27 NOVEMBER 2002
Almost inseparable since their August wedding last year, Mette-Marit and Haakon of Norway couldn't have been further apart last weekend as they took part in official duties on either side of the Atlantic.

As Haakon helped the mayor of Berlin light the city's Christmas tree, his wife took time out from her course at the School of Oriental and African studies in London to make her first solo trip on royal business, spending four days in Washington DC promoting her country.

A busy schedule included an opportunity for Norway's crown princess to meet Jimmy Carter at an official dinner honouring the Nobel Peace Prize winner at the Norwegian embassy.

"Meeting Jimmy Carter was an incredibly enriching experience and especially relevant to my studies. Carter is an exceptional person," said Mette-Marit after the event, which was also attended by millionaire media mogul Ted Turner.

On Saturday, Mette-Marit visited the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the following day opened the exhibition, Norway Says at Washington's Union Station.

Her visit to the World Bank on Monday was touched by a slight controversy. The princess, who is studying development issues in London, was criticised by the anti-globalisation organisation Attac Norge, which accuses the World Bank of controlling developing countries. A spokesman for the organisation said: "The princess is an important person, an ambassador for her country. We don't believe that she should use her position to visit such a compromised institution."