Norway's crown prince couple prepare for 10-year anniversary

Aug 24, 2011, 13:08 GMT

Oslo - The 10-year anniversary celebrations for Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are due to include a public hip-hop concert on Thursday.

The concert at Oslo's University Square is to be held after a service in the city cathedral where they were married. Later in the evening, the royal couple will attend a private banquet.

The events come days after the couple attended a national remembrance ceremony on Sunday for the 77 victims of last month's twin attacks on Oslo and the island of Utoya, marking the end of a month-long period of mourning.

Like the king and queen, the crown prince couple have taken part in numerous commemorative events during the past weeks and also met with survivors and bereaved.

'Meeting the youth who survived the massacre at Utoya and listening to their accounts has made a deep impression,' said Mette-Marit, 37, in a recent interview with the Aftenposten daily.

Crown Prince Haakon, 38, also mentioned the flower vigil held July 25 in Oslo and other cities across the country to protest the violence.

'I think such manifestations can contribute to creating a joint platform,' said the heir to the Norwegian throne.

Haakon was one of the speakers at the vigil in Oslo, attended by a crowd of more than 100,000 people, at which he said, 'This evening the streets are filled with love.'

The couple said they hoped that Norwegians, regardless of ethnic background, could feel a shared sense of belonging and expressed their interest in young people and their role in society.

Asked about the role of monarchy in Norway in 2011, the crown prince said 'we always get that question.'

'It is the Norwegian democratic system that decides what system of government we have. In that way, the monarchy is based on what people want,' he added.