When Norway’s Crown prince and Princess land in Mumbai, the young royals will not be flying out on a plane with the emblem of the ruling house, but in a commercial Lufthansa flight.
OSLO: When Norway’s Crown prince Haakon Magnus and Princess Mette-Marit and their entourage land in Mumbai on Sunday, the young royals will not be flying out on a plane with the emblem of the ruling house, but in a commercial Lufthansa flight.
This desire not to flaunt their royal lineage is the hallmark of Norway’s constitutional monarchy. In fact, the Prince like thousands of young men across Europe, chose to live with Mette-Marit before marrying her in 2001. The princess was not only a commoner but a single mother. Though the royal family try to live down their image, their subjects are not always happy about it. Living with Mette Marit before marriage was not something all Norwegians approved.
“There must be something special about royalty. If they do everything like ordinary folks why are they royals?,” says a young woman doctor in Oslo. “People expect something more from the royal house. We all like fairy tales and we expect our young royals to lead by example.”
But the marriage of the Crown Prince and Mette-Marit at the Catherdral in Oslo had all the trappings of a fairy tale. Since then marriage is “in” with many of the younger set. The fact that Mette-Marit looks gorgeous and is intelligent helps to keep alive the image of a fairy tale princess. She is no stranger to India, having come here ten years ago on a month’s holiday.
“India is quite special, I am looking forward to capturing the colours and scents of the country,” the princess says. Preparing for her visit she is reading Indian authors. She was in the middle of a Jumpa Lahiri translation when we met. She knows something about Bollywood, and has also watched Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding.
Having already done the tourist circuit as a student, her second visit will be quite different. She is accompanying her the Crown prince, 33-year-old Haakon Magnus, to see the tremendous changes that have taken place in India and promote Norway’s business interests in a country, now seen as a land of opportunity to the rest of the world.
“About time I came to India. It will be the first time for me and quite an experience,” says the Crown Prince. “Relations between Norway and India are changing. India is now seen as an important business destination and I believe both countries have something to offer. Norway’s oil and gas technology is top of the line our maritime industry is also well developed. I am bringing a big business delegation with me to meet their Indian counterparts and explore business relations,” he says.
The prince associates India as the land of the Mahatma, and is impressed by the intellectual ability of people like Amartya Sen, who incidentally was in the London School of Economics, where the prince read international politics with focus on developmental studies.
Does monarchy have a role in today’s world, is a question the prince does not hesitate to answer. Yes, constitutional monarchy in Norway is something the people of his country opted for. “My great grandfather, a Danish prince, took on the responsibility only after the people of Norway voted in a referendum and said they wanted him as king,” the prince explains. “We are now three generations into constitutional monarchy.”
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