Princess Ingrid Alexandra made her debut at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall on Wednesday. The Norwegian royal, 21, has just returned home after completing her first term at the University of Sydney in Australia, where she is studying for a three-year degree in social sciences and living on campus.
The heir to the Norwegian throne joined her parents, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her grandparents, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, at the ceremony, where Ana Corina Sosa accepted the honour on behalf of her mother, Venezuelan activist María Corina Machado.
Maria received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to secure democratic rights for the people of Venezuela, and for her fight for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to popular rule.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s attendance at the ceremony signified another step towards her future role as Queen of Norway. While the youngster will concentrate on her studies for the next three years, she has been gradually introduced to her public duties in recent years, attending events such as state visits and Norway’s national day celebrations, and visiting organisations such as the Red Cross.
The royal looked elegant in a navy blue jacket by Australian brand, Theodore Scanlan, and a matching satin skirt for the outing, accessorising with an oversized hair scrunchie and sapphire drop earrings, which may have belonged to her great-grandmother, Crown Princess Martha, according to historian, Trond Norén Isaksen. She was seated next to her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, during the ceremony, signifying her future position as a working royal.
Earlier in the day, the royal mother-daughter duo attended the Save the Children’s Peace Prize Party outside the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo – a festival that Princess Ingrid Alexandra has been attending since she was a little girl. The Nobel Peace Prize laureates join young people at the Save the Children’s annual party before the prize-giving ceremony.
© Getty ImagesDecision to study abroad
Princess Ingrid Alexandra enrolled at the University of Sydney over the summer, after completing 15 months of military training, serving in the Engineer Battalion in Brigade North.
Ahead of starting her degree, the royal said: “I’m looking forward to starting my studies at the University of Sydney. It will be exciting to become a student, and I’m looking forward to gaining new perspectives on both European and international politics. I’m sure that I will learn a lot.”
© AFP via Getty ImagesAfter the palace announced the Princess’s decision to study abroad, members of the press asked her grandfather, King Harald, whether she should have studied closer to Norway to contribute more to the royal family.
According to Norwegian publication VG, he replied: “You get this back with compound interest when she gets home, so I think that’s just an advantage. She must be allowed to study and get an education before she starts representing.”
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