Norwegian royals celebrate centennial of beloved home with a party as criticism of family grows

The Norwegian Royal Family’s summer residence is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit threw a summer party to mark the milestone.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess invited local schoolchildren to the estate to come and celebrate the royal home’s centennial. 

The couple were joined by Queen Sonja to enjoy field games, face painting, and entertaining with the children on the estate grounds. 

Gamlehaugen was originally built from 1899 to 1900 in the Scottish Baronial Style for Christian Michelsen (a politician who would go on to be Norway’s first prime minister). After Michelsen’s death in 1925,  the state bought the home in Bergen for it to be used as a royal residence. 

The castle is the Norwegian monarch’s home in western Norway. The estate includes extensive parks and gardens that are open to the public for visits. 

The celebration comes at a difficult personal time for the family. Crown Princess Mette Marit’s son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, has been charged with 32 separate offences, including four charges of rape. 

The Norwegian royals are facing mounting public criticism over the situation, particularly as the family recently took Borg Høiby on a vacation to Portugal.