Crown Princess Mette-Marit chided for smoking

Norway's crown princess was caught smoking at a wedding recently, and that's disappointed officials at the country's cancer society.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, like many other members of the royal family, enjoyed her cigarettes for years until she finally claimed she'd kicked the habit while pregnant with Norway's new heir to the throne.
The crown princess is one of the country's most photographed and visible women. It's negative and sad that she's seen as a smoker.

Princess chastises media

Princess Märtha Louise, who this summer announced she was opening classes in alternative treatment, including healing, has chastised the media, accusing them of mobbing.

Strong criticism of the princess's new venture from the church and the intelligentsia was carried by the various media. But many also voiced their support.
Some said she should leave the State Lutheran Church, while others claimed her courses teaching among other things to come into contact with angels, were outright swindle.
In an exclusive interview with the NRK TV News, the Princess on Saturday said she experienced the media hype as a being put in the stocks.
She said: Here we live in a country where we try to put an end to mobbing in the schools, and yet we the grownups continue to put each other down, rather than carry on an exchange of opinions in a sivilized manner.
- What kind of role models are we for the children, Princess Märtha Louise said.
She said that she still considered herself a Christian, thankful that the Church had room also for her.
She said that angels to her were not physical, but creatures of light, which gave her a feeling of a strong presence and a strong and loving support.

Norway's King Harald is 70 years today

Congratulation to our king who celebrates his 70th birthday today!
He and Queen Sonja, who turns 70 this summer, invited their children and grandchildren on a family vacation to the Caribbean last month. "It was a big success, and incredibly important for us to be together like that," he said.

Honeymooned with suitcase full of cash

In 2004 author Ari Behn switched banks in order to stop the leaks of information to gossip weekly Se og Hør (See and Hear). In 2002 he and Princess Märtha Louise went on their honeymoon with a suitcase full of cash to keep their spending private.

"I have been fully aware for years that my credit card use details were being leaked. So I changed banks in 2004 after various stories and leaks, but I was already aware of the problem in 2002," Behn said.

Bank probes royal leaks

The Norwegian branch of Nordic bank Nordea vows a full investigation into how bank account statements for Princess Märtha Louise and other celebrities wound up in the hands of reporters.

The bank, regulators and other media are crying foul after a newspaper reported over the weekend that the royal bank account statements were leaked to the magazine.

To the press: Shame on you!

Huge birthday party for King Harald's 70th

Norway's King Harald will turn 70 next month, and the party is expected to go on for three full days.

The monarch's 70th birthday is February 21, and the day will start with a special service at Oslo's Trinity Church (Trefoldighetskirken). That's because the Oslo Cathedral usually used for royal affairs is undergoing extensive renovations.

The royal couple already has started celebrating what Norwegians call their upcoming "round" birthdays by inviting their children and grandchildren on a vacation in the Caribbean. The royals including the crown couple, their children and Princess Martha Louise and her husband (Ari Behn) and daughters are at an officially undisclosed Caribbean location now, and will be back later this month.