Princess Ingrid Alexandra on a pilgrimage to Nidaros
As part of her confirmation preparations, Princess Ingrid Alexandra walks the last part of the pilgrim route towards Nidaros Cathedral together with her father, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
At Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra (15) are met by Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Then the Princess and Crown Prince have walked of just over four hours on the pilgrim route, which ends in what was the northernmost pilgrimage for Christians throughout the Middle Ages.
The royal hikers are also welcomed by Bishop Helga Haugland Byfuglien, Judge Ragnhild Jepsen and Steinar Bjerkestrand, Director of Restoration of the Cathedral.
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In the footsteps of the pilgrims
“The idea of the Royal Family was that the princess should experience walking as the pilgrims did, looking down towards Nidaros and arriving here today together with her family. So she gets to know this very special church and holy place,” Bishop Byfuglien tells NRK.
After the pilgrimage, the Crown Prince and the confirmation candidate took a guided tour of the Nidaros Cathedral.
Byfuglien tells NRK that the tour will revolve around important features of the cathedral, such as the baptismal font, the octagon and the Samí altar.
The Princess is confirmed in the Palace Chapel in Oslo on Saturday, August 31st 2019.
West front of Nidaros Cathedral. Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral (Norwegian: Nidarosdomen/Nidaros Domkirke) is a cathedral of the Church of Norway located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county.
It is built over the burial site of King Olav II (c. 995-1030, reigned 1015-1028), who became the patron saint of the nation, and is the traditional location for the consecration of kings of Norway.
It was built over a long period of 230 years, from 1070 to 1300, when it was substantially completed. Additional work, additions and renovations continued intermittently for seven more centuries until 2001.
It was designated as the cathedral for the Diocese of Nidaros in 1152.
After going the turmoil and controversies of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, it was taken from the Catholic Church by the newly reformed established state Church of Norway in 1537.
The Church of Norway follow the teachings and reforms of Martin Luther, Phillip Melancthon and others, ie Evangelical Lutheran.
Nidaros is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world.
The cathedral is the main church for the Nidaros og Vår Frue parish, the seat of the Nidaros arch-deanery. It is also the seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Nidaros.
The Praeses of the Church of Norway is also based at this cathedral.
The large, stone church seats about 1,850 persons
(source: Wikipedia).
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
