8 JULY 2003
Just hours after Crown Prince Haakon announced he and his wife, Princess Mette-Marit, will become parents in January, the royal couple hopped on a train to Tonsberg, 70 kilometres south of Oslo, to attend the private celebrations for Queen Sonja's 66th birthday.

And as they made their way to the party, the two made their first comments since revealing the crown princess' pregnancy. "We're very happy and content – not just because we're bringing a baby into the world, but also because after going public with the news, we don't have the pressure of keeping it a secret," said Crown Prince Haakon. "Protocol kept us from announcing the pregnancy until after the first three months."

Haakon also remarked that he appreciated having the chance to practice being a father with six-year-old Marius, Princess Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship.

The sex of the baby is still unknown, but whether a boy or a girl, the new arrival will be second in the line of succession, stepping ahead of his or her aunt, Princess Martha Louise. If the child is a female, she will be the first hereditary queen of Norway in 600 years.