Princess Ingrid of Norway turned 18 on January 21st. But now the eldest daughter of Princes Haakon and Mette-Marit and second in line to the throne has celebrated her coming of age in style with a gala dinner this Friday in Oslo. A celebration that could pass as the pinnacle of the princesses and future queens of Europe that only Princess Leonor missed. This was the first major appointment following the funeral for Prince Philip of Edinburgh’s death last April.
This Friday, Princess Ingrid’s grandparents, Kings Harald and Sonia, hosted a gala dinner for the European royal family in honor of their granddaughter. And the royal palace in Oslo was filled with kings, queens, heirs and heiresses, princes and princesses, all dressed in their best clothes and jewels. Among those attending the birthday celebrations, which had to be postponed at the time due to the pandemic, were Amalia de Oranien, heir to the throne of the Netherlands, also heiress Elisabeth of Belgium, daughter of King Philip and Mathilde; o Estela of Sweden, second in line to the throne after her mother Victoria of Sweden. The young princesses posed for the first time in long dresses and heads adorned with tiaras. However, Leonor de Borbón did not attend the event. The heir to the Spanish throne completed her first international high school diploma at UWC Atlantic College in Wales (UK) this Friday and is on vacation until early September. The only event confirmed by the Spanish princess in the coming weeks is the Princess of Girona Awards ceremony, which will take place in Barcelona.
Prince Haakon listens intently to the speech of his daughter, Princess Ingrid, during the gala dinner held in her honor at the Royal Palace in Oslo this Friday. .HAKON MOSVOLD LARSEN (AFP)
Like other crown princesses, Leonor de Borbón was invited to the birthday party, but neither she nor Queen Letizia – without the reasons being made public. Yes, King Felipe, godfather of the protagonist, has traveled to Oslo. Other Spanish participants in the celebration were Rosario Nadal and her ex-husband Kyril from Bulgaria, who came with their three children Mafalda, Tassilo and Olimpia. The participant of the event was Marie-Chantal from Greece. In her day, Marie Chantal, Felipe VI’s cousin, published an abusive tweet criticizing Letizia, writing that she had “shown her true colors” and referring to her public scuffle with Doña Sofía in Moved into Palma Cathedral in 2018. They have not been seen together in public since then.
Princess Ingrid poses with her grandparents, Kings Sonia and Harald, and other guests from the European royal family on her birthday HAKON MOSVOLD LARSEN (AFP)
The rest of the family photo, with representatives from all European royal families, has been completed by Maria and Federico of Denmark (he is one of young Princess Ingrid’s six godparents); Queen Mathilde of Belgium; Kings Guillermo and Máxima of Holland; Princess Victoria of Sweden (also godmother of the awardee) with her husband Daniel and their two children Estela and Óscar; Marta Luisa of Norway with her partner, shaman Durek Verret, in their first public act since announcing their engagement on June 7; the Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie Lannoy, Marie-Chantal and Pablo of Greece…
Princess Ingrid donned the Boucheron Pear Circle Tiara for the occasion, her first time wearing a crown and her birthday present; A jewel with ruffled pearls, intertwined diamonds and set in platinum. When the time comes, she will become the first woman in 600 years to become Queen of Norway, although before that it will be her father Haakon’s turn. In addition to the gala dinner and other official acts that have generated great expectations in her country, the Norwegian royal family has distributed three official portraits of the young woman, on which she also wears the tiara, awards such as the insignia of the order Her Majesty’s House, which her grandfather gave her for her 18th birthday, and a dress by Alberta Ferretti that her mother Mette-Marit wore to one of the first official acts after announcing her engagement to Haakon.
On Thursday evening there was already a first celebration in Deichman Bjoervika, Oslo’s beautiful city library. An event attended by 200 guests, including members of the three branches of government and public figures, as well as a group of 25 young people from Princess Ingrid’s generation. Hundreds of onlookers flocked to the Norwegian capital’s parliament to see and applaud the young princess at the act, which took place on Thursday. A reception that left Ingrid from Norway visibly touched.