The annual release of Norwegian tax lists has once again highlighted the unique financial status of the country's royal family. The core members, including King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, are absent from the public records. They receive an apanage, or annual grant, from the state, which is not classified as taxable personal income under Norwegian law. This longstanding practice separates their official funding from the income of ordinary citizens.
The situation is more complex for other members of the royal house. Princess Märtha Louise and Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, who are not on the state apanage, have consented to have their tax figures published. Their details will appear on the lists. However, Prince Sverre Magnus, the son of the Crown Prince, remains exempt. Tax law shields the children of the immediate heir to the throne from public disclosure until they turn 20 at the end of the income year. Prince Sverre Magnus turned 20 on December 3rd, meaning his financial details for the current income year will become public next year.
Further intrigue surrounds the Behn sisters, Maud Angelica and Leah, the daughters of Princess Märtha Louise. Despite holding the fifth and sixth positions in the line of succession, their tax information has been inaccessible. A key factor has been their registered addresses. Last year, both sisters had shielded addresses, a provision under the Population Register Act that automatically excludes individuals from the public tax lists. Recent reports indicate they have now registered separate residential addresses in Oslo. Because they resided at shielded addresses for the majority of the past income year, their tax figures will not become public until the next annual release. Their younger sister, Emma Tallulah Behn, is only 17, so her details are protected for several more years.
This annual event underscores a quiet tension between public transparency and royal privacy in Norway. The country prides itself on open access to information, with tax lists being a cornerstone of that principle. The automatic exemptions for royals, while legally clear, periodically spark public debate. Critics argue that all adults, especially those in the line of succession, should be subject to the same transparency. Supporters counter that the royal family's unique constitutional position warrants specific protections, particularly for younger members. The system is a compromise, reflecting Norway's blend of modern egalitarian values and ancient monarchical tradition. The gradual entry of younger royals like Prince Sverre Magnus into the public financial sphere will likely keep this discussion alive. The royal household must continually navigate its role within a society that values both its historical institutions and radical openness.