This Spanish Princess and Norwegian Prince Both Applied to University Under a Different Name In Hopes of “Normal” Treatment

The young royals of Spain and Norway are growing up quickly. Princess Leonor of Spain, 20, completed her military service and is starting university classes while her 19-year-old sister, Infanta Sofía, is starting her second year at Forward College. Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway, 20, has also chosen Forward College for his studies this fall, and in a new interview with Paris Match, the director of the university revealed that both Sverre Magnus and Sofía applied without using their royal titles.

The Spanish princess used her full name, Sofía de Borbón Ortiz, while King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit's son applied under Sverre Magnus af Glücksborg.

"When I saw her name, I thought: 'She must be a cousin of the Bourbons, but we know it’s a large family.' I hadn't realized that Ortiz was Queen Letizia’s maiden name," said Boris Walbaum of Forward College. "Sofia went through the same interviews as everyone else, was asked the same questions as the others, and she did very well!"

"We were told that the Infanta wanted to be treated like any other student," Walbaum added. The princess began her studies at the university's Lisbon campus last year, and will now head to its Paris campus, located at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.

Speaking of the security surrounding Infanta Sofía, Walbaum said that she didn't cause any fuss. "We operated on the principle that this was a matter for the royal households, not us," he said. "Arrangements were made amicably, and everything is proceeding very smoothly and seamlessly."

"My colleagues in Lisbon didn’t even notice that Sofia was accompanied by bodyguards," a staff member told Paris Match.

As for Prince Sverre Magnus, he'll be attending Forward's Lisbon campus to pursue a bachelor's degree in business management before moving on to Paris like Infanta Sofía.

His first year of university coincides with a turbulent period for the Norwegian royal family. The prince's father, King Haakon, took the throne on August 28 when Sverre Magnus's grandfather, King Harald V died. As the family mourns, Prince Sverre Magnus's mother, Queen Mette-Marit, has been facing complications due to her recent lung transplant and was briefly hospitalized on September 1.

Due to the Norwegian queen's health, Sverre Magnus's older sister, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, left the University of Sydney in Australia and will be studying as an exchange student at the University of Oslo.

Although the Norwegian and Spanish royals' paths aren't expected to cross, their decision to enroll at the little-known college could inspire others. As Paris Match notes, Forward College "could soon become the new school of choice for royalty."