At 21 years old, she is destined to be the first woman to ascend to the throne of the Scandinavian country -excluding Margrethe I of Denmark, who ruled over all of Scandinavia in the 15th century- participating for the first time in the celebrations in honor of the most prestigious award in the world that recognizes efforts for freedom, democratic commitment, and peace.
Before the emotional - and highly impactful - Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall, Ingrid participated with her mother in the Save the Children Peace Prize ceremony, held in front of the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, with a more social focus, giving all the spotlight to children and civil society.
Ingrid's presence, who chose black for her debut at this ceremony, alongside her grandparents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, and her parents, on the grand day of the Nobel is particularly significant at this moment. On one hand, because the young princess is trying to regain some attention with an intense institutional agenda in her country, taking advantage of the year-end holidays that have brought her back home from distant Australia, where she has been studying Social Sciences, specializing in International Relations and Political Economy, at the University of Sydney for months. There were criticisms for the decision of the second in line to the throne to pursue her studies so far from Norway, which will inevitably keep her unable to assume institutional responsibilities on behalf of the Crown for a long time.
Furthermore, Ingrid is a very popular member of the dynasty. Her appearances provide some relief to the Monarchy, shaken by its most significant crisis in decades due to everything surrounding the sensitive and very serious case of her stepbrother Marius Borg - Mette-Marit's son - who has been accused of up to 32 crimes - including sexual abuse, mistreatment, and harassment - which could lead to a decade in prison. It has been impossible to separate the Crown from the matter, among other things because some of the alleged crimes were committed in royal residences and because the actions in favor of her son by the Crown Princess and even by Haakon are increasingly questioned. It is not surprising, therefore, that today only 30% of Norwegians trust that Mette-Marit will be a good queen consort, a very scarce support despite the fact that traditionally the Crown of this nation has had very widespread backing.
Beyond the debate about choosing Australia for her higher education, the truth is that the strategy being followed with Ingrid on her path to the throne, still distant, is very successful. Since reaching adulthood, she has taken on some significant responsibilities and her actions have been applauded. Although she is not yet the Heir, the ailing health of her grandfather, King Harald V, often requires Crown Prince Haakon to assume the regency relatively frequently. And as health issues also affect Princess Mette-Marit - diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a degenerative and chronic disease - Ingrid has been forced to progressively take on a more prominent role in State ceremonies to some extent fill the gaps.
Prince Haakon, Mette-Marit, and their children Ingrid and Sverre Magnus.GTRES
In June 2022, the Royal Palace of Oslo hosted a gala dinner that served as the culmination of the many institutional events that took place that year due to her coming of age. Representatives from numerous European dynasties attended, including King Felipe VI, one of the godparents of the princess. Before that, the princess was greeted by the three branches of government, with visits to Parliament, the Government headquarters, and the Supreme Court. Her 18th birthday was also the occasion for Ingrid to grant her first interview to national public television, something that almost all European princes in the direct line of succession usually do, a milestone that, unfortunately, Princess Leonor of Spain has not yet experienced.
Shortly after, Princess Ingrid focused on a 15-month military service, a much shorter period than the training at the three Academies of our Heir, but it was also demanding, especially because in the current almost pre-war context, with the unease that Europe feels facing the Russian challenge, the royal families of the Old Continent are having to lead by example firsthand.
After her military graduation, in April of last year, Ingrid starred in another historic moment when she participated for the first time in the events of a State visit, welcoming Iceland's President, Halla Tómasdóttir, to Norway.
At the beginning of November, Ingrid granted another television interview, this time from Sydney, which surprised with the variety of topics she addressed and the sincerity she conveyed. "I feel free, definitely I feel like I can be myself," she confessed. She did not even avoid being asked about her brother Marius. "Of course, it's difficult. For those of us close to him, for me as a sister, and for mom and dad." "And, of course, for all those affected by the case," she told journalist Vilde Helljesen, adding that she did not want to "dive much deeper into it."
It was a gesture of closeness, transparency, openness, and a much-needed image of modernity to counteract the storm that has made 2025 an annus horribilis for the Norwegian Crown.