Crown Princess Mette-Marit: Picture Thread Part 1

[rchainho]

east news

[LaMinka]

Thanks rchainho! I have many of the pictures in the new book about Mette-Marit..!

[rchainho]

a pic of mette-marit when she was a waitress. cover

[nilah]

Thank you rchainho for the picture when MM was a waitress.

[Christo's Girl]

Originally Posted by Jasl

Lovely Mette Marit!!!!!! She's been so wonderful, as to be expected (she is after all, Haakon's choice). She is so understated and even if she might not look it, she has been extremely strong considering what her father and criticisms she has had to endure. No other crown princesses has ever endured so much as Mette Marit. Not Letizia, not Maxima, Mary or Alexandra. Some of those I mentioned have had their share of critics, but none as concerted nor on-going as that directed against Mette Marit. But she never lets it show ... she's always smiling.

I think that Ingrid Alexandra will grown up to be an excellent person. Hopefully she will be forgiving, sympathetic and all round wonderful. Her parents will certainly help her in that.

I agree with you completely. Mette-Marit has had the most difficult road in her role as Crown Princess. Alot of aggression at her from many directions. And what does Norway now have, the most down to earth, modern and classy of the Crown Princesses of Europe. She has never made a misstep and deserves all the nice things in her life. Norway should be proud of her, and support her. She will hardly bring down the monarchy.

[LaMinka]

Originally Posted by Christo's Girl

I agree with you completely. Mette-Marit has had the most difficult road in her role as Crown Princess. Alot of aggression at her from many directions. And what does Norway now have, the most down to earth, modern and classy of the Crown Princesses of Europe. She has never made a misstep and deserves all the nice things in her life. Norway should be proud of her, and support her. She will hardly bring down the monarchy.

I as a "Norwegian" Is very proud to have her as my new home countrys crown Princess!

[Christo's Girl]

Mette-Marit reminds me so much of Gwyneth Paltrow. Both have that slim, blond classy look. In fact do they not know each other and are friends?

[Royal Fan]

lol she reminds me of Amy Poeler from SNL (not that thats bad :) )

[Katrianna]

Thank you to all who have posted pictures. A lot of them I've never seen before. Mette-Marit has gotten prettier as the the years have gone by. I admire her because she's risen above the criticisms and sniping. She strikes me as a very sincere and down-to-earth person. I think this has been answered elsewhere in this forum, does Mette-Marit still smoke?

[Aussie Princess]

I think she gave up after she got pnemonia, and then she was pregnant again with Ingrid Alexandra.
I love all the photos of Mette-Marit and Haakon together, they are really sweet. Family pictures, and just pictures of them meeting children are always particulary lovely too!
Sometimes I think Mette-Marit looks just like any average woman, but so many pictures I see of her that make me go WOW, that you don't with the other Crown princesses

[Larzen]

I found this little Interview Mette-Marit has given sometime early in 2005 so over a year ago, it was to a magazine that came out to mark the year of design, and it is published by the Norwegian Design Council, of which she is patron
here is the link to the PDF, it is on page 8
http://www.norskdesign.no/nyheter/designforalle/designretdnbilag.pdf

A quick translation

What does design mean for the Crown Princess?
-My initial interest in design was connected to the esthetical aspects, but as I have worked and learnt more about it, I see the difference the good design can have on the functional level. When design is at its best it is a combination of the esthetical and the functional, that makes a product stand out. I have much pleasure out of good products and find it very exciting to work with Norwegian designers in different fields.

- I have for many years now been interested in design, that is why it was easy to say yes when I was asked to become patron. Both the Crown Prince and I am interested in the modern Norway, what, and who do we present us as. I think its needed a holistic presentation of Norwegian designers to promote the picture of good Norwegian design abroad. We have many fantastic architects, artists, designers, and producers that present Norway as a modern nation. Design pictures Norway as we want to show it of. I think it is important to consider this aspect when we look to the future Norway outside of the oil and gas industry.

- The human produced side of our surroundings gets an increasingly bigger place and is an important part of our identity. This goes for the open space outside, the houses we live in etc. Good functional solutions can also contribute to making everyday life easier for people with handicaps

- I have on my visits at home and abroad seen that good design is both functional and esthetical, that is what makes the product stand out from the “grey mass". We have to day a strong team of Norwegian industrial designers that is in the top internationally, I think it is important that many Norwegian companies use this competence when they develop products, it will increase their possibilities in the international market

- In the furniture industry there are good examples of that, the cooperation between the traditional furniture producer LL Hjelle and the design group Norway says is one example. Its important that more companies is aware of and put the designer competence in to use, I think it can have a positive effect both on Norway as a country and on the economy.

- Design is important in the development of more environmentally sustainable products, new solutions can give environmentally friendly solutions, for instance choice of materials and the possibility of recycling. If the future consumer is concerned about such things, environmentally friendly products have a real advantage. It is my opinion that Norwegian designer are very concerned about this.

The Crown Princess is concerned with equal opportunities for everyone in society, how can design help with this?

- There is broad agreement that we want an equal society where no one is excluded because of age or reduced functional abilities. Everyone is equally important and has the right for the same possibilities; here comes “design for everybody” in, where you can include peoples different capabilities in design and development of products. In this way the products become better and more people can have advantage of it.

- There is much innovation in Norway today that the Crown Prince and I got to experience some of it when we arranged a design meeting at Skaugum last autumn. Its exciting that it is being worked with not only the traditional aspects of design, but also directed towards technology, health and including design. I have had the pleasure to open the exhibition young designers twice, it has been a good possibility to see what’s happening in amongst the newly educated. I also see a clear increased interest in Norwegian design when we are out travelling, we could also see it when we lived in London

Does the Crown Princess choose much Norwegian Design?
- Yes we use much Norwegian design, we have made a conscious decision that all gifts we give to heads of states and others are made of Norwegian designers, we also use Norwegian designers for our arrangements like Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s Christening. I am also impressed with the improvement of Norwegian fashion design the last years. There is much nice Norwegian clothes being made, I think it will increase (get better?) in the years to come. I have a broad cooperation with Norwegian designers and use much Norwegian clothes

I dont think the pictures are made for this interview, I have seen them before, they are from Scanpix

[Lillia]

Originally Posted by LaMinka

I as a "Norwegian" Is very proud to have her as my new home countrys crown Princess!

I like her too -- she comes across as very down to earth with both feet flat on the ground.:)

[monica]

Seems me good as the princess and has some very good-looking children

[crisiñaki]

Originally Posted by Royal Fan

lol she reminds me of Amy Poeler from SNL (not that thats bad :) )

And also looks like the lead character of species (Natalia Henstridge is her name, I think:o )

[galatea_12]

MM is so pretty. No wonder Ingrid Alexandra is the cutest royal girl today. :)

[Lil princess lost]

Originally Posted by Christo's Girl

Mette-Marit reminds me so much of Gwyneth Paltrow. Both have that slim, blond classy look. In fact do they not know each other and are friends?

Yes they are as a matter of fact. There is a picture of Mette-Marrit attending her birthday, I'll see whether I can find it.

[soCal girl]

Originally Posted by Lil princess lost

Yes they are as a matter of fact. There is a picture of Mette-Marrit attending her birthday, I'll see whether I can find it.

I think that's pretty neat having Hollywood royalty be friends with real royalty. :) You would think this friendship might get a little bit more buzz in the U.S. and introduce the rest of the country to other royal families besides the British. Does anybody know how they met?

[crisiñaki]

Originally Posted by soCal girl

I think that's pretty neat having Hollywood royalty be friends with real royalty. :) You would think this friendship might get a little bit more buzz in the U.S. and introduce the rest of the country to other royal families besides the British. Does anybody know how they met?

The group is Rosario, Princess of Preslav (wife of Kyril of Bulgaria and godmother to Sverre), Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Gwyneth Paltrow

[kwanfan]

Originally Posted by soCal girl

I think that's pretty neat having Hollywood royalty be friends with real royalty. :) You would think this friendship might get a little bit more buzz in the U.S. and introduce the rest of the country to other royal families besides the British. Does anybody know how they met?

I would assume they met when Mette-Marit and Haakon were studying in London.

[crisiñaki]

Gwyneth is not an unknown name in royalty, she's also friends with Prince Felipe (there were rumors about the relationship between the two of them) and his sister Infanta Cristina, besides as I stated before, she's best friends with Valentino and Rosario Nadal (those two ladies are his muses ).