SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

Norway

Crown Princess Mette-Marit reveals that Princess Ingrid Alexandra should have had a different name

Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway opened the exhibition “The Queen Yes” Tuesday in the city of Trondheim. During her opening speech, she came with a fun story about her daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Norway’s future queen.

The Crown Princess said: “We actually intended to call Ingrid Alexandra, Tyra Eufemia, but we thought it was so special that we did not dare to do it.

“Had she (Princess Ingrid Alexandra) been born today she would have had another name, but we are also pleased that it became Ingrid Alexandra.”

The Crown Princess held a short speech during the opening in Trondheim. Photo: Oskar Aanmoen / Royal Central.

The name Tyra is an originally old-Norwegian name but is no longer commonly used in Norway. Norway has, nevertheless, had a queen that was called Tyra. This was Tyra Haraldsdatter, and she was the wife of King Olav Tryggvason. Eufemia is also not a common name in Norway anymore. Queen Eufemia was Queen of Norway from 1299 to her death in 1312. She is more famous than Tyra and has a street named after her in Oslo’s old town.

It was Queen Sonja who should have opened the exhibition, but the day before the opening it became clear that the Queen was going to be unable to do this and had to cancel. The Royal Court informed the press on Monday that the Queen had pains in her back and was not able to travel to Trondheim. The exhibition “The Queen Yes” has its origins in a new book about the role of queens, and it exhibits information about the queens of the Middle Ages. The exhibition is also a tribute to Queen Sonja in connection with her 80th birthday which was earlier this year.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra is always in a good mood when she represents the Norwegian Royal Family. Photo: Oskar Aanmoen / Royal Central.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra is a well-liked member of the Norwegian Royal Family. Last week, the 13-year-old unveiled two new statues in her sculpture park in Oslo. The Princess was accompanied by her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Sonja. Princess Ingrid Alexandra was born on 21 January 2004 at Oslo University Hospital. She is the first child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.