Prince Sverre Magnus Heads to Lisbon for Business Degree at Forward College

Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway, aged 20, will begin a Bachelor's degree in Business Management at Forward College in Lisbon this autumn, according to Norway's royal house.

The first year of classes will be held in Portugal, with subsequent terms taking the prince to Paris and Berlin. The programme includes introductions to economics, statistics, and accounting, and provides accommodation in each of the three cities, according to the course website. Potential careers after graduation include consultancy, analysis, and operational management.

The Norwegian Royal House said in a press release that "in the coming years both Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus's most important task will be to study," while noting that both will still carry out selected official assignments when their schedules allow. In other words, the prince's diary is being cleared for the lecture hall, not the engagement list.

Forward College is already a familiar name in European royal circles. Infanta Sofia of Spain, the younger daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia, began a three-year degree in Politics and International Relations at the same institution last August. Two young royals from different monarchies now share a campus.

Sverre Magnus has spent the past year branching out on his own. He set up a production company, Sverre Magnus Productions, last year, and had been living in Italy to further his career before the latest announcement, according to the Norwegian royal house.

The study news arrives during a difficult period for the family. Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Sverre Magnus's mother, underwent a lung transplant in June after months of ill health. The same month, his half-brother Marius Borg Høiby was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape.

There has also been an unwelcome distraction online. In July, the Norwegian Royal House warned that a fake Instagram account was impersonating Prince Sverre Magnus, after the impostor profile quickly gained thousands of followers.

The palace has not indicated whether Sverre Magnus will take on any official duties before his term begins. What is clear is the framework: a three-city degree, a royal house treating study as the priority, and a young prince whose next chapter starts in Lisbon this autumn.