24 AUGUST 2001
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his bride Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby welcomed a bevy of photogenic European royals to a private party on Thursday night to celebrate their upcoming nuptials. International heart-throb Prince Felipe of Spain and his paramour Eva Sannum were on the scene, arriving at the royal residence amidst 100 young elite.

“I’m looking forward to the party,” a coy Eva told reporters camped outside Oslo’s Grand Hotel. Dressed in a stunning purple poncho over a knee-length dress, the model emerged from the hotel at 5pm and boarded the private coach waiting to convey guests to the Skaugum estate. Prince Felipe, sporting a lilac shirt that blended perfectly with Eva's purple, boarded the bus shortly after, causing a stir amongst the crowd of photographers.

Victoria of Sweden and her sister Madeleine were among the pretty princesses displaying their elegance at the party, which lit up the royal country residence at Asker, to the west of Oslo. The guest list, which reads like the Who’s Who of European royalty, also included Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, Princess Alexis of Greece and her husband Carlos Morales, and Prince Joachim of Denmark and his wife Princess Alexandra.

Haakon's elder sister, Princess Martha Louise, and her boyfriend author Ari Behn were also on hand to toast the happy couple. But while King Harald and Queen Sonja posed for a brief photo session, they soon retreated from the bash, allowing the younger generation to enjoy themselves more informally.

The celebrations continue Friday with a scenic cruise on the king’s yacht - always a favourite form of entertainment among the Scandinavian royals. Later tonight, members of the government will host a gala dinner in honour of the nuptials – the first Norwegian royal wedding in 33 years – at the medieval castle of Akershus for upwards of 300 party-goers.

And tomorrow morning, while Mette-Marit and Haakon prepare for the Saturday afternoon ceremony, King Harald and his wife will take guests on a tour of their private art collection.