This is a documentary by NRK, who have followed Crown Princess Mette-Marit for the past year. They’ve created a nifty opening with graphics, which I absolutely would love to see again. They will probably repeat it again next Sunday when the next part airs. The quotations in the text below… I have tried to cite them correctly, but since there is a lot of talking – use the assumption that during the translation, a lot of it is paraphrased.
Edit: NRK has made the first part available online here, but I’m unsure of geographical restrictions to that. I haven’t rewatched it, so everything below is from when I first watched it on television.
The Documentary also jumps around a lot, so the text below will reflect that. That being said – on with the documentary summary.
“I feel like I have always been the same person, but we’ve had a fairly difficult process getting into this. I was very caught up in what people wanted me to be… But now I feel like I have found my standing. I am very happy about my role as Crown Princess.” – Mette-Marit
There is a lot of behind the scenes shooting of the every day life. Showing breakfast without servants putting out breakfast, but the Crown Prince in charge of the food. I find it strange with a couch in the kitchen, anyone else?
“Filled with humor, but can get pretty angry. And I would say that’s quite good.” Queen Sonja.
“She’s quite determined.” one of MM’s brothers.
“She’s quite a private person, who appreciates having space to herself.” Crown Prince Haakon.
Everything is a tradition at Skaugum, some of the days. They’re showing the behind the scenes preparation for the national day, May 17, when the CP family start the day by greeting the parade at Skaugum. Mette-Marit is teaching Sverre Magnus the rules of carrying the flag. The nanny takes the children in when they’re getting tired of greeting the parade to give them a break. Mette-Marit remembers loving the day back in Kristiansand, and the transition to her current life, where it is a workday.
The story moves to the early part of her life, interspersed with home-video by Sven O. Høiby. Mette-Marit’s brother Espen tells of a time before she was born, when they had a family meeting where they could vote on whether they wanted a new sister or a dog, and all the kids voted for a dog.
Her mother tells of how she had to accompany Mette-Marit to Kindergarten for the first semester, and wasn’t allowed to leave then. But then she started ballet, and children’s theatre, and things adapted. Mother and daughter are still very close.
Mette-Marit says she was very close to her father when she was small, and he was like her hero. They hunted together at the cabin in the mountains, caught shellfish together in the summer, and he took her to alpine skiing class.
It then moves to talking about Haakon & Mette-Marit’s relationship.
“I think it started by me wanting to tell her what it would concern to be involved with me before our relationship became known.” – Crown Prince Haakon about their relationship’s beginning.
“I think my biggest concern was Marius, who would get into a life that I didn’t know what would contain.” – Mette-Marit
“There was a sense of security. Mette-Marit is an incredible caring person. I felt very safe. It gave me a feeling of being able to face things together.”- Crown Prince Haakon
Apparently 7/10 Norwegians are pro-Haakon & Mette-Marit suceeeding to the throne. Quite a turn-around from when they first got together.
King Harald tells of when he first met Mette-Marit, as he’s done in his biography before, how she told him of his past, and calls her brave for doing it so soon.
Her brother Espen tells of how difficult it was for when the news was revealed about Mette-Marit’s past came out. The family decided that they would not comment on anything, unless it might have been something positive.
A friend from high school states that she didn’t think Mette-Marit had anything to apologize for – as living a life involves experiences new things. She didn’t think that Mette-Marit had anything in her life that would make things difficult.
Märtha Louise was told and prepared for what would happen if the situation would come to Haakon having to give up his rights to the throne because of Mette-Marit. She didn’t look very happy as she was talking about that.
Haakon said that ultimately it is the people who decides what form of government there is in Norway.
Mette-Marit feels that the time around when she told of her past is one of the times that she was as strong as she could have been.
They’re showing video from the photo shoot in connection with Beatrix’ state visit.
Märtha Louise talks of Mette-Marit’s development into showing off a beautiful person.
The music in the documentary sounds like it is from the charity CD Mette-Marit was responsible for, and, personally, I think that is an excellent choice.
Espen Høiby: “We felt like we lost our father twice. First to the media and a cynical game, and then later when we lost him finally.”
Her other brother, Per Høiby says that he think that the media exploited the situation with their father more than was right.
Mette-Marit says that the situation with her father became difficult for her father to deal with, but that she feels it has been covered more than enough by others.
Both family and employees are present at the lunch table after the balcony scene on the National Day.
Mette-Marit claims that she loves walking bare feet on their summer island. She’s quite a social person.
Commentator: “To be royal can be difficult to comprehend to someone who hasn’t been it.”
“I have thought several times that it might be pushing it too far to ask so much from one person, and that I might have asked too much of her.” – Haakon.
“It is a mix of being incredible grateful for what you get, but at the same time things being demanding by people being there every time. People know who you are at the store…” Mette-Marit.
Haakon expounds that she needs her space, and some times that can be difficult, and it is something he aims she has also for the future.
They’re showing behind the scenes for a party given by Haakon and Mette-Marit to Kristiansand Municipality and Tall Ships’ Race for letting them rent their summer house in Kristiansand. They spend the school summer holidays outside Kristiansand.
Mette-Marit’s mother tells of the incredible knit-together family, and her brother, Per, says that they were that before the royal marriage, and it hasn’t become less after that. They’re using family councils when things are stormy. Marit Tjessem was holding the family together from an early age and being the matriarch.
Mette-Marit is quite fond of reading. Swedish author Torgny Lindgren is a favorite, and she will give her books away afterwards, so that others may get a similar reading experience.
King Harald dropped by Skaugum after Ingrid Alexandra’s first day of School, Magnus’ first day of pre-school, and Marius’ first day of junior high to celebrate the experience with them.
Mette-Marit says that she is quite involved with her kids. Hiking with them and spending time with them. They show her doing Spanish homework with Marius, stating that he’s done Spanish before (he started junior high.) It looks like she is learning the language herself, with a confusion about how many brothers Marius has.
Mette-Marit is extremely fond of her family and friends, and friends talk about her being there for them when they need her. She gathers them for a religious service for her birthday, and has done so since she became a Crown Princess.
Her sister says that they share a sense that injustice is wrong, and that they don’t accept it towards themselves or others.
The family trip to the north of India, they travelled as Haakon & Mette, from Norway. She could shop without being recognized.
“Traveling this way, makes me want to travel like this more. We travel so much in an organized way.” Mette-Marit.
They discovered one goal of their trip – to discover new cultures with their children, without being on display and representing Norway. They visited a lot of Buddhist temples, and she says that it was nice to show the children a different religious experience than what they were used to from Norway. They visited a nunnery in India where the youngest nun was five years old.
They also travelled in a hot-air balloon, and Mette-Marit says that it was one of the scariest things she’s ever done. But Haakon declares it a victory that she even got up there, and she agrees.
The staff leaves them at five, only the family and police escorts remain. Then she reads to her kids, the traditional Norwegian children’s author, Anne Cath. Vestly, while they paint or just snuggle up and listen.
This part of the documentary ends with Mette-Marit taking the family dog for a walk. The next part is about how she choose to structure her work and royal duties.
All in all, it was an interesting first part of the documentary. I think there could have been a bit more pushing on the more controversial parts of her declaration before marriage, but I suppose it is all pretty much talked out after ten years?
Summary of part 2 is here
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