Introduction On 25 July 2007, one of the BBC news headlines on the Internet was ‘Norway princess “talks to angels”’. The day before, the story had made the front pages of all the Norwegian national newspapers. In the BBC version it read as follows:

Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise says she has psychic powers and can teach people to communicate with angels. The 35-year-old daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja made the announcement on a website promoting her plans for a new alternative therapy centre. She says she realised as a child that she could read people’s inner feelings, while her experiences with horses had helped her make contact with angels. Princess Martha Louise is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne. The royal palace says it has no official link to the princess’ planned alternative therapy centre, the AFP news agency reports. The princess, who trained as a physical therapist, says on the website for her Astarte Education centre that she has ‘always been interested in alternative forms of treatment’. Students at her centre, she says, will learn how to ‘create miracles’ in their lives and harness the powers of their angels, which she describes as ‘forces that surround us and who are a resource and help in all aspects of our lives’. ‘It was while I was taking care of the horses that I got in contact with the angels,’ she says. ‘I have lately understood the value of this important gift and I wish to share it with other people, maybe with you.’ A three-year programme at her centre costs 24,000 Norwegian crowns ($4,150; 3,000 Euros; £2,000) per year.