The following article includes references to alcoholism, drug misuse, and allegations of domestic abuse.
It’s not exactly common for acommoner to marryinto any European royal family.
To outsiders, her childhood appeared fairly normal.
magazinereported, she partook in sports, such as sailing and volleyball.
A report published inThe Guardianthe same year claimed the princess' ex was involved in dealing drugs.
Despite these scandals, Princess Mette-Marit became Norwegian royalty through marriage.
And, asABC Newsreported, the princess took on her royal duties to her subjects' satisfaction.
However, the princess' major evolution did not go unnoticed by the public.
However, the princess' childhood in the 1970s was hardly a fairytale.
From the outside, Mette-Marit’s family seemed like the typical middle-class Norwegian unit.
“I grew up in a poster family for success,” she wrote.
Despite her family’s relative financial stability, Mette-Marit suffered greatly as a child.
In a 2014 press conference in the town of Snasa, Princess Mette-Marit opened up about this challenge.
Nowadays, however, Mette-Marit is at peace with her past.
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During those grim younger years, one of Mette-Marit’s primary escapes was reading.
As the future princess got older, however, she began to look for different avenues of escape.
Ultimately, a foreign exchange program served the young blonde’s purposes.
Mette-Marit spent six months in the small Australian town of Wangaratta, according toEncyclopedia Britannica.
“She asked to have her first drink.
On the contrary, she returned to her high school in Norway with more outward angst than ever before.
I was very kind, completely inside the box.
According to VG, the princess entered a much more self-destructive form of rebellion.
One of the most notable moments occurred during Mette-Marit’s third year of high school.
However, by Conradi’s account, the relationship quickly deteriorated into something dangerous.
Mette-Marit eventually ended things with Ognby, who allegedly retaliated by threatening his former fiancee over the phone.
The engagement ended definitively when Ognby was arrested for allegedly terrorizing Mette-Marit with a knife.
Her earliest boyfriends reportedly served as Mette-Marit’s gateway to some element of the drug world.
This sub-culture was characterized by the frequent misuse of ecstasy and LSD.
Apparently, the resulting videotapes captured Mette-Marit in a particularly vulnerable moment.
According to a report byHello!
magazine, the Norwegian gave birth to a son, Marius Borg Hiby, in Oslo.
Looking back at that moment, the princess recalled how her baby changed her life forever.
Per the princess' account, she always took motherhood seriously, despite her other moments of youthful rebellion.
“I was 23 years old and was given a great responsibility,” she explained.
She stopped going out and started to focus on her son.
However, in the case of Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon, it was a match made in heaven.
The two crossed paths for the first time in 1996 when they were both attending a rock festival.
However, things didn’t develop between the two until a bit later.
As Mette-Marit’s relationship with Prince Haakon evolved, the pair fell deeply in love.
By September 2000, the couple announced their intention to move in together (via People).
And, just two months later, they announced their engagement.
The outlet quoted Mette-Marit’s explanation of her thought process: “It was not an easy choice.
But I look forward to marrying Haakon and I look forward to entering that role.
I just hope people will accept me for the person I am.”
Many Norwegians believed Mette-Marit’s past made her unfit for a crown princess.
As reported by theBBC, the bride-to-be used her platform to address and atone for her past transgressions.
“My youth rebellion was much stronger than many others,” she confessed.
I cannot make these choices again, even though I would wish I could.”
By most accounts, the press conference earned Mette-Marit a degree of public forgiveness.
The day following the apology, Mette-Marit was spoken of positively in several newspapers (viaNRK).
The bride wore agorgeous white crepe gownand an antique diamond tiara.
Despite all the glam, Mette-Marit’s wedding to Prince Haakon was an extremely emotional event.
“You have not chosen the easiest path, but love has triumphed,” Stalsett said.
I don’t think you might compare the two families at all."
Despiterumored grumblingsabout Princess Mette-Marit’s former commoner status, the newlywed princess was generally accepted by her people.
He added, “Only one out of 10 think she’s a bad role model.”
In 2006, she became a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador, according to theorganization.
The princess' dedication to the AIDS response has spanned years.
In a 2012 interview withCCTV, the princess expressed her vision for the future of AIDS research.
Nevertheless, AIDS research is not the only social issue near and dear to Princess Mette-Marit.
Of her experience as a mom, the princess told Hello!
As of this writing, there is no cure for IPF.
