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Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit. (AP Photo/ddp/Michael Urban, File)

Norway's crown princess minds gay friend's surrogate twins

When friends of Norway’s Crown Princess couldn’t travel to India to welcome their newborn surrogate twins she went to look after them until the two fathers could.

WHEN FRIENDS OF Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit couldn’t travel to India to welcome their surrogate twins into the world, the royal stepped up, minding the couple’s newborns for three days and even being mistaken by hospital staff for a nanny.

In a statement from the Royal Court, the princess described how she had flown to New Delhi on 23 October after visa problems prevented the children’s Norwegian parents — a same-sex couple — from arriving at the hospital in time for the birth. She describes why she went:

There are times in life when one finds oneself in a complex situation where there are few or no good solutions.

For me the core of the matter was that there were two newborn babies who lay alone in a hospital in Delhi. I was the one who was able to travel. It was important to me to help in any way I could.

She stayed to mind the babies until relatives — and eventually also the two fathers — could get to the hospital.

One of the men is an employee of the royal household and a good friend of Mette-Marit’s. The twins arrived in Norway last week. Hagen did not identify the couple or give the genders of the babies.

The court said the travel was paid out of the princess’ private funds.

Future queen

Mette-Marit, 39, became Crown Princess of Norway and the country’s future queen after she married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. They have two children, and Mette-Marit has another child from a previous relationship.

Marianne Hagen, a spokeswoman for the Royal Court, said that despite Mette-Marit’s title, her royal status does not exempt her from other countries’ visa regulations and the princess was also required to seek one for her visit to India. “If a visa is required, then it’s also required for a crown princess,” Hagen said.

She also confirmed that staff at the Indian hospital had mistaken the royal for a nanny.

Surrogacy is illegal in Norway, but it is not illegal to seek a surrogate mother abroad and bring the child back to the Nordic country.

The loophole has sparked a debate in Norway, but the princess said her reason for travelling to India was purely personal and that her trip “was not intended to be a contribution to this debate.”

- AP

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14 Comments
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    Mute Donncha Ó Coileáin
    Favourite Donncha Ó Coileáin
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    Dec 4th 2012, 10:16 AM

    What a nice story for the twins to tell when they’ve grown up and she’s the queen! :-)

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    Mute Graham Kiely
    Favourite Graham Kiely
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    Dec 4th 2012, 11:28 AM

    Fair play. At least they’re in touch with reality & living in the 21st century. I wonder what the queen of England would have to say should a similar circumstance occur in England?

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    Mute Vanessa Sterry
    Favourite Vanessa Sterry
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    Dec 4th 2012, 1:50 PM

    what a feel good story. fair play to her!

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    Mute Paul McCann
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    Dec 4th 2012, 12:38 PM

    It’s just like a fairy tale – but not.

    29
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    Mute David Jordan
    Favourite David Jordan
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    Dec 4th 2012, 10:50 PM

    I’ve news for you Richard, LGBT couples do adopt children, often children that are not blood relatives, rather like many infertile or altruistic straight couples do. Not one study has showen children rased by gay parents are any better or worse off then those rased by straight parents but people like you prevent these families from having all the same protections as any other family.
    Gay couples have to go though months of vetting and waiting to adopt a child, so I’m sure the child is showered with affection when they finally meet and unlike some of the children of straight couples, everyone of them is planed and wanted.
    Give me one reason gay people should not be allowed adopt other then “my god told me so”.

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    Mute Emily Elephant
    Favourite Emily Elephant
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    Dec 4th 2012, 11:53 AM

    How has a story about royalty and gay couples having babies only got 2 comments? Did people’s heads explode or something?

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    Mute Story Teller
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    Dec 4th 2012, 11:58 AM

    @emily
    It’s a cold and frosty day, Maybe they haven’t got their paper yet!
    Lol, sorry.

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    Mute Steo Burke
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    Dec 4th 2012, 12:27 PM

    ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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    Mute Steo Burke
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    Dec 4th 2012, 1:23 PM

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz

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    Mute Pat D'Arcy
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    Dec 4th 2012, 2:17 PM

    Eloquently put.

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    Mute SeanOHitler
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    Dec 4th 2012, 5:12 PM

    Why is this news! people mind kids all the time! and yes they are just people too

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    Mute Richard Gavin
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    Dec 4th 2012, 11:20 PM

    because God tells you so too…!
    fair points David, and deserving of proper evidence based responses and references which I will happily provide…not near a computer at the moment but if you bear with me ill post Asap rich

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    Mute Richard Gavin
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    Dec 4th 2012, 11:49 PM
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Dec 5th 2012, 12:13 AM

    The Regnerus study, which fail both internal and external audits, was accused by many of being designed to give the results the professor wanted and was funded by the Witherspoon Institute, a American conservative think tank.

    General opinion is that the study sloppy at best and manipulative at worst and should never have been published.

    http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/controversial-gay-parenting-study-is-severely-flawed-journals-audit-finds/30

    http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/07/13/ut-austin-scrutinizes-ethics-controversial-same-sex-parenting-study

    9
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