Crown Princess Mette-Marit's cool elegance was shaken recently in an emotional outburst that was captured on video. The 28-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has expressed her regrets about the incident, and blames her public display of nerves on her profound fear of flying.
The images, broadcast on a local Norwegian TV channel, show Mette-Marit and her husband leaving an aeroplane minutes after landing in Karmoe. Apparently distressed by a photographer who had been allowed on board the flight, the crown princess can be seen angrily confronting her personal assistant, Hilde Harladstad, near the plane’s exit. As Prince Haakon intervened and attempted to assist his wife down the plane steps, she raised her voice and, pushing his hand away, exclaimed, “We said that there were no photos inside.”
By the time Mette-Marit reached the red carpet on the tarmac a few seconds later, she had recovered her composure. She went on to greet well-wishers at the airport with a smile and a wave.
Mette-Marit has offered her apologies for the incident. Norway’s royal house has stated the crown princess’ reaction was a direct consequence of the enormous tension she suffers every time she has to fly, this time aggravated by the presence of a photographer on the plane.
Experts agrees with the palace’s reasoning. “A person with a fear of flying is extremely anxious and as a result, if provoked, the reactions can be much stronger than if the person were on the ground,” says Captain Per Arne Tryggh. “We could say, then, Mette-Marit’s tantrum was a consequence of her fear.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
