As Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway celebrates her 18th birthday, let’s take a look at her godparents, chosen ahead of her baptism at the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace on 17 April 2004.
King Harald
Ingrid Alexandra’s paternal grandfather—and predecessor—is her first godparent. Born in 1937 to Norway’s second modern monarch, Harald ascended to the throne following his father’s death in 1991. He has reigned with his wife, Queen Sonja, by his side, and the two share two children: Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise and six grandchildren.
In her confirmation speech in 2019, Ingrid Alexandra said of her paternal grandfather: “Grandpa, you have taught me many important things. I think I inherited many of your qualities, like a very strong competitive instinct, though, of course, some of that comes from Mamma’s side of the family as well. I would especially like to thank you for all the times you have made me laugh. And all those great selfies.”
Princess Märtha Louise
Ingrid Alexandra’s paternal aunt, Princess Märtha Louise, is the elder child of King Harald and Queen Sonja. Born in 1971, the laws of succession were not applied retroactively to make her heir like in Sweden, and as such, she is simply Her Highness and asked to have her royal status removed in 2002 to be able to conduct professional business.
Princess Märtha Louise has three daughters, Maud, Leah and Emma, with her late ex-husband Ari Behn. Since 2019, she has been dating Durek Verrett, an American shaman.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
The next King of Denmark is one of Ingrid Alexandra’s godfathers. Born in 1968, Crown Prince Frederik’s focus has been on the military, science, engineering, the environment and sports.
Crown Prince Frederik has been married to Crown Princess Mary since 2004 and has four children: Prince Christian (a fellow member of Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding party in 2010), Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
Known by the nickname ‘the godmother of Europe’ as a play on Queen Victoria’s nickname ‘the grandmother of Europe,’ Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden counts Ingrid Alexandra among her many godchildren, and she has 18 in total.
Crown Princess Victoria was born in 1977 and was not in line to the throne at birth. In 1979, her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, was born and designated as the crown prince; though from 1 January 1980, Victoria has been Crown Princess of Sweden due to the change in Sweden’s line of succession to remove male-preference primogeniture.
Crown Princess Victoria has been married to Prince Daniel since 2010 and has two children: Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar. When she ascends to the throne, she will be the first Swedish queen regnant since 1720.
Ingrid Alexandra was one of Crown Princess Victoria’s bridesmaids at her 2010 wedding.
King Felipe
At Ingrid Alexandra’s birth, King Felipe was still heir to the Spanish throne and was known by the title Prince of Asturias. He ascended to the throne in 2014 following the abdication of King Juan Carlos and has reigned during political unrest within the government and how the citizens relate to the government.
King Felipe is married to Queen Letizia and has two daughters: Princess Leonor, his heir, and Infanta Sofia.
Marit Tjessem
Ingrid Alexandra’s maternal grandmother is her final godparent, and the two enjoy an especially close relationship. In the young royal’s confirmation speech in 2019, Ingrid Alexandra first thanked her for “always being there. And for the thousands of pancakes you’ve made for us. For teaching me how to bake the world’s best cream cake, ‘blaudis.’ You have driven us to and from daycare, school and sports training. Even though driving isn’t really your strong suit.
“Thank you for always being with us when Mamma and Pappa have been out travelling. You’ve been a big part of my life. Thanks for all the interesting stories and for taking us on walks and down to the cabin. Thank you very much for taking care of us.”
