Royal couple shares daily life

Crown Princess Mette-Marit posts updates on Instagram

Photo: Crown Prince Couple of Norway / NTB scanpix
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is sharing snapshots from the royal couple’s life in an effort to connect with the Norwegian people and boost their spirits during the corona crisis.

NTB
TRANSLATED BY ANDY MEYER

On her Instagram account, Crown Princess Mette-Marit shares bits of her everyday life under the corona crisis. The royal couple’s days are filled with work at the home office, telephone meetings, homework, and walks, just like the vast majority of Norwegians in these days. To keep morale up, the Crown Princess says that they also try to go swimming. She encourages people to act in solidarity, togetherness, and unity with the slogan, “Together we keep our morale up.”

“Haakon, the children, and I send many good thoughts to all who, in their own ways, keep the wheels turning day by day. An extra greeting to you who feel more lonely in this time. And to all who have gotten sick: The days will get easier soon,” she wrote.

Serious respiratory illness

Crown Princess Mette-Marit revealed in October 2018 that she lives with the serious respiratory disease, chronic pulmonary fibrosis. This means that she is in the high-risk group for developing a serious illness if she is infected by the coronavirus.

The assistant communications officer at the Royal Palace, Sven Gjeruldsen, answered questions about what measures the Crown Prince and Princess have taken and how they affect their daily life. In an email, he wrote: “The protections from infection around the members of the Royal Family are put in place in consultation with physicians. We follow the authorities’ projections and recommendations for both the Royal Family and the court staff.”

Thanks to health workers

On March 24, Crown Prince Haakon thanked hospital employees for their efforts on everyone’s behalf in helping the sick. “The work that you are doing at our hospitals, and the efforts that the entire health-care sector is making, are incredibly important for us all. It is a collective effort of the health sector now that commands our respect,” he said in a video-meeting with the staff at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen.

This article originally appeared in the April 3, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.