Today sees another Scandinavian Royal landmark event and another Royal coming-of-age. This time it is HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway who is celebrating.
1990 saw the Succession Laws amended in modern Norway to allow for absolute primogeniture for those eligible within the Royal Family born after that date to be in line to the Throne according to their order of birth. Princess Ingrid Alexandra is therefore somewhat of a conundrum for some people, especially those espousing modern thoughts such as gender equality and republicanism. Should they seek to abolish the Monarchy in Norway before a Queen Regnant ascends the Throne?
However, Princess Ingrid Alexandra will technically not be the first Queen Regnant of Norway. Margareta Valdemarsdatter, widow of King Håkon VI of Norway and mother of King Olav IV Håkonsson, was elected Queen in her own right in 1387 following her son's death at the age of 17. She then proceeded to create the Kalmar Union with Sweden and Denmark which saw the increasing rise of Sweden and it's tradition of male succession. Olav's death ended the Norwegian male royal line and he was the last Norwegian king to be born on Norwegian soil for 567 years. (Whilst Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was named after her maternal grandmother, the Crown Princess of Sweden née Princess Margaret of Connaught, Her Majesty had to take Margareta Valdemarsdatter into consideration when thinking about her own regnal title.)
Talking of names, that great fount of knowledge in all things to do with Scandinavian royalty Trond Norén Isaksen says that Crown Princess Mette-Marit had considered Tyra Eufemia for her daughter, after two medieval Queens Consort of Norway. However, as King Harald V was still recovering from cancer, it befell the baby's father, Crown Prince Haakon, acting as Regent, to announce his daughter's names to the State Council. Ingrid comes from both Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Crown Prince Haakon's godmother and a close friend and counsellor of Queen Sonja and also from Crown Princess Mette-Marit's paternal grandmother, Ingrid Andrea Høiby. Alexandra is actaully believed to be after the Princess's great-grandfather King Olav V who was born Prince Alexander of Denmark before his father was invited to become King of Norway.
Gules, a Lion rampant or, crowned or, holding an Axe Or with a Blade argent
It may be presumed that the Princess will be appointed to the Order of St Olav on gaining her majority, but that has yet to be seen.
In preparation of her 18th birthday, The Princess, as Ingrid Alexandra is now officially called, has been given her own office at the Royal Palace in Oslo as she will carry out an increasing number of official engagements on behalf of the Royal Family. However, her main focus will continue to be on her education.
The plans to mark her coming of age have been cut back due to the pandemic. However, yesterday The Princess visited the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Supreme Court. Today, she is due to receive deputations at the Royal Palace.
UPDATE: The Norwegian Royal Court website confirmed that His Majesty King Harald V had bestowed the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav on Ingrid Alexandra on her birthday - 21st January 2022. He also gave his granddaughter his Family Order in a private ceremony at the Royal Palace. (www.kongehuset.no/nyhet.html?tid=204577&sek=26939).
This makes the representation of the Arms of a Norwegian prince or princess, shown above, fully appropriate.