Norwegian crown prince announces two-month leave with family

Nov 4, 2010, 11:25 GMT

Oslo - Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and his wife Mette-Marit Thursday announced they were to take a two-month leave of absence with their children from the end of this month.

During their break from official duties the family were to travel a broad and spend time together, hopefully out of the media spotlight.

'We hope that this trip will give our children important insights and an appreciation of the variety of people and cultures in the world,' the royals said in a statement.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit told public broadcaster NRK they had made arrangements to ensure the children kept up with their schoolwork.

The crown princess has a 13-year-old son from a previous relationship, while six-year-old Princess Ingrid Alexandra recently began primary school. The family's youngest member, Prince Sverre Magnus, 4, is in nursery school.

The royals said they planned to resume their official duties at the end of January.

The furlough was likely to generate controversy as schools in the Scandinavian country in recent years have more and more often had to deal with requests from parents wanting to holiday abroad during term, disrupting their children's education.

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