Ingrid Alexandra in her father's old office: First audience on her own

Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra on Wednesday held her first audience on her own as Crown Princess. It took place in her new office at the Royal Palace, the Arcade Room, which was the office of her father, King Haakon, when he was Crown Prince.

The Crown Princess received representatives of Operation Day's Work, the student aid fund SAIH, Norwegian People's Aid Solidarity Youth and the South African student organisation Equal Education.

A school day for schools in South Africa

The audience took place the day before this year's Operation Day's Work. On that day, pupils all over Norway give up one school day to raise money for an education project for young people in another country. This year the money goes to young people's work for safer and fairer schools in South Africa.

Operation Day's Work is an annual campaign run by, with and for young people, under the Norwegian School Student Union.

The word audience comes from Latin and means "to hear", in other words a chance to be heard. Every year the royals receive many people in audience, usually to hear about a cause or organisation, or because someone wishes to give thanks for an order or medal.

A waiting room with Tidemand paintings

The Crown Princess has had her own office at the Royal Palace since she turned 18 in 2022. She has now moved into the Arcade Room.

Guests wait in the adjoining Smoking Room before going in for their audience. According to the Royal Palace, the room was once used for smoking and card games after dinners. On its walls hang several of Adolph Tidemand's famous paintings of Norwegian rural life, among them "The Storyteller" and "Grandmother's Bridal Crown". This summer the public saw the room for the first time, on the guided tours of the Palace.