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Following Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s decision to change the titles of her youngest son’s children, there have been reports that another European royal could lose her Princess title. Se og Hør reported on Oct. 1 that “there have been crisis meetings” about King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway’s daughter, Princess Märtha Louise .
Se og Hør has learned that the King is considering removing his daughter’s Princess title and that meetings have already taken place. While Princess Märtha Louise, 51, is the King’s eldest child, her younger brother Crown Prince Haakon, 49, is the heir to the Norwegian throne. Märtha Louise is currently fourth in line. Long after the Princess and Crown Prince were born, a constitutional amendment was adopted in 1990 establishing the right of the eldest born child to succeed to the throne regardless of gender, per the Norwegian Royal House.
Märtha Louise, who got engaged to Shaman Durek Verrett earlier this year, announced in 2019 that she would no longer be using her Princess title in a “commercial context.” In an Instagram post, she wrote (translated to English): “There have been many discussions about my use of the title in a commercial context recently. The fact that I used Princess in the title of my tour, I have said before that I am very sorry, and I still stand by that. It was a mistake and I understand that it is provocative when the title of princess is used in this way.”
“The discussions are something I have taken seriously, and in collaboration with my family we have found that it is best that we make some changes,” she continued. “We have therefore jointly come to the conclusion that I use the title princess when I represent the Royal Household, carry out my official assignments at home and abroad and in private contexts. From now on, I will not use my princess title in a commercial context. That means that in all commercial contexts, I only use Märtha Louise. I see this as a good solution where there is a clear separation between my business activities and my role as representative of the Royal Household and that I have thus created room for greater freedom in my business activities.”
The latest reports of Märtha Louise’s title follows the Danish Royal House’s announcement on Sept. 28 to change the titles of Prince Joachim’s children. In a press release, the Danish Royal House explained, “The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years. With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.”