Prince Haakon of Norway's wedding to Mette-Marit was iconic for a number of reasons, including that it was the first royal wedding in the 20th century. The happy couple celebrated two decades of their marriage on Wednesday, August 25.

The Norwegian royal court marked the milestone 20th anniversary by sharing happy pictures of the couple- three from their wedding, some from their royal engagements, as well as a few from their personal vacations. The caption written in the Norwegian language read, "Today it is 20 years since the Crown Prince and Crown Princess got married in Oslo Cathedral. Congratulations on the day, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit!"

The Crown Princess also shared a sweet selfie on her private Instagram page, and simply wrote "20 years" with a purple heart emoji.

Prince Haakon, heir to the throne after his father King Harald V, met his wife through mutual friends in 1999. However, their relationship faced a lot of criticism, and their engagement was also met with negative reactions from the public and media. Mette-Marit wasn't deemed to be an ideal partner for a Crown Prince, owing to her lack of education, her former work as a waitress, previous relationship with a convicted felon, and her socialisation in a milieu "where drugs were readily available."

She herself also admitted to previous drug abuse and a history of heavy partying. In addition, at the time of their marriage, she was a single mother to a son named Marius Borg Høiby born from her relationship with convicted felon Morten Borg.

Support for the monarchy as an institution hit a record low during this period, but King Harald remained supportive of his son's decision as he had himself spent nearly a decade trying to persuade his own father to allow him to marry commoner Sonja Haraldsen. There were also rumours that conservative sources were trying to pressure Haakon to consider giving up his claim to the throne, like Britain's King Edward VIII did for marrying American socialite Wallis Simpson.

Despite the opposition, Haakon and Mette-Marit tied the knot at Oslo Cathedral on August 25, 2001. It was an hour-long ceremony during which the bride did not stop sobbing.

Haakon had worn a black army uniform with a red sash and medals for the ceremony, while Mette-Marit wore a dress of white silk crepe with a 20-foot long veil along with a diamond bandeau-style sparkler tiara made in 1910. Upon their marriage, Mette-Marit became known as Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The couple are still growing strong, despite the future Queen's health issues. They have two children together: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 17, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 15.

Princess Mette Marit
Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit after their wedding at Oslo Cathedral in 2011. Reuters