Royals to travel abroad

Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit have announced plans to travel abroad with their three children from the end of November 2010 to the end of January 2011.

The purpose is to meet people and experience other countries and cultures and to spend time together as a family.

Two of children, Marius Borg Høiby (13) and Princess Ingrid Alexandra (6) will be taken out of school, and this has been criticised, since school authorities have long campaigned against parents taking children out of school in mid-term to go vacationing with their parents.

However, the Crown Princess, in an interview with public broadcaster NRK said they were cooperating closely with their children's schools, and said the family has a well-prepared programme for their children to follow, to enable them to keep up with their schoolwork the weeks they will be abroad. Prince Sverre Magnus is only 4 and is attending a local kindergarten.

- People around the globe live very different lives, and these lives are the foundation of their understanding of and perspective on the worlds challenges. We hope that this trip will give our children important insights and an appreciation of the variety of people and cultures in the world, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess say.

A press release from the Royal Family states that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and their family have a long life ahead of them in the public eye, and that they ask the press to let them have this journey undisturbed.

(NRK/Press release)

Sunday, 07 November 2010 07:46