Culture & Arts 3 min read 51m ago

Ingrid Alexandra Steps Up as Queen

Queen Mette-Marit is recovering from a donor lung transplant announced on 17 June, limiting her capacity to carry out royal duties after King Harald V's death on 28 August.
Mette-Marit acknowledged a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein from 2011 to 2014, including a stay at his Palm Beach estate; her televised defence in March 2026 was met with public
Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, has assumed a prominent representative role alongside her father King Haakon in the immediate aftermath of Harald's death, stepping in where

Norway's new Queen, Mette-Marit, has begun her reign under significant pressure: a lung transplant, a contested friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the sentencing of her eldest son each cast a shadow over the monarchy's transition following the death of King Harald V on 28 August.

A reign clouded by health and controversy

Mette-Marit, 53, became Queen of Norway when her husband Haakon acceded to the throne after his father died aged 89. She has acknowledged maintaining a friendship with Epstein between 2011 and 2014, including several days spent at his Palm Beach estate in 2013. In a television interview in March 2026, she stated that Epstein had “manipulated and deceived” her — a defence that, according to the source material, many viewers received with scepticism, feeling she was deflecting rather than accounting fully for the association.

Adding to her difficulties, her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was sentenced in March to four years in prison for two counts of rape. He is being held in pre-trial custody under strict conditions at Skaugum Castle and may leave only with an electronic ankle tag. The verdict is not yet legally binding, as Høiby has lodged an appeal.

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On 17 June, the royal palace announced that Mette-Marit had undergone a donor lung transplant. On 19 July, King Haakon remarked publicly that her recovery represented “the beginning of a rather long journey until she is herself again.” Post-operative aftercare means the new Queen is unlikely to assume a full schedule of royal engagements in the immediate term.

Ingrid Alexandra emerges as a steadying presence

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, moved quickly to stand beside her father in the hours following her grandfather's death, taking on representative duties at public engagements. Under royal protocol, as Crown Princess she serves as the King's deputy and may discharge his duties should he be unable to do so.

Norwegian royal commentator Caroline Vagle, 48, of the magazine Se og Hør, said: “For Mette-Marit this will be an extremely difficult time.” She noted that the family had “already experienced numerous trials” and that Haakon must now “grow into a new role with more responsibility” — as must his daughter, the heir to the throne.

In Norway, Ingrid Alexandra is widely regarded as grounded, empathetic and approachable. The late King Harald is reported to have spoken warmly of his granddaughter in interviews, praising her manner with people. Unburdened by the controversies surrounding her mother, as Norway continues to mourn King Harald V, the 22-year-old has emerged as a stabilising figure in a household facing sustained public scrutiny.

An open question for the new monarchy

Whether Mette-Marit can rebuild public confidence while managing her recovery remains unresolved. The circumstances have placed considerable responsibility on a young Crown Princess still early in her public life — one who, for now, appears to be shouldering it willingly at her father's side.

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Royal FamilyRoyal Succession

People

Queen Mette-MaritJeffrey EpsteinMarius Borg Høiby

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