Princess Märtha Louise of Norway is once again at the centre of attention following on from a controversial interview with Swedish television over the weekend. The claim that received the most attention is the Princess’ statement that the Norwegian press had acknowledged that they were complicit in the reasons why her ex-husband took his own life.
When asked whether the media was responsible for Ari Behn’s death in 2019, the Princess said: “They said so themselves. His mental health depended a lot on him getting criticism in the media.
“But I am not saying it was anyone’s fault. It is always how you handle criticism. The press took self-criticism after he died, that they were perhaps a little harsh towards him, and that he only received criticism and was actually a very nice person. They never said that when he was with me. Then he was just a peacock and arrogant for them.”
In response to the comments, the Norwegian press have United to release a statement criticising the comments made by the Princess.
Reidun Kjelling Nybø, secretary general of the Norwegian Editors’ Association, strongly disagrees with what was said in the STV interview.
She says: “The way I interpret her, she largely blames the Norwegian media for Ari Behn taking his own life. It is deeply shocking, very unfair and completely undocumented. That is not true at all.”
Nybø continues: “I note that the Princess mixes up critical statements from the media’s sources and the media themselves, and that she also makes it sound as if it is the media’s fault that she renounced her official duties last autumn. It is very serious and very startling that she chooses to shift all the blame onto the media in this way.”
The editor of the Norwegian republican newspaper Dagbladet has chosen to take his response even further.
He writes: “Märtha Louise is of course entitled to have her opinion of life in a privileged bubble that few of us are close to, and the press must listen to criticism from someone who has been in the media’s spotlight since she was born. It has undoubtedly affected someone who describes herself as hypersensitive. But even a princess can’t make up fairy tales and present them as alternative facts.”
Neither Princess Märtha Louise`s manager, the Norwegian Royal Court or the family of Ari Behn was wanted to comment since the interview was published.
