August wedding in the cards

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Sources say Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby will be married in August next year. The newly engaged couple will speak to the press on Friday afternoon at the palace.

Neither King Harald nor Queen Sonja will attend the couple's press conference.

Earlier in the day Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg made an official statement to the press. "The government has advised King Harald to consent to the engagement and marriage," he announced. "That means we'll have a wedding and a marriage," he added.

"There's every reason to congratulate the engaged couple. I wish them good luck with their engagement and with their marriage," said a smiling Prime Minister.

The date of the wedding will most probably be confirmed during this afternoon's press conference at the palace. However, the Kristiansand daily Fæderlandsvennen reports that it will held in August 2001.

(Aftenposten Interactive)