"It is important for me to say sorry to everyone I have let down," the Crown Princess said in a written statement yesterday, among other things.
"It was necessary; she had to say something. It was a very well-formulated apology," says Roger Lundgren.
But much more is needed if she hopes to repair the trust that the royal family has lost - through Mette-Marit's close contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and her son Marius Borg Høiby's suspected sex crimes.
"It can't be an Oprah interview with a single person. She should really be doing a press conference where she gets to answer a bunch of critical questions. Not something she can answer on her own terms," Lundgren says.
"Refused to take responsibility"
But the apology that the Norwegian court published must still be seen as unique in this context, he thinks.
"This is probably unique among royals. If we take former Prince Andrew: when he gave press statements, he refused to take any responsibility whatsoever and never highlighted the situation for crime victims either."
"Can take a timeout"
Regaining trust will take a long time, Lundgren believes. He wonders if many Norwegians are currently asking themselves why they need a royal house when some members seem unable to handle their privileges - at the same time as the royal couple are approaching their 90s and will soon be gone.
"It will be a long process. She may have to take time out, take care of her health and not be seen in public for a few years."
