Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway breaks 600-year-old royal tradition following death of King Harald V
Princess Ingrid Alexandra has officially made history in the Norwegian Royal Family.
Aged just 22 years old, she has become the first woman to be heir to the crown in 600 years, following the death of her grandfather King Harald V on Friday (28 August), aged 89.
The news of the monarch’s death was announced by the palace, which said he died at the National Hospital in Oslo at 6.35am, following reports that emerged revealing his family had rushed to his bedside.
According to Sky News, the King, who was a father-of-two and Europe's oldest living monarch, was taken to hospital on 17 August, where doctors treated a bacterial infection in his blood.
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In the wake of his passing, the throne has automatically passed on to his only son, King Haakon VIII, with his wife Mette-Marit becoming Queen.
The couple shares two children - Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who was born in 2004, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 20, who was born in 2005, while Mette-Marit also has a son, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, from a previous relationship.
As expected with any death of a monarch, the Royal line of succession has had a shake-up.
Because Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the eldest child of the now-King, she has become the heir to the throne.
As we say, this is an important moment in history, as the last female monarch was Queen Margaret, who died in 1412.
It’s assumed that the Princess will officially become Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra as her father becomes King, as per HELLO! Magazine.
It comes as Princess Ingrid is enrolling at the University of Oslo this fall, after transferring from the University of Sydney.
On 10 August, it was reported by Town&Country Magazine that she is taking courses at the school’s Faculty of Social Sciences as an exchange student.
She had previously been studying at the Australian university for the past year, focusing on international relations and political economy.
The royal is yet to comment publicly on her grandfather’s death.
Buckingham Palace, though, has since released a statement on behalf of King Charles, who was Harald's second cousin once removed.
It read: “It is with the most profound sadness that my wife and I have learned of the death of my dear cousin, King Harald V of Norway.
“For 35 years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.
“As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades.
“The United Kingdom and Norway share particularly close historical and family ties, with Britain one of the first countries to recognise Norwegian independence and establish diplomatic relations in 1905.
“These special bonds were even further strengthened during the dreadful trials of the Second World War and helped to bind our two countries together.
“The Queen and I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Queen Sonja and all her family, as Britain shares in Norway’s grief at this time of such heartbreaking loss.”
Topics: Royal Family, World News, News
Madison Burgess