The King of Norway has spoken out about the row involving the decision of his only daughter, Princess Martha Louise, to sell exclusive rights to her wedding photos to a magazine.
In an interview with Norwegian TV, reflecting on a tumultuous year, King Harald said his royal family ”is not for sale”.
His comment came as he talked about the controversy that sprang up when it was revealed that Princess Martha Louise, fourth in line to the throne, had done a deal with Hello magazine over the pictures for her marriage to Durek Verrett.
The move led to claims that the princess was cashing in on her royal connections – something she said she wouldn’t do several years ago after a separate row.
As soon as the exclusive deal with Hello was revealed, the Norwegian royal family said it wouldn’t be involved in the photos. Instead, they appeared publicly on their way to the wedding, posing for the press who had gathered, and also shared official photos of them in traditional dress ahead of the ceremony. They weren’t shown in any exclusive images in the magazine.
King Harald explained that this was important and that discussions with his daughter about her title are ongoing.
Along with Queen Sonja, he also said the wedding was fun and that they were both happy to see so many members of their family together for a special celebration. Princess Martha declined the chance to be interviewed for the end of year review.
The interview, with NRK, also touched on another controversy for the Norwegian royals this year. Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was arrested on allegations of physical assault and rape. His mother, along with his stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, said they had been getting help for Marius for some time and that the course of justice had to be followed.
