The royal visit to sites supported by Norwegian foreign aid project may help divert attention from the 29-year-old princess' other activities of late. Her alliance with Behn set off a storm of criticism after he was portrayed in a TV documentary allegedly dabbling in the drug world of Las Vegas.
The Behn controversy broke while her parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, were on a state visit to Japan and reportedly prompted a royal rebuke from her mother upon her return home.
The princess, however, went on the radio over the Easter weekend to deny she had a confrontation with her mother last Sunday. She went on to say that a report in weekly magazine "Se og Hør" was "full of lies." The editor of "Se og Hør" ("See and Hear") stands by the magazine's claim that a clash occurred.
Märtha Louise just returned home to Norway last year after several years of riding horses overseas. She reportedly came home after the failure of another romance with a fellow horse enthusiast from New Zealand.
The princess has since thrown herself into more royal representation work, and recently made a trip to Northern Norway. Now she's heading in the other direction.
Princess Märtha Louise will spend April 17-26 visiting aid sites in Peru and Bolivia. She's scheduled to spend time with street children in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and visit small industry, housing projects and schools sponsored by Norwegian relief agencies.
She's also due to visit Lake Titicaca, home to those who helped build Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl's papyrus boat "Ra II."
Aftenposten Interactive English Desk
Nina Berglund
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