Princess Märtha Louise, daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, paid tribute to her mother on Monday in a post on Instgram. To mark International Women’s Day, the Norwegian princess chose to emphasise how much she respects her own mother, the Norwegian queen.
Princess Märtha Louise wrote: “The main person who has shown me this perseverance is my mom, Queen Sonja, who has been a beacon of light for women’s rights all through my life. I have seen her struggle to find her feet, fighting for her right to simply have an office and a natural place at the table in a male-dominated organisation where women had no place as a Crown Princess, to blossoming into where she is today; a strong and independent woman whose opinions are valued and reckoned with as Queen.”
The Norwegian Princess continued: “She has always seen other women, rooted for them and lifted them up, changing the organisation completely together with my dad (yes, we do need the men too) to a gender-equal organisation. I am really proud of you, mom, for continuing to be the change and for being such a strong woman, knowing your goals and making it clear for everyone around you that women are important to make everyone prosper. I choose to challenge to continue her legacy. Each day and every day. Continue to spread love, my beautiful sisters. Strong is the new pretty!”
It is quite clear that Queen Sonja has been a great inspiration for both her children. It was also announced last weekend that Crown Prince Haakon had given an interview to the Norwegian newspaper “VL”, where he also paid tribute to his mother on the occasion of International Women’s Day. In the interview, the Crown Prince said that he is a women’s rights activist and thanked the women who have taken the plunge over the years. The Crown Prince also talked candidly about his mother, Queen Sonja’s, struggle for a greater role in the Royal Court.
In July of last year, Queen Sonja turned 83-years-old. In 1968, she married the then Crown Prince Harald and thus became Crown Princess of Norway. Since then, Queen Sonja has been one of Norway’s most famous and most talked about women, and when King Harald took over the throne in 1991, she became Norway’s first queen in 53 years.
