PRINCESS MäRTHA LOUISE OF NORWAY

'Princess Märtha Louise of Norway' (born September 22, 1971 in Oslo) is the only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. She is fourth in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne, after her brother and his two children.

Contents

Early life

Marriage and family

Education and career

Astarte Education

Honours

Titles from birth

References

External links

Early life

Princess Märtha Louise was born on September 22, 1971 to the then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja. At birth, she was second in line to the throne, after her father. She was christened a few months after her birth. Her godparents are King Olav V of Norway, Princess Margaretha of Sweden, Count Flemming af Rosenborg, Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Dagny Haraldsen, Haakon Haraldsen, Nils Jørgen Astrup, Ilmi Riddervold.
In 1973, Märtha Louise was joined by a younger brother Haakon Magnus, who replaced her as second in line to the throne. In 1990 the Norwegian constitution was altered, granting cognatic primogeniture to the Norwegian throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. This was not, however, done retroactively (as, for example, Sweden had done in 1980), meaning that Prince Haakon still took precedence over her in the line of succession.
After the births of her brother's two children, Ingrid and Magnus, Märtha Louise was relegated to fourth in line. The princess is also in the line of succession to the British Throne, as a great-great-granddaughter of King Edward VII.

Marriage and family

On May 24, 2002 Princess Märtha Louise controversially married author Ari Behn (born 1972 as Ari Bjørshol; he later took his grandmother's name). On April 29, 2003 the princess gave birth to a daughter, Maud Angelica Behn, and on April 8, 2005 she had another daughter, Leah Isadora Behn.
Unlike her aunts who do not have the style of ''Royal Highness'', Princess Märtha Louise is not styled as ''Princess Märtha Louise, Mrs. Behn''. She is simply ''Princess Märtha Louise of Norway'', as the former method would imply that she lost her style because of an unequal marriage. However, it seems likely that had Princess Märtha Louise not relinquished her style of ''Royal Highness'', she would have lost it and become ''Princess Märtha Louise, Mrs. Behn'' upon her marriage.
Liv Mildrid Gjernes designed the Norwegian government's gift for the couple, two cupboards entitled "Ikons for the Hearts". In each cupboard there were seven exclusive pieces of handicraft, from different regions of Norway, produced by other outstanding Norwegian artisans.

Education and career

Princess Märtha Louise is a certified physiotherapist, following education in Oslo and internship in Maastricht, the Netherlands. She has not practised her profession, however, choosing instead, from her fascination in traditional Norwegian folk tales as well as a love of music, to establish her own commercial entertainment business based on giving public and televised performances reciting folk tales and singing with well-known Norwegian choirs. In December 2003, she took part in Oslo Gospel Choir's Christmas concert with a solo performance, included on the companion CD album.
On January 1, 2002, after Princess Märtha Louise started her own business, in order to work with more freedom from her constitutional role as a princess, she began paying income tax, and the King, after consulting her, issued a royal edict which removed Princess Märtha Louise's style of ''Royal Highness'' (she is entitled to the style ''Highness'' when abroad). However, she retains her place in the line of succession, and, though her activities were reduced, she still carries out some public duties on behalf of the King.
After several postponements due to family births and her father's illness, during which the princess took on some representation duties, Princess Märtha Louise and her husband moved to New York City in October 2004. In 2004, her first book, a children's story about the first royal family of Norway was released - ''Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns''. Accompanying the book is a CD version of the Princess reading her story aloud.

On January 18, 2006 Princess Martha Louise (along with the rest of the Norwegian Royal Family) revised her patronage list, and will no longer be a royal patron of any cultural groups including the annual Bjørnson literary festival; her brother Crown Prince Haakon will take over that position. She will only retain six patronage roles, all of them health related. They include the country's foundations for the blind, deaf and those with epilepsy. ''"With these changes, we want to eliminate possible doubt about role conflicts for the princess."'' palace spokesman Astrid Versto told newspaper VG.
Princess Märtha Louise has studied physiotherapy, trained as a Rosen therapist and studied at an academy for holistic medicine. She claims she can communicate with animals and angels and has started her own alternative medical school named Astarte Education, after one of the oldest goddesses in the Middle East^[1][2].

Astarte Education

On June 22, 2007, Märtha Louise and business partner and former ship mechanic Elisabeth Samnøy, announced the planned opening of a new private school, 'Astarte Education', in Oslo. According to the information on the company's official webpage, the school will offer a three year program, at the cost of 12,000 Norwegian kroner (about 2100 US$) per semester, in which students will be introduced to the techniques of healing and reading. Märtha Louise also promised that the school will teach students to communicate with angels. The slogan of the school is "Use angels and your own power to create miracles in your life". The course begins on August 22, 2007 and the classes filled up immediately. The address listed on the website is the princess' own home address at her home in Lommedalen, west of Oslo, and the phone number listed on the official website is the Royal Palace phone number.^[3]
The princess has come under media scrutiny in Norway after the announcement, with some, such as the newspaper Bergens Tidende, calling for her to give up her royal titles. Swedish author and columnist Jan Guillou urged Märtha Louise to "seek treatment".^[4] Norwegian state director of Health Lars E. Hanssen, prominent Norwegian alternative medicine advocate Dr. Bernt Rognlien, Norwegian technical university NTNU religious historian Asbjørn Dyrendal and University of Oslo theology professor Inge Lønning all expressed misgivings about the princess' plans.^[5] Others have suggested she be excommunicated from the state Evangelical Lutheran Church. Norwegian televangelist Jan Hanvold accused the princess of "blasphemy" and said she was "an emissary from hell."
''NORWEGIAN PRINCESS MÄRTHA'S NEW COURSE OFFERING: Communicating with Angels 101'', cgh, Spiegel online, August 14, 2007.
On August 11, 2007, Märtha Louise defended the school on NRK, the Norwegian public service television network.^[6]

Honours

★ Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav

★ Knight of the Order of the Elephant

★ Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star

★ Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose

★ Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon

★ Grand Cross of the Jordanian Al-Kawkab Al Urdoni Order

Titles from birth

Here is a list of titles Princess Märtha Louise held from birth in chronological order :

★ ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (1971–2002)

★ Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (Since 2002)

★
★ ''When abroad'': ''Her Highness'' Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (Since 2002)

References

1. Princess claims clairvoyant powers, aims to share them
2. Norway princess 'talks to angels', BBC, 25 July 2007, retrieved 25 July 2007
3.
''Norway's psychic Princess Martha Louise turns clairvoyant'', Hello! magazine website, July 25, 2007.
4. ''Norwegian princess's 'angel school' opens'', Yahoo! News, August 16, 2007.
5. ''Princess draws more flak'', Aftenposten, Nina Berglund/NTB, July 25, 2007.
6. ''Princess chastises media'', Rolleiv Solholm, The Norway Post, August 12, 2007.

External links

★ Princess Martha Louise Yahoo Group

★ Princess Martha Louise Yahoo Group 2

★ Official Site of the Norwegian Royal Family

★ ''Astarte Education'' official website