From a piece in today's Aftenbladet. Due to time concerns I didn't translate the entire thing, I'll see if I can get to it later.
Assignment number one for her Royal Mummy Mette-Marit
When Crown Princess Mette-Marit has given birth to her second child she has done her number one job: she has pushed the next Norwegian heir to the throne out.
ROYAL BIRTH: The Crown Princess’ most important assignment is bringing on the royal bloodlines, thus securing the line to the throne. The girl from Kristiansand who now is walking around in Skaugum’s rooms and waits, looks over the baby’s clothes, checks for sign that the birth is underway has maybe reflected a bit over how her life has turned out. When she seven years ago gave birth to her first child, she was one of many single mothers in Norway. She had, until her pregnancy, lived like a beautiful young woman who loved partying, but had no clear direction where she wanted to take her life, least of all career-wise. Then she was left with sole responsibility for little Marius.
CROWNING IT.
Now she has married into the leading family in the country, she has all the material and social safety any young mother could want around her child. Child support from the state doesn’t count in this family’s budget, if they’re entitled to it at all. But she has more obligations and expectations towards her than any other Norwegian mother. Two and a half years ago after the magnificent wedding, she is now about to crown the alliance: a small baby whose destiny was predestined from conception. If it’s a boy he’s our future King, is it a girl she will be the first female monarch since Queen Margrethe, 600 years ago. An exciting thought for equal opportunity Norway! This child will also be the little brother or little sister of an half brother without royal blood and birth. It’s no easy task ahead, raising two children as regular siblings, when one is irregular. They will be raised to be different, without making a difference between them.
THE ROYAL STEP-FAMILY
This might be a lot on her mind right now. She knows a bit on how it is to live in a family where there are children from another relationship, a royal step-family with “my” child. Now is “our” child arriving, and it will make life different for all of them. As a mother she must have enjoyed how stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, has taken responsibility and been involved in caring for Marius. He must have aced the step-father test, and proven mature enough to become a father in his own right. She has also passed her test. The shy woman who slouched her back, a pony-tail, sneakers and a partially hidden cigarette that we saw in the first pictures of the Crown Prince’s girlfriend has straightened up. She’s a good dresser, with nice suits, great hats, and gorgeous dresses. She has also become accustomed to representing more on her own. Today we see a more secure and mature woman than the shy, but very much in love, miss Tjessem Høiby in the silk-sofa at the Palace when the engagement became public in December, 2000.
APPROVED BY THE PEOPLE
We down here in the people have become used to a Crown Princess named Mette-Marit, a name we associate with a series of books for young girls from the ‘60s. We like that she has kept her southern dialect, she has gradually grown into her role as a royal. She probably still has the sneakers and duffel-coat in the closet, even if we’ve lately seen her in proper coats and dresses over the bigger stomach. The single mother with a wild past has been raised, cleansed and blessed by the church and gradually accepted by the people. But judging by polls made it seems to be a while before she’s universally loved by the people. The ones married into the royal family are those with the lowest score in the polls, Mette-Marit is second lowest in most polls, ahead of Ari Behn. Just now the Crown prince is at the top in popularity regarding those under 40. “It looks like the year in London, with studies and quiet to nurture the relationship, has done her good. She has seemed more self-confident the last year,” says journalist Wibecke Lie. As NTB’s journalist with responsibility for covering the Royal family, she has followed Mette-Marit’s development close. She has noticed that the Crown Princess is good at getting in touch with “regular people.” She meets children, and teens in a particular good way, they interest her and it doesn’t seem fake.