Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway is trading palace life for a shared student residence in Lisbon. His next-door neighbors are now beginning to realize that they’ll be living next to royalty. The 20-year-old Prince begins his first semester this Monday at Forward College, the same international school where Spain’s Infanta Sofía is enrolled.
According to the Norwegian outlet Se og Hør, four American students living in his residence describe the accommodations as unpalatial. The rooms are adequate but simple, they say, with no air conditioning despite the hot Portuguese weather. They also claim that there’s plenty of room for improvement when it comes to the mattresses. e
Other classmates, who know exactly who Prince Sverre is, are keeping things discreet. One told the same outlet that despite the small inconveniences, the prince seems to be doing well, and that he “seems nice.”
A Dorm Built for Focus
© CORNELIUS POPPEThe residence sits in Benfica, about 30 minutes from campus by public transport and a short walk from the neighborhood’s soccer stadium. Based on photos on the school’s website, the rooms are private singles of roughly 140 or 215 square feet, each with its own bathroom and plenty of natural light. Residents share a kitchen and have access to a gym, laundry facilities, gardens, study areas, and a common dining room. Next door, a private space is set aside for students and Forward College members to co-work.
The rules are as tidy as the floor plan: no parties and no overnight guests. The setup reads as safe, controlled, and calm, with just enough independence to let students find their footing, and a built-in community to share the adventure with.
Class Schedules Meet Family Grief
© Peter SummersThe timing of the move is hard to ignore. Sverre has been in Lisbon since Friday, which makes it unlikely that King Haakon’s younger child will be at the funeral of his great-aunt, Princess Astrid, which will be hosted on Wednesday, September 23. In the end, the academic calendar won out over the family’s pile of obligations.
It has been a heavy few weeks for the Norwegian royals. Sverre walked alongside his family at the funeral services for his grandfather, King Harald, then supported his father through the earliest days of his reign. Meanwhile, his sister, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is continuing her studies at the University of Oslo after returning from her time in Australia.
Princess Astrid died roughly two weeks later.
For now, the prince is starting a new chapter in which his first name matters more than his title. Judging by the neighbors who only just figured out who lives down the hall, he may be getting exactly that.
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