What is "skaugum"

Skaugum is the official residence of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and of his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

The estate is located in Asker municipality, about 12 miles southwest of Oslo. Owned by the Church in the Middle Ages, it passed through several owners until 1909, when Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg bought it. When Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha were married in 1929, Wedel Jarlsberg sold it to the couple.

The original neo-classical residence burned to the ground in 1930. The Norwegian architect Arnstein Arneberg was commissioned to design a new structure, entirely on the foundations of the old building.

In 1968 King Olav gave the estate as a wedding gift to his son Crown Prince Harald (later King Harald V) and his wife Crown Princess Sonja. In 2001, King Harald gave the estate as a wedding gift to his son, Crown Prince Haakon, and his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.