Deeply affected by the tragic events in America last week, Crown Prince Haakon and his new bride Mette-Marit returned home safely from their US honeymoon on Sunday. The couple had departed for the US shortly after their royal wedding on August 25 but fortunately were not in New York City at the time of Tuesday’s attacks on the World Trade Center.
“We felt shock and disbelief at the tragedy that unfolded while we were in the USA,” the couple declared on arrival in Oslo, where they were greeted by photographers and well-wishers. “Our thoughts have first and foremost been with the victims and their relatives.”
Norway’s heir to the throne and his wife had spent time in New York with Mette-Marit’s son Marius, and were photographed in a Manhattan sidewalk café on August 29. The couple then moved, however, to stay at Gurney’s Inn, a luxury spa-hotel on Long Island just over 100 miles out of New York City. It was here that they first heard the news that two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers.
As the tragic events came to light, the royal pair were left with an anxious wait – along with thousands of other dazed and shocked tourists - until the US reopened its airways and permitted the couple to return home.
Mette-Marit’s brother, Espen, who is a pilot, also travelled with the newlyweds. He offered moral support to his sister who, as it has been well documented, has a fear of flying and won’t get on a plane without her brother by her side.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
