Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem-Høiby in Kristiansand, Norway, on August 19, 1973) married Crown Prince Haakon on August 25, 2001. She is the daugher of journalist Sven O. Høiby and Marit Tjessem.

The Crown Princess grew up in a warm-hearted and harmonious family together with her sister and two older brothers in the southern part of Norway. Weekends and holidays were spent in the nearby valley of Setesdal and at the seaside, where she learned to be a good sailor. During her youth she spent a lot of time at the local youth club Sletteheia, where she was also an active leader. Crown Princess Mette-Marit is fond of sport and as a teenager she played a good deal of volleyball, where she also acted as referee and coach. After starting at Oddernes upper secondary school in Kristiansand, The Crown Princess spent six months at Wangaratta High School in Australia as an exchange student. On moving back to Norway, she attended Kristiansand Katedralskole, where she passed her final examinations in 1994. After a break from her studies, Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended Bjørknes Private School for a while, and then took examen philosophicum (the preliminary university examination) at Agder College.

Before marrying Crown Prince Haakon, she led what she has herself termed an extrovert life. As a part-time student, she spent many years finishing high school, and then did preparatory university courses at Agder Regional College. She then worked for a year at a café in Oslo. Mette-Marit begat her son Marius Borg Høiby out-of-wedlock January 13, 1997) with convicted drug criminal Morten Borg. She also lived together with several men convicted on violent charges. Many Norwegians previously claimed that Mette-Marit's background made her unfit for the position as princess.

Her first official appearance was at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall on 10 December 2000. Crown Princess Mette-Marit is interested in art and culture, especially literature and music. She also has a strong social commitment.

During 2002 and 2003 she studied development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She was also accepted as an intern at NORAD, the Norwegian government's development organization. At present the Crown Princess is attending lectures at the faculties of arts and social sciences at the University of Oslo.

On January 21, 2004, Mette-Marit gave birth to a daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who became second in line to the Norwegian throne after her father the Crown Prince.

External links

• Official biography