Prince's affair has Palace blessing

The Royal Palace will not prevent Crown Prince Haakon from having a long-term relationship with single mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby even though her ex-boyfriend has a drugs record.

The relationship between the prince and Mette-Marit has received massive media attention in Norway. Opinion in general is supportive, but certain political and security concerns have been raised.

Mette-Marit has visited the palace in Oslo to discuss her relationship with Norway's future monarch reports the daily Dagbladet. The police are worried that important information about security at the castle and surrounding the prince could get into the wrong hands if the relationship were to end.

But the word from the Palace is that the love the Prince and his girlfriend evidently have for each other is more important than the Mette-Marit's former relationship.

Her ex-boyfriend was convicted three months ago for possession of 50 grams of cocaine.

(NTB)