WHAT a brilliant example. The wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway would have been unconventional for a normal family. In a royal one it was absolutely unheard of.

Bride and groom have been living together in a modest city centre flat. She has a four-year-old son, the result of an affair with a convicted drug dealer. She has lived a racy, rackety life. There are rumours of compromising pictures. It clearly hasn't been an easy time for anyone.

But the best bit was that nobody pretended otherwise.

King Harald in his banquet speech to most of the crowned, or tiara'd heads of Europe, cheerfully admitted that they'd had doubts about Mette-Marit, that there had been family arguments. That it had been "challenging".

I bet.

The Bishop of Oslo in his sermon said the new Crown Princess had set a good example in the way she brought up her child and told them that God allows us all to make a fresh start.

And in a country seriously considering becoming a republic, more than 120,000 people crowded into Oslo's streets to cheer the bride and groom, wishing the young people - just like God and the Bishop - the chance of a fresh start and happy life. And instead of being hidden away, the bride's four-year-old son, Marius, dressed up like an ambassador, waved enthusiastically from the balcony.

Bride and groom are clearly besotted with each other. She made a weepy television appearance last week. He made a soppy speech at the wedding.. If they both mean just half of what they say, they should live happily ever after. Which is good news for us all.

All over Britain right now there are anxious parents worrying themselves sick over their children's choice of partner. In days of easily broken marriages, no marriages at all, where people slide in and out of relationships, where children are brought up never knowing their father, the chances of any couple marrying without a few skeletons rattling around the festivities are pretty slim. The instinct for many families is to sweep these difficulties under the carpet, pretend they never happened. Which is asking for trouble really.

So hooray for the Norwegians. Unlikely trend-setters really - a mixture of unconventional and the totally stolid (I used to go out with the Norwegian student ski champion. I know about Norwegians.) We've already had happy pictures of Queen Sonja on her knees playing with little Marius.

We all know how we would like life to be - but it isn't often like that. The Norwegian royal family and the Norwegian people have happily accepted that.

What matters now is not the past, but how the couple face the future. And for many far more humble but equally anxious parents, that might be just the reassurance they need.

Well, if the Norwegian royal family can cope with these little difficulties...

FIRST it was Vanessa Feltz, then Sophie Dahl and Geri Halliwell. And now Kate Winslet is the latest well-rounded girl to emerge from a strict diet and training looking like a stick insect on speed.

What hope for fatties in such a world?

If Dawn French ever gets down to a size 8, then that's it. I shall book the personal trainer and never eat another cheese and pickle sandwich again.

Keep eating the chocolates, Dawn. Please.

BRITISH televisions are switched on for an average of 5.2 hours a day,. Which is an awful lot of viewing.

What's especially intriguing about the MORI poll for Radio Times is what people do while they're watching - lots eat their main meal, others do their housework, which is fair enough. But 29 per cent make telephone calls and 22 per cent read.

Make phone calls while watching television? Read?

What's worse is that 16 per cent helped their children with their homework while watching television. No wonder the kids have got the attention span of gnats.

Here's a tip - if you're not actually watching the thing, then switch it off. Who knows, while you're making those phone calls, you might even be able to hear yourself speak.

THE Simpsons has just been voted the most popular children's television programme. Wrong, wrong, all wrong.

The Simpsons is much too good for children. Let them keep The Muppets (2) , Dangermouse (3) and, especially, the very peculiar Rainbow (7).

But the splendidly subversive Simpsons should be kept just for grown-ups.

Published: Wednesday, August 29, 2001