Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, has followed in her father's footsteps, signing a written oath to the Constitution in Norway as she became heir to the throne just days after her grandfather, King Harald's death. Brand-new photographs have been released of the historic moment when Ingrid took pen to paper and became the first female heir to Norway's throne in over 600 years.
The royal looked demure in her all-black outfit, which was a nod to her grandmother, and she was poised as the camera captured the key moment. The caption explained: "Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra took a written oath to the Constitution. The oath was signed at the Castle and delivered to Parliament. His Majesty the King took his oath at Parliament earlier that day."
When the images were uploaded by the palace, the comments of praise came flooding in. Many branded Ingrid as "beautiful" and "dignified" and others declared that they are proud to have her as their future queen. "I have so much admiration for the Princess. She's still so young and has been flawless the past few days, especially considering her mum hasn't been able to be at everything and the fact she's lost her Grandad. Norway is so safe with her as a future leader," penned one follower.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesAnother added: "Lovely and worthy Crown Princess - what a fantastic job she does - so young and so shortly after losing her dear grandfather."
Double queens
For the first time in the modern history of the Norwegian monarchy, the country now has two women holding the title of queen simultaneously. While widow Queen Sonja keeps her title, she drops "her majesty" but Mette-Marit picks it up, as she is now the reigning monarch's wife.
© AFP via Getty ImagesA female first
Ingrid Alexandra was born on 21 January 2004, the first child of then-Crown Prince Haakon, and the first Norwegian royal baby born after the country rewrote its constitution in 1990 to guarantee absolute primogeniture - meaning that the throne will pass down to the eldest child regardless of their gender.
Ingrid in her own words
She addressed her future head-on in her first major television interview, given around her 18th birthday in 2022. "I have not gone to any queen school," she said, "but I learn a lot from him" — her grandfather — "through everything he does and things he talks about. I think that in our role, the most important thing is not to be told what to do, but rather to make it your own," she told interviewers according to Royal Central.
© Ida Bjørvik - Handout/Getty ImagesA new era for the royals
While the King's death will leave a large hole for the family, the new leaf will be a welcome refresh after a trying couple of years. In 2026, Queen Mette-Marit's health took a turn for the worse and she required a lung transplant. Now, the family are in mourning over the death of King Harald.
Prior to this, in August 2024, Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg Høiby was arrested, he then was convicted and sentenced to prison for four years. He is currently free but under electronic monitoring pending appeal.
