Even as the Royal Palace in Oslo attempts to close the book on Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the crisis of confidence is far from over. Her public legitimacy remains at an all-time low. This Tuesday, yet another organization turned its back on her in a unanimous decision.
This suggests that her interview with the public broadcaster NRK last month, where she attempted to clarify her relationship with the financier and convicted sex offender by claiming she was "manipulated and deceived", failed to win over the public.
© PhotonewsA statement was released to major Norwegian media outlets this morning, "The Amandus Festival has decided to terminate its collaboration with Crown Princess Mette-Marit." In the note, signed by the board of the foundation that organizes the festival, the directors laid out the reasons for a unanimous decision. Those in charge of the project stated that the patronage of Prince Haakon’s wife "is proving to be more harmful than beneficial to the festival’s work."
© Photonews"Our sole objective with this decision has been to protect the values and credibility of the festival. This was a demanding but necessary choice made after deep reflection. We are a festival for young filmmakers where inclusion, media literacy, and social community are fundamental. Any action that could weaken these values requires us to be vigilant and resilient," wrote Chairman Jens Uwe Korten in a press release on Tuesday.
For his part, festival director Eivind M. Nordengen confirmed to NRK that they informed the Royal Palace first. While he expressed regret over the Princess’s current situation, he remained firm regarding the decision, which they do not hide stems from her Epstein connection, "Even if we want to believe that the Crown Princess didn't necessarily know, or that she regrets that relationship, in practice it still could have contributed to legitimizing actions from which we must firmly distance ourselves."
A 20-Year Legacy at Risk: This Was No Ordinary Patronage
The blow is significant for several reasons. This is the first organization to effectively demand Mette-Marit’s resignation. Currently, the Princess is maintaining a reduced schedule and appearing only in controlled environments. This move publicly signals to the Royal Court that her explanations haven't held up. It reinforces a sentiment already echoing through opinion columns and talk shows: that her 20-minute interview left the public with more questions than answers.
© Getty ImagesFurthermore, this project was a key chapter in Mette-Marit’s biography as a royal and holds a major presence in the country’s cultural life. This wasn't just another line on her resume; it was a defining part of the public identity she has cultivated for 25 years.
The Amandus Festival serves youth between the ages of 13 and 20, focusing on screening films and fostering debate. It is a well-established, long-running project that began in 1987 in Lillehammer and hasn't stopped growing. It became a foundation in 2006, and ever since, it has been under the royal patronage of the Crown Princess. She has visited on several occasions, watching it evolve over the last two decades into Norway’s premier meeting point for young filmmakers.
© Getty ImagesA Pattern of Rejection
Given both its symbolic value and its role in the Norwegian cultural calendar, this split is especially damaging. It serves as proof that the wave of rejections following the release of the Epstein files shows no sign of stopping. This breakup, involving one of her most strategic causes in youth culture, shows that her public credibility continues to erode, despite the Royal Palace’s attempts to move on (King Harald even pointedly included her in his speech at the most recent State Dinner).
Amandus now joins Sex and Society, Fokus, the Norwegian Library Association, and the Mental Health Council as organizations that have opted to end their collaborations with her. While she still retains the support of 18 other causes, the momentum is clearly shifting.
