Aarnæs said to NTB: “We will receive all students and explain to them about what to expect at the school. The students will then get some time to get acquainted with their classmates. Then it will be a full day at school.”

 

She said the Princess will be treated as any normal student and will not comment upon the Crown Prince couple's controversial choice to take the Princess out of public school and have her attend a private school instead.

 

Both Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus started in their new private schools on Tuesday after respectively four and three years at Jansløkka, a school close to their home in Asker.

 

Ingrid Alexandra starts 5th grade at OIS, while Prince Sverre Magnus starts 4th grade at Oslo Montessori school in Skådalen.

 

When it was revealed the Crown Prince couple wanted to take their two children out of public school, preferring private schools, their choice was met by criticism and dispute.

 

OIS is one of the most expensive private schools in Norway, and after one year, the Crown Prince couple will have paid more than 200,000 NOK to the school.

 

A parliament representative from The Labour Party, Martin Kolberg, stated their choice of school is the beginning of the end for the monarchy. In a survey conducted by Norstat for NRK, three out of ten Norwegians said they are critical to the change of schools by the Royal family.

 

Harald Stanghelle, political editor of Aftenposten, wrote in an article published last weekend that the school choice "struck a nerve with the Norwegian public. The decision hurt parents and made them react by writing articles defending public schools.”

 

The Crown Prince couple has guaranteed that it was not dissatisfaction with the public school system that was the reason for their choice of school. Strengthening Ingrid Alexandra’s basic competence in thinking and speaking English was given as one of the reasons for changing school, and the Crown Prince argued their choice is made from what they as parents think is best for their children.

 

Crown Prince Haakon said to VG the day after his decision to change the type of schooling was revealed: “I understand that people have opinions about our choice. This has been a difficult decision for us.”