Princess Ingrid Alexandra attends first state banquet, wearing a tiara and historic jewels | Norwegian royal family

The future Queen of Norway has made a significant first step in her eventual path to the throne.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra joined her parents, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, for a state banquet inside the royal palace in Oslo hosted for Iceland’s visiting presidential couple.

It was the first time the young royal has taken part in such a formal occasion and the highest level of a foreign visit.

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For the occasion, Princess Ingrid wore a tiara gifted on her 18th birthday in 2022.

The tiara, made of diamonds, white sapphires and cultured pearls, originally belonged to Ingrid’s great-great-grandmother, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden.

The earrings, also made of diamonds and pearls, belonged to Ingrid’s great-grandmother, Crown Princess Märtha.

The diamond necklace around her neck was a gift from Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja, along with the earrings, for Ingrid’s 18th.

On Ingrid’s wrist was a cameo bracelet featuring the portraits of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and her husband, Prince Albert.

While it may seem an unusual piece for a Norwegian princess to wear, the bracelet is actually the badge of the Order of Victoria and Albert, given to their granddaughter Maud who became Queen of Norway, according to historian Trond Norén Isaksen.

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Princess Ingrid also wore a blue Ole Yde gown, previously seen on her mother.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who has been on sick leave for some time, wore the amethyst parure, a set of jewels purchased by the royal family from British jewellers Garrard in the 1990s.

The amethyst set was reportedly bought to replace a tourmaline tiara that was stolen during a raid on Garrard in 1995, along with a number of other jewels belonging to the Norwegian royals who had sent their pieces to the London-based jeweller for cleaning.

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The tiaras worn by the women of the Norwegian royal family

Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir, and her husband, Björn Skúlason are in Norway for a three-day state visit.

Princess Ingrid also took part in the official welcoming ceremony earlier on Tuesday, held at the palace.

While the 21-year-old is in-line to the throne after her father, Crown Prince Haakon, she does not take part in as many official duties as royals from neighbouring countries such as Denmark and Sweden.

Norway’s King and Queen, and likely her parents, are apparently trying to give Ingrid a normal life as possible before she takes on more engagements.

Last week, Princess Ingrid completed her national service with the Engineer Battalion, which she began in January 2024, staying on for an additional three months to train as a gunner.

Her inclusion in the state visit marks a major step forward for Princess Ingrid, something that has been a long time coming, according to Isaksen.

“For the embattled royal family it is particularly important to let the people get to know the future queen and to remind them that the monarchy’s future is a charismatic, intelligent young woman,” he said on Instagram recently.

The Norwegian royal family has been in the headlines for unfavourable reasons in the past six months.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has had to take extended sick leave due to her chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a condition she was diagnosed with in 2018.

Last month the royal household confirmed the Crown Princess’ condition had “progressed” and that her “daily symptoms and ailments that affect her ability to perform her duties”.

Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was arrested last August on charges of assault and rape. He has no royal title or official duties but the scandal has plunged the monarchy into a crisis not seen before. 

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