A first for Norway’s new heir to the throne but one tradition remains the same

The brand new heir to the throne of Norway has taken on another first.

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra held her first solo audience since becoming Norway’s heir.

The Crown Princess received representatives from Operation Day’s Work in her debut in this part of her new role.

Operation Day’s Work was set up over sixty years ago and sees students across Norway select one international project to support. This year, it’s working towards fairer and safer schools in South Africa and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra met some of those involved and heard about the aims and ambitions.

Hosting Operation Day’s Work has been the role of the heir for decades and Ingrid Alexandra is following in the footsteps of her father, Haakon, who took on this responsibility for many years prior to his accession on August 28 this year on the death of his father, King Harald V.

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra welcomed the team to the Royal Palace before sitting down for an introduction to their work and this year’s project.

However, on a day of firsts, one tradition remained.

The new Crown Princess has moved into the offices always used by the heir to Norway’s throne. The room, in the Royal Palace in Oslo, is known as the Arcade Room and it’s now the base for all of Ingrid Alexandra’s royal work.

When she turned 18, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra was given her own offices at the palace but following the death of her grandfather, Harald, it was decided that she would move into the Arcade Room as her father had taken up official residence in the King’s offices.

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 22, is currently studying in Oslo but is set to return to Australia to continue the course she began there but transferred to Norway when her mother, Queen Mette-Marit, became seriously ill.

The new Queen of Norway underwent a lung transplant in the early summer of this year. As she was recovering, the health of King Harald began to deteriorate and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra moved her studies to Oslo as her family’s needs became greater.

She is hoping to finish her studies in Australia and is set to return there early next year.