Princess Ragnhild and family news and picture thread

[norwegianne]

Erling Lorentzen is in the news today. Apparently, he had an affair with a woman 35 years his junior 19-20 years ago. The affair was broken off when she said she was pregnant. He has been paying several milions in child-support all these years (both for childsupport and for her private education at an English boarding school), to avoid huge scandals for his wife's sake, but has also pressed for DNA testing. Now it seems that finally a DNA test has proven that the child isn't his, and he's taken steps to have the parental records deleted. He'll still continue to support the child. He says he's sorry for the pain he's caused his family and wife, and he's got compassion for the child who has been deliberately misled into believing that he is her father.

Princess Ragnhild has apparently known about this for a long time, and right now is angry about the "other woman" doing things that seems like blackmail.

Both of them talked to Se & Hør about it.

The above is a translated summary from: http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=131830

 

[Sophus]

Erling Lorentzen is in the news today. Apparently, he had an affair with a woman 35 years his junior 19-20 years ago. The affair was broken off when she said she was pregnant. He has been paying several milions in child-support all these years (both for childsupport and for her private education at an English boarding school), to avoid huge scandals for his wife's sake, but has also pressed for DNA testing. Now it seems that finally a DNA test has proven that the child isn't his, and he's taken steps to have the parental records deleted. He'll still continue to support the child. He says he's sorry for the pain he's caused his family and wife, and he's got compassion for the child who has been deliberately misled into believing that he is her father.

Princess Ragnhild has apparently known about this for a long, and right now is angry about the "other woman" doing things that seems like blackmail.

Both of them talked to Se & Hør about it.

The above is a translated summary from: http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=131830

Sorry to say it, but to me princess Ragnhild does not behave very royal in these years. First she denigrate Mette-Marit for not beeing god for the monarchy and now she talks openly about her husband's affair in the most dirty and low class 'magazine' of Norway. To me a real royal is someone who bears her burden in silence and with her head upright. Who is able to shake hands with the persons she dislikes without letting no one know about her feelings. Such a royal person was the late Queen Ingrid and the present Queen of England but I do not see much of them in princess Ragnhild!

Please your royal highness - for the future let the hate stay inside your home...

 

[norwegianne]

I don't know - Se & Hør in Norway is infinitely more credible and less trashy than its Danish counterpart, to me, at least, though it's gotten more trashy in the past years. I can think of several more low-class magazines to talk in, to put it like that. And it is such a story, really that it isn't anything that the magazines that are turned towards traditional housewives, ie. Hjemmet, Familien, Norsk Ukeblad (those magazines with recipes, embroidery patterns and such things) would be interested in. Princess Ragnhild's official biography was published on Se & Hør's publishing company back in '95, if I remember correctly, and I guess they've chosen to continue the collaborations.

I guess that since he was taking legal action, they thought it best to get it out there now, before it turned into a huge spetacle of speculations in the media.

 

[Sophus]

I don't know - Se & Hør in Norway is infinitely more credible and less trashy than its Danish counterpart, to me, at least, though it's gotten more trashy in the past years. I can think of several more low-class magazines to talk in, to put it like that. And it is such a story, really that it isn't anything that the magazines that are turned towards traditional housewives, ie. Hjemmet, Familien, Norsk Ukeblad (those magazines with recipes, embroidery patterns and such things) would be interested in. Princess Ragnhild's official biography was published on Se & Hør's publishing company back in '95, if I remember correctly, and I guess they've chosen to continue the collaborations.

I guess that since he was taking legal action, they thought it best to get it out there now, before it turned into a huge spetacle of speculations in the media.

Well - I don't know much about norwegian magazines... I just tried to point out that a royal is not supposed to smalltalk to the press about family affairs ect. Prince Henrik was widely criticized by the danish people when he told the press that he was not content with beeing nr. 3 in the family after his wife the Queen and his son the heir. People felt that it was a strange thing to make trouble in the family i front of the public.

A good example of what I will call 'Royal behavior' was in 1967 when the danish gouverment forbade the King and Queen to invite their daughter and son in law - the King and Queen of Greece - to the wedding of princess Margrethe (II). Instead of showing her hurt feelings in public or having an argument with the primeminister Queen Ingrid silent placed framed photes of Anne-Marie and Constantine all over the palace before the official banquet. An elegant way to show her sympathy without to lose her face in a public scandal...

 

[Marengo]

A very sad story, especially for the girl involved. But at least the marriage of Erling and Ragnhild survived dispite of it, good for them! I wonder if they can sue the mother to get te money back...

 

[sm1939]

Raghild is a right one , saying stuff about MM when her husband had a child out of wed lock !! as the saying goes ."people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones "

 

[Jose]

Thanks you alls photos on Princess Ragnhild and Erling have 52 year marriage!!! Princess Ragnhild is grand lady to royal family Norways oldest aunt and sister! She and his Astrid is sister to King Harald and daughter to King Olav!

 

[Zonk]

I am getting up to speed now. I saw refrences to this child of Ragnhild's husband in the Astrid and Harald birthday threads, and I had to check back here to get some back history.

My questions/comment is this....he had paid child support for how many years before getting his DNA test? Why didn't he do it or get it done earlier?

I also agree that Ragnhild has been quite "mean" to Ari and Mette Marit about their standing in the royal family and her husband does this? And by "mean" I am referring to the comments she made about Ari and Mette Marit being totally unsuitable to be members of the Norwegian Royal Family.

 

[wartenberg7]

Sorry to say it, but to me princess Ragnhild does not behave very royal in these years. First she denigrate Mette-Marit for not beeing god for the monarchy and now she talks openly about her husband's affair in the most dirty and low class 'magazine' of Norway. To me a real royal is someone who bears her burden in silence and with her head upright. Who is able to shake hands with the persons she dislikes without letting no one know about her feelings. Such a royal person was the late Queen Ingrid and the present Queen of England but I do not see much of them in princess Ragnhild!

Please your royal highness - for the future let the hate stay inside your home...


I must say, I quite agree...
It never crossed my mind that an affair like this could hit the Lorentzen family. And it is more than surprising, that a woman, who attacks her brother´s (who is at least the king!) children for choosing the partners they did is faced with problems like these in her own family!
There was nothing immorale in the behaviour of both the CPrincess or A. Behn that has come any close to this of Mr. Lorentzen.
But I guess that´s part of Princess Ragnhilds bitterness (I always wondered about her angry, bad mooded face - very much the contrast to the images of her as a young woman), that she seemed to have projected her own unhappiness to other members of her family...
I never liked Ragnhild, but by knowing now she´s a person "sitting in a glasshouse throwing stones", I´m completely done with her.

 

[sjetajiem]

A new grand-daughter for Princess Ragnhild of Norway

Ragnhild Lorentzen, youngest daughter of princess Ragnhild of Norway and her husband Erling Lorentzen, and her husband Aaron Long had their first child a daughter.
The baby was born two months before due date (february 2008) but mother and child are doing fine.
The little girl is the fifth grandchild of the princess.
Her son Haakon and his wife Martha have two sons Olav and Christian and a daughter Sophia.
Her elder daughter Ingeborg and her husband Paulo Ribeiro have a daughter Victoria Ragna.

Source: D. Hoelseth on Royalsportal BAG 2007

 

[sjetajiem]

The first child of Aaron Long and Ragnhild Lorentzen was born in Santa Monica (California) on December 14th 2007.
She was christened Alexandra Lorentzen Long.

Source: D. Hoelseth on Royalsportal BAG 2007

 

[An Ard Ri]

I wonder what the Princess has been up to lately ?

 

[An Ard Ri]

Princess Ragnhild is 80 this year,I wonder if the Royal Family will be hosting a celebration in Norway ?

 

[An Ard Ri]

Princess Ragnhild turns 80

Princess Ragnhild turns 80 / News / The Foreigner — Norwegian News in English

 

[Her_Majesty]

Picture galleries:
Prinsesse Ragnhild fyller 80 år - Norge - NRK Nyheter
PRINSESSE RAGNHILD - I dag er hun 80 år! - Side2
The Royal couple will host a private dinner for Princess Ragnhild today.

 

[Biri]

Princess Ragnhild is 80 this year,I wonder if the Royal Family will be hosting a celebration in Norway ?

But Princess Ragnhild & her husband live permanently in Brazil, don't they?

 

[Her_Majesty]

But Princess Ragnhild & her husband live permanently in Brazil, don't they?

They do.
Princess Ragnhild was also attending the welcoming ceremony during the Dutch State Visit last week. So, she's currently in Norway.
I actually don't know if they live in Norway at times...

 

[An Ard Ri]

They do.
Princess Ragnhild was also attending the welcoming ceremony during the Dutch State Visit last week. So, she's currently in Norway.
I actually don't know if they live in Norway at times...

I may be wrong but I do believe she has a home in Norway also .

 

[Maura724]

I read somewhere that she spends the winter months (Brazil's summer months, Dec.-Feb.) in Norway because she hates the heat in Rio at that time.

 

[IslandDweller]

At the time of Ragnhild's comments bashing Ari and Mette-Marit, King Harald was quoted in response as saying he hoped to continue being friends with his sister. I'm glad to see that it looks like that has happened.

 

[An Ard Ri]

At the time of Ragnhild's comments bashing Ari and Mette-Marit, King Harald was quoted in response as saying he hoped to continue being friends with his sister. I'm glad to see that it looks like that has happened.

I do hope they've all made up & moved on .

 

[grandlordbenji16]

ok you guys need to stop judging her royal manner .out of all norwegian royal her behavior is most royal than the all the other except for her sister astrid.One thing you guys should know princess ragnild rid was born into the era of ''ancient regime'' a time when royal still marry royals and you guys should not forget she did not have the modern education martha-louise or haakon has. i believe her education was what mostly about her position and rank and also dont forget that she seen her grandfather {haakon vii} and her parents {martha and olav v} spend their life in duty to norway and when her nephew and niece brought a single mother with a wild past and a controversial author into the family she must have stratle since she was not brought up to associate herself with those scandals.i 100% share her view on this matter i srongly believe that she would ve made a terrific queen regnant and no she not bitter she simply feel its her duty to uphold and keep the tradition of her family. last thing am sure that she pled with her brother about the effect of these marriages in the monarchy but probably harald ignore her remarks perhaps seen them as old fashion and let his children have their way and in which make the monarchy more open to critism and scandal and i agree dats she said that her father should live longer because none of these marriages would've happen

 

[Rascal]

ok you guys need to stop judging her royal manner .out of all norwegian royal her behavior is most royal than the all the other except for her sister astrid.One thing you guys should know princess ragnild rid was born into the era of ''ancient regime'' a time when royal still marry royals and you guys should not forget she did not have the modern education martha-louise or haakon has. i believe her education was what mostly about her position and rank and also dont forget that she seen her grandfather {haakon vii} and her parents {martha and olav v} spend their life in duty to norway and when her nephew and niece brought a single mother with a wild past and a controversial author into the family she must have stratle since she was not brought up to associate herself with those scandals.i 100% share her view on this matter i srongly believe that she would ve made a terrific queen regnant and no she not bitter she simply feel its her duty to uphold and keep the tradition of her family. last thing am sure that she pled with her brother about the effect of these marriages in the monarchy but probably harald ignore her remarks perhaps seen them as old fashion and let his children have their way and in which make the monarchy more open to critism and scandal and i agree dats she said that her father should live longer because none of these marriages would've happen

While I appreciate your admiration and affection for Princess Ragnhild, grandlordbenji16, I must say that you seem to forget that Ragnhild herself was the first to cause a scandal when she married her bodyguard, a commoner, the first in the Norwegian royal family. In addition, if she was concerned about the monarchy and the effects on it, allegedly being intoxicated in an interview with a reporter and then discussing/criticising in a public forum the members of the family who are actually in the line of succession is a poor way of showing it and in addition to being scandalous in itself, that decision also opened up the monarchy to further critcism. As far as not having a modern education, Ragnhild's education, according to you, was about being royal. By marrying a commoner and speaking about private family matters to the press violated that education. She either chose to do her own thing or she just wasn't a very good student.
I tend to agree with others who feel that she exhibits bitter resentment and jealousy as well as frustration with her own husband's lack of fidelity and is projecting that onto the royal family. If she was concerned about the choices made of who married into the family, why didn't she give an interview about Astrid's twice-married and divorced/separated daughter Benedikte? I have to disagree with you, Ragnhild may still be ahead of Martha-Louise and Ari, but as far as royal behavior goes...she does not exhibit the most royal behavior and certainly is behind Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, IMHO.

Just curious, do you know Princess Ragnhild or someone who knows or is friends with her? Sometimes our vision/judgment is clouded by familiarity or a perception of familiarity (like with Princess Diana).

 

[wartenberg7]

Couldn´t agree more, Rascal - you were exactly right!

 

[Maura724]

allegedly being intoxicated in an interview with a reporter

Was she intoxicated during this interview? I've never heard that before!

One thing I've always questioned is her statement that her father would never have allowed Haakon or Martha's marriages. Olav's habit was to begrudgingly allow marriages that were scandalous for their day (Ragnhild and Erling, Astrid and Johan, Harald and Sonja), so why would he have suddenly started putting his foot down? Strange as it may seem from our perspective, Astrid's marriage to a divorced man met with even more controversy than those of the younger generation.

 

[Rascal]

Was she intoxicated during this interview? I've never heard that before!

One thing I've always questioned is her statement that her father would never have allowed Haakon or Martha's marriages. Olav's habit was to begrudgingly allow marriages that were scandalous for their day (Ragnhild and Erling, Astrid and Johan, Harald and Sonja), so why would he have suddenly started putting his foot down? Strange as it may seem from our perspective, Astrid's marriage to a divorced man met with even more controversy than those of the younger generation.

Hi, Maura724. In some of the postings (not necessarily in this board or thread) it was alluded to that Princess Ragnhild had been drinking before the interview and that her husband tried to prevent publication of the interview but was unsuccessful. I put "allegedly" as I have seen no definitive proof of her drinking and because I'm trying to give her the benefit of lost inhibitions rather than being such a bitter, hateful woman with a complete lack of "royal discretion".

Thanks for also pointing out Astrid's marriage to a divorced man, also a quite the scandal during that time.

I should probably add this for grandlordbenji16, many of us who have long followed any royal families feel comfortable criticizing their behaviors. It doesn't mean that we don't have affection for them. Speaking for myself, I think that Anne, The Princess Royal, is utterly unfortunately looking most of the time but can look quite good when made up. She also has the tendency to frown/glare and the media manipulates this by not showing pictures where she is smiling. But I feel that she is a very dedicated, intelligent woman and respect her for that. I also am not a huge fan of Camilla's hairstyle or her lifetime (yes, I'm going to say it) as an adultress, but I believe that she is generally fashionable, stylish, and the more I see of her I believe that I would enjoy her company as she seems to have a good sense of humor (maybe even a bit bawdy!) which I can appreciate. As for Princess Ragnhild, other than what has been posted here, I can't say I know that much about her. Considering the lack of media coverage of her over the years, the fact that she, when given the opportunity to speak to the media about the Norwegian Royal Family, chose to publicly criticize their choices/behaviors, to me that speaks volumes about her character. Based on that, I am not a big fan of hers.

 

[maria-olivia]

She had wonderful great-parents, Prince Charles and Ingeborg of Sweden.
They invited year after year their beloved grandchildren
Amoung them one little princess and two little princes whose mother the late Queen Astrid died in 1935 . She was 30 years old. Astrid's children were the late Grand-Duchess Josephine Charlotte , the late King Baudouin and our actual King Albert II.

I remember sawing a picture of Raghnild at JC's funerals , altough she was not on te first row , her sorrow was so big ..the rememberings of her childhood.

Concerning Raghnild 's wedding her mother Princess Märtha was still alive .. and Raghnild had a very royal wedding.

 

[Maura724]

The drinking theory sounds plausible - I can certainly see someone who's had a few glasses of wine being far more willing to say what they really think about their family. However, it strikes me as incredibly stupid behavior, and Ragnhild has never seemed like a stupid woman to me. I mean, if I were about to give an interview for all of Norway, I don't think I'd have one too many right beforehand.

And yes, in Trond Noren Isaksen's Astrid biography, he makes the point that the national debate was far nastier and there was much more criticism for Astrid and Johan than for any of the other marriages. Interesting, considering nobody really bats an eye about divorce today.

I don't know much about Ragnhild beyond this interview and her basic biographical information - nothing really about her character. It's unfortunate that the only thing so many people have to judge her from is her comments about her niece and nephew. I'm not a big fan of her either, Rascal, although for all I know she's a wonderful person who was just having a bad day.

I agree with you about her own marriage playing a role in bitterness about other marriages, in this case Haakon's and Martha's. And I do feel sorry for her for that - it would be pretty awful to give up everything for a man and follow him halfway around the world, only to discover that he can't stay faithful to you.

Maria-Olivia, would you consider Astrid's wedding "very royal" as well, or was Ragnhild's more so?

 

[maria-olivia]

Maura , I think Astrid had also a royal wedding but Princess Märtha died before and King Olaf was widow.

 

[grandlordbenji16]

yes she married her bodygard but a member of high bourgeoisie and erling father was a succesfull business man and his mother was the daughter of a norwegian minister of labour. Erling was a havard graduated and he was seen as one of the heroes who dare to participate against german occupation during the second world war .he serve his country.king haakon a man known for his deep conservative view and he agree with it even though it was a scandal but at least the bridegroom was no divorcee/or so an opportunist.