Norway's unpredictable princess is educated as a physiotherapist but has launched business ventures from acting out fairy tales to writing children's books. She made waves internationally when she launched Astarte Education one year ago. Astarte was meant to help people "come in contact with their own angels," and offered healing and meditation among other alternative courses.
Astarte, which the princess established with partner Elisabeth Samnøy, reported revenues of NOK 216,000 (about USD 43,000) for 2007, according to financial news service NA24.no. The revenues came from fees charged for courses at the school.
Even though no salaries or board fees were paid out, the venture logged an operating loss of NOK 92,376, reported NA24.no. That resulted in an after-tax loss of NOK 61,729.
The princess and Samnøy wrote in their annual report that they were nonetheless pleased by the result, noting that losses are expected in a newly established company. They also wrote that they expect to log a profit this year.
"It was while I worked with horses that I took up contact with angels," Princess Martha Louise wrote on Astarte's web site. "I've later realized the value of this enormous gift, and will gladly share it with others."
The princess' angel school was the latest in a series of controversial ventures launched by the daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja who long has insisted on going and getting her own way. She's "a royal Pippi Longstocking," noted a Swedish journalist in a documentary for TV4 of Sweden on the princess that aired in Norway Wednesday night. "She's certainly not like other royals."
The princess, who reportedly prefers to be called "Märtha," said in the documentary that she needs to earn her own money since she no longer receives any formal state allowance. She says she understands the criticism she's received, "since no one is supposed to have an advantage over anyone else," and that she realizes she's not exactly "normal" in her royal role.
"But what is a 'normal' person?" she mused on the documentary. "Maybe we're normal when we're a bit abnormal."
She said that many little girls dream of waking up one day and being told that their parents are really a king and queen and they're a princess. "I dreamed of exactly the opposite, that I'd wake up and be told that my parents really were completely ordinary people," she said.
Critics charge that the princess has nonetheless taken advantage of her royal role, and enjoyed innumerable privileges. "Märtha" said she has tried her best to separate her "official" role from being born into royalty with the "professional" role she has adopted.
"I've also grown more confident over the years," she said. "It has to do with finding out what you really want to do, and not just doing all the things that other people demand of me."
