Norway's Crown Prince Haakon married a modern-day Cinderella in Oslo today as thousands of Norwegians cheered in forgiving mood for their future queen's wild partying past.
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Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon with Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby
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Prince Haakon placed a ring of white gold on the finger of Ms Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby, a Norwegian single-mother and former waitress, after they exchanged their wedding vows in Oslo cathedral in a ceremony attended by guests including kings and queens.
Ms Hoiby's four-year-old son Marius, whose father has been convicted for drug possession, was a page boy. The blonde Ms Hoiby repeatedly dabbed away tears with a white handkerchief and held Prince Haakon's hand during the ceremony.
She becomes Crown Princess Mette-Marit in what many hail as a modern fairytale despite misgivings about her past. Three days ago, Ms Hoiby confessed she had attended wild parties in the 1990s but said she now condemned drugs.
Thousands of people cheered in the streets outside under grey skies as the wedding of the two 28-year-olds was beamed outside on a giant screen and Oslo bishop Gunnar Staalseth declared them man and wife.
European royals including Britain's Prince Charles, Queen Sofia of Spain, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Albert of Belgium and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden were attending the wedding.
Hundreds of police were on duty for the wedding and workmen even filled in the tram lines outside the cathedral with tarmac to prevent any royals tripping up before an estimated television audience of up to 300 million people.
Monarchists hope the wedding - the first in Norway since King Harald wed Queen Sonja in 1968 - will stop a slight drift towards republicanism in Norway.
Opinion polls show popularity for the monarchy, which had been at about 75-80 per cent since World War Two, fell to a record low of 58 per cent this year. It rose to 62 per cent in a survey this month.
A poll today by the Web site of top-selling daily Verdens Gang showed 67 per cent thought Crown Princess Mette-Marit would be a good crown princess with 33 per cent saying she would not.