Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway breezed through Manhattan last week on a whirlwind two-day tour to celebrate the 99th anniversary of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, and to promote cultural ties between the U.S and the Nordic countries. The Crown Prince got right down to business on the first day by attending a panel discussion on the Haiti and Pakistan crises hosted by the International Peace Institute, and the United Nations Development Programme - an organization where he is a goodwill ambassador.
In the meantime, the Crown Princess stopped by the National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum where this year's exhibition features five Norwegian projects. One of which is the stunning new opera house in Oslo designed by the architectural firm Snøhetta. The Norwegian firm is also spearheading two high-profile building projects in New York including the National September 11 Memorial Museum at Ground Zero, and the reconstruction of public spaces in Times Square.
The royal couple's interest in the arts was apparent as they reunited to tour the New Museum, and then attended the children's opera "Max and Moritz" - sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - along with 800 New York schoolchildren at the Lower Manhattan Arts Academy.
After a change of clothes by the princess into a pale pink Valentino jacket with a dramatic ruffled front and a pencil skirt, the royal couple arrived at Scandinavian House - home of the American-Scandinavian Foundation - for the inauguration of the "Nordic Models + Common Ground" exhibition. As part of a series of events marking the 10th anniversary of Scandinavian House, this exhibition explores the latest innovations in Nordic art, design and architecture.
It seems that every royal visitor to New York has paid their respects at Ground Zero. This includes Prince Harry, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, and most recently, Queen Elizabeth II, among others. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were no exception, and the royal couple was also interested in visiting the site as the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta has been commissioned to design the Museum Pavilion at Memorial Plaza.
While the serious nature of their New York trip also included an official lunch with the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce, a visit to the Norwegian Seamen's Church, and a tour of Housing Works' Cylar House which helps the homeless afflicted with HIV/Aids (the princess serves as a special representative for UNAIDS), the royal couple also found time to help the US retail sector by shopping at the Gap.
Capping off their New York visit was a gala reception and dinner at the Plaza Hotel to launch the centennial anniversary of the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF). Crown Prince Haakon's great-grandfather King Haakon VII was ASF's first Norwegian Patron. Founded in 1911, the foundation promotes cultural and educational ties between the U.S and the Scandinavian countries.
For the glittering black-tie gala, Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore a grey patterned silk gown from Valentino's Spring 2011 collection. Her choice of dress with ruffle details was not surprising, especially since I saw her at Swedish Crown Princess Victoria's wedding in June where she also wore two gowns with frills and layered ruffles. Fast becoming the "Princess of Frills", her accessories for the evening included diamond and pearl drop earrings, and a silver minaudiere purse which she soon gave to her husband to hold. It's a myth, by the way, that royal ladies don't carry anything in their purses because this one was so full of items that it barely closed.
The Crown Princess greeted me warmly with a huge smile, and said she remembers meeting me in Oslo during the Nobel Peace Prize festivities. Crown Prince Haakon, who looked dashing, told me, "I've been to New York many times, and I always love coming here."
Throughout their New York visit, the royal couple was trailed by a Norwegian TV crew doing a documentary on the transition of the princess to commemorate her 10th wedding anniversary next year. On August 25, 2001, a single mother and former waitress named Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby became her country's crown princess. When Crown Prince Haakon was asked earlier by reporters how he kept their fairytale romance alive after nearly a decade, he laughingly replied, "Take a weekend in New York!"