First: Thanks to Muhler for keeping this thread updated with information!
Second: Well, I hope she is proud of what she's done, putting a 114-year-old institution (which now had record-high polling numbers), her 82-year-old parents and her brother and sister-in-law who are struggling with CP MM's health in a difficult situation, just because she had to go and use her title to make money with an extreme so-called ''shaman.'' But here she is smiling (
link), hmm, and she seems to have much to smile about too, after cashing in money like an investment bank!!!
And beeeeeelive me, I'm going to write a loooong post about it in the coming days!!!
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BTW, the first poll has come out (
link):
It was conducted by Norstat (known as one of the most serious research-companies in Norway) for NRK (The state-owned Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, which is the country's largest media organisation).
Numbers of people asked:
Total 897. Men 450. Women 447.
Bør kongen frata Märtha Louise prinsessetittelen?
Should The King strip Märtha Louise of her Princess-title?
Yes:
Total 25,4%. Men 30,9%. Women 19,8 %.
No:
Total 56%. Men 50,6%. Women 61,5%.
Don't know:
Total 18,6%. Men 18,5%. Women 18,7%.
Har Märtha Louises bruk av prinsessetittelen i markedsføringen av turneen med sjaman Durek Verrett påvirket ditt syn på kongehuset?
Has Märtha Louise's use of the princess-title in the marketing of the tour with Shaman Durek Verrett influenced your view of The Royal House?
Yes, in a negative direction:
Total 20,5%. Men 25,6%. Women 15,3%.
No, not affected:
Total 71,9%. Men 68,1%. Women 75,9%.
Yes, in a positive direction:
Total 2,3%. Men 1,8%. Women 2,7%.
Don't know:
Total 5,3%. Men 4,5%. Women 6,1%.
And then to two commentators, who were asked by NRK to give their opinions on these figures.
Professor (and former Rector) at Kristiania University College, Trond Blindheim (born 1955) said this: ''Gitt at det er nokså stor oppslutning om det norske kongehuset, så er tallene oppsiktsvekkende høye.
Mange mener jo at prinsessen åpner opp perspektiver som ikke er så tradisjonelle i forbindelse med kongehuset. Er ikke det et gode?
Mange vil se det som et gode, men når vi så på den undersøkelsen som blir presentert nå så var det bare to prosent som mente de hadde fått en oppløftende tro på henne og kongehuset etter dette hadde skjedd.''
Translated to: ''Given that there is quite a lot of support for the Norwegian royal house, the figures are remarkably high.
Many believe that The Princess opens up perspectives that are not as traditional in connection with the royal house. Isn't that a good thing?
Many will see it as a good thing, but when we look at the survey that is being presented now, only 2% meant they had got an uplifting belief in her and the royal house after this had happened.''
Political editor of the Liberal regional newspaper Fædrelandsvennen, Vidar Udjus (born 1965). That paper BTW went out on May 16th (as Muhler wrote in post 67) and called for Märtha to give up her title.
He had this to say: ''Det er ikke overraskende i lys av den sterke oppslutningen kongefamilien har blant folk flest. Vi synes det er viktig å reise prinsipielle debatter. Og jeg synes det også er interessant at såpass mange støtter det synspunktet vi har tatt til orde for.''
Translated to: ''It's not surprising in light of the strong support the royal family has among most people. We think it's important to conduct principal debates. And I also find it interesting that so many people support the point of view that we have advocated.''
And to those who wonder whether these two are pro-monarchy or not? Well, I don't know, but they have previously (in columns and stuff) seemed quite positive in their attitudes towards the institution.
So, was there anything else? Yes, what's ''MY'' take on these figures? Hmm, hmm, hmm:
*71,9% saying they are unaffected in their view of The Royal House is a ''surprisingly'' high number.
*20,5% saying they are affected in a negative direction towards the monarchy is (in contrast to what Professor Blindheim said) MUCH lower than what I had expected.
Why am I surprised? Because, although Märtha is no longer a member of the Royal House, she's still a Princess. - And therefore, everything she does affects the Monarchy. Another thing to mention is that from the relationship become known on May 12th and to end of ''The Princess and the Shaman'' tour on May 23rd, Norwegian television/news-sites/papers have been full of debates on the monarchy, especially TV2 News Channel, where several Republican politicians/commentators were given more airtime than I have ever seen.
And now to the princess-stuff:
*25,4 % saying she should lose the title is ''EXTREMELY and SURPRISINGLY'' low! Yes, even lower than in 2010, when this number was at 30,7% in an InFact poll for VG (that was the year she started using her title to teach paying people to speak with the dead).
*56% saying she should keep the title is way higher than what I thought it would be, yes, even more so than the 50,6% who said the same to InFact in 2010.
Why am I surprised? Because we're talking about a woman here who since 2007 has used her royal position to sell her ''spiritual-guidance'' (as she likes to call it) to paying people (many of them vulnerable), while at the same time whining about her ''terrible youth'' and how ''awful'' the *MEDIA* is to her. Yes, she means all the TV-shows/newspapers she *USES* (i.e. giving interviews several times a year) for everything it's worth to promote all this.
But anyway, I have to take up one last thing: And that is my disappointment at the fact that Norstat didn't even bother to ask the respondents (who answered these two questions) whether they saw themselves as monarchists or not, or which age-group they belonged to. Because that had really been interesting to see.
So let's think:
The monarchists (70-85% of the population): Most likely a large majority saying they are unaffected in their view of the monarchy, and a lesser majority who want Märtha to keep her title.
The Republicans (10-20% of the population): They probably couldn't care less, but due to their ''principles'' towards the institution, they are likely to use something like this to voice their opinion even more. So, therefore, most likely a large majority saying they are affected in a negative direction towards the monarchy. And due to the same reasons, also a large majority for Märtha to lose her title.
Younger people: In Norway (at least, according to a Norstat poll for NRK in 2017, which is in contrast to some of the other European monarchies), it's those between 30-39 (85%) and those under 30 (82%) who are most supportive of the monarchy. And since that age-group is known to be ''non-conservative and modern,'' they are most likely to have fewer problems with Märtha using her title commercially, even when it comes to her spiritual stuff.
Have heard some of them say:
''She's brave, modern, fresh, cool,'' etc.
''She must have something to live of.''
''It's cool to get a black guy in the RF'' (I agree, that is ''cool,'' but it's not what this is about!).
And therefore, it's likely to be a large majority saying they are unaffected in their view of the monarchy and that they want Märtha to keep her title.
Yes, and being 30 myself, I'm not affected in my view on the institution either. But when it comes to the title: Well, IMO, she shouldn't use it commercially. - And if she refuses to stop doing so, then she should, indeed, be stripped of it!
Older people: Much more conservative, especially those over 70. And the 70/80/90-year-olds I know are pretty shocked! LOL.
So, a large majority of them is most likely affected in a negative direction towards the monarchy, and even more so when it comes to Märtha keeping her title.
BTW, in my next post (yes, the one I mentioned at the beginning), I will take the time to answer some of the earlier questions here.
