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Why Prince Sverre Magnus is only a Highness when his sister is a Royal Highness

Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway is third in line to the Norwegian throne, and as of today, he is legally allowed to ascend the throne should it ever come to that.

However, there are a few major differences in the titles and styles of Sverre Magnus and his older sister, Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The Prince is only styled as “His Highness,” whereas Ingrid Alexandra is “Her Royal Highness.” Moreover, Ingrid Alexandra is styled as “The Princess” by the Royal House, and Sverre Magnus is referred to as Prince Sverre Magnus.

Why is that? The answer is simple. Princess Ingrid Alexandra is in the direct line of succession. As the eldest child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, she is next in line to be monarch after her father. Only the direct heirs in Norway have the style of Royal Highness in an effort to streamline the monarchy.

Prince Sverre Magnus is also not a member of the Royal House but is of the greater Royal Family alongside his older half-brother Marius Borg Høiby, his aunt Princess Märtha Louise and her three children, as well as his great aunt Princess Astrid.

The Royal House is limited to King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra. Only they undertake regular royal duties on behalf of the Crown. The only member of the Royal Family who undertakes the occasional royal duty is Princess Astrid.

It remains to be seen how much of a role Prince Sverre Magnus will have now that he is 18.

About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.