Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is settling into student life at the University of Sydney, where she began a three-year degree in social sciences at the end of July. The 21-year-old royal, who is second in line to the Norwegian throne, has already been spotted enjoying campus activities, including a boat party and a visit to Sydney Aquarium with fellow students.
According to the Norwegian publication Se og Hør, Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been in Sydney for an extended period to help her daughter adjust to life in Australia. Crown Prince Haakon joined them after a trip to Portugal with their son, Prince Sverre Magnus, and Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby.
The Norwegian palace shared new photographs of the princess after she moved into student accommodation. In a statement, she expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming studies, saying: "I'm looking forward to starting my studies at the University of Sydney. It will be exciting to become a student, and I'm looking forward to gaining new perspectives on both European and international politics. I'm sure that I will learn a lot."
Commentators have noted that the University of Sydney is Australia's oldest university and has educated numerous political figures, making it a fitting choice for a future monarch. Australia also holds personal significance for the princess, as her mother spent six months as an exchange student at Wangaratta High School in Victoria.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra completed 15 months of military training earlier this year, serving in the Engineer Battalion in Brigade North. She follows a family tradition of studying abroad, as both her father, Crown Prince Haakon, and grandfather, King Harald V, pursued education overseas. Born in Oslo in January 2004, she has godparents including the King of Denmark, the Crown Princess of Sweden, and the King of Spain.
