution Day Constitution Day is a holiday to honour the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitut ...

, as well as the traditional ski jumping tournament at

Holmenkollen Holmenkollen () is a mountain and a neighbourhood in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. It goes up to above sea level and is well-known for its international skiing competitions. Overview In addition to being a residential area, the ar ...

in Oslo. On 4 May 2015, Princess Ingrid Alexandra christened the Norwegian Rescue Company's new lifeboat, ''Elias'', in her first royal assignment. Accompanied by her grandfather the King, she was made godmother of the boat. On 19 May 2016, the ''Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park'' opened in the Palace Park, as part of the celebration of the King and Queen's 25th anniversary. It features sculptures made for children and by children. The Princess takes active part herself in choosing the designs from among the contributions to the sculpture park from school children all over Norway. In 2018, she gave a guided tour of the park to the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, t ...

and

Duchess of Cambridge Duke of Cambridge, one of several current royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom , is a hereditary title of specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. The title (named after the city of Cambridge in England) is heritable by male de ...

, on the occasion of their official visit to Norway. On 12 February 2016, the Princess and her grandfather participated in the opening ceremony of the II Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer: the King, as he previously did in 1994 Winter Olympics, declared the Games opened, while the Princess, like her father Crown Prince Haakon did 22 years before, lit the cauldron. On 17 November 2018, Princess Ingrid Alexandra christened the research vessel '' Kronprins Haakon'', which was named after her father. The vessel was christened at its home port of

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the 21s ...

. The princess spoke of her interest in the ocean and climate change, which motivated her in christening the ship. She stated that the ship will bring "new and crucial knowledge about the polar areas, about the oceans and about climate change." The Princess won a gold medal in the Norwegian surfing championship for juniors in October 2020. She is known as an avid surfer, and she also trains at

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ...

and

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, gen ...

. On 20 January 2022, the Princess visited the three branches of the Norwegian government; the

Storting The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years ...

, the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

and the office of the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

. These visits were part of a series of activities Princess Ingrid Alexandra undertook ahead of her 18th birthday the next day. Her father, Crown Prince Haakon, did the same on his own 18th birthday in 1991. On the day of her birthday on 21 January, she attended a meeting of the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

alongside Crown Prince Haakon and King Harald. This was followed by a series of congratulatory deputations from Norwegian officials at the

. The Princess received congratulations from representatives of the governmental branches as well as the Sámi Parliament, county governors, the diplomatic corps, the

Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvaret, , The Defence) is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Ro ...

and the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. ...

. Cannon salutes were fired at noon to mark Ingrid Alexandra's birthday. On 16 June, the government held a dinner to mark her 18th birthday at the

Oslo Public Library Oslo Public Library (officially called in Norwegian ''Deichman bibliotek'', Deichman Library) is the municipal public library serving Oslo, Norway and is the country's first and largest library. It employs over 300 people and has over 20 branches ...

. On 17 June, a gala dinner was hosted by her grandparents, the King and Queen, at the Royal Palace. Guests from many European royal houses attended.

Constitutional status

The

Constitution of Norway nb, Kongeriket Norges Grunnlov nn, Kongeriket Noregs Grunnlov , jurisdiction = Kingdom of Norway , date_created =10 April - 16 May 1814 , date_ratified =16 May 1814 , system =Constitutional monarchy , ...

was altered in 1990 to introduce

, ensuring that the crown would pass to the eldest child regardless of sex but keeping the Crown Prince ahead of his elder sister, Princess Märtha Louise; the change was to apply for the first time to their children. Princess Ingrid Alexandra has thus been second in the

line of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Prince Sverre Magnus Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (born 3 December 2005) is the younger child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. He is third in line to succeed his grandfather King Harald V, after his father and elder sister Princess Ingrid ...

, in 2005. The Princess is expected to become Norway's first

since Queen Margaret, who reigned over Norway, Denmark and Sweden from the late 1380s until her death in 1412. Along with her parents and grandparents – but unlike her

brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-famil ...

, maternal half-brother Marius, and other relatives – Princess Ingrid Alexandra is a member of the Norwegian Royal House. The family belongs to the

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

*21 January 2004 – present: **''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway **''Her Royal Highness'' The Princess

Honours

Norwegian honours

* : Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (21 January 2022) * : Recipient of the Royal Family Order of King Harald V (21 January 2022) * : Recipient of the Royal House Centennial Medal (25 November 2005) * : Recipient of King Harald V's Jubilee Medal 1991-2016 (17 January 2016)

Foreign honours

* : Knight of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutiona ...

(21 January 2022)

Arms

Princess Ingrid Alexandra's monogram was designed by

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent fema ...

, her grandfather's second cousin who is known for her artistic talents.

References

External links

Official website of Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, Princess 2004 births Living people House of Glücksburg (Norway) Norwegian princesses

Ingrid Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name) * Ingrid (record label), and artist collective * Ingrid Burley, rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cyclones * 1026 Ingrid 1026 Ingrid, provisional designation , is a sto ...

Norwegian people of German descent Norwegian people of English descent Norwegian people of Danish descent Norwegian people of Swedish descent Norwegian people of French descent Norwegian surfers