Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been forced to pull out of her tour of Germany due to severe sunburn she and her husband Prince Haakon suffered during an interview on Wednesday. The 28-year-old princess said she was “very, very sorry” that she could not go through with the eagerly-awaited tour. She is unable to continue as doctors are worried it could hamper her recovery.
The first and second degree burns were the chance result of the combination of strong spring sun on the Norwegian snow and reflection from powerful camera lights. The interview took place at the royal couple's Skaugum estate outside Oslo. The Princess also suffered “snowblindness”- slight damage to the corneas of her eyes.
The 65-minute interview was to be a prelude to Haakon and Mette-Marit's five-day tour of Germany. The interviewer, who was also sunburnt, told Bild om Sonntag newspaper she was “very unhappy" that she might have kept the beautiful Norwegian princess from travelling to Germany.
The Prince began the trip alone Sunday evening with a visit to Munich, where his extreme sunburn could be clearly seen. He will also visit Düsseldorf, Bonn, Cologne and Hamburg. The royal couple, who made history when they married last year because it was the first wedding of a crown prince to a single mother, enjoy huge popularity in Germany, which does not have a royal family.
The Princess has not been having much luck with her travels recently - she suffered a broken ankle earlier this year, and also had to call off a tour of Mozambique when she contracted pneumonia.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
