An Australian court has handed down a two-year restraining order barring a 63-year-old local man that prohibits any contact with Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexander — a Norwegian royal studying abroad in Sydney — and her immediate family. The ruling, finalized on Wednesday at Newtown Court House in Sydney, imposes clear limitations on David James Cook: he is banned from setting foot on the University of Sydney campus, conducting online searches for the 22-year-old princess, and reaching out to Ingrid or any member of her family through any channel.
This legal measure, officially classified as an Apprehended Violence Order under Australian law, is designed to shield individuals from potential violence, intimidation, and persistent harassment. Cook, speaking to reporters after leaving the court, claimed the entire incident stemmed from an innocent gesture: a friendship request card he sent to the princess, who is second in line to the Norwegian throne.
“I sent her a card just asking for friendship, that’s all,” Cook told Australia’s Nine News. “I did not intentionally upset her in any way and I wouldn’t do so. She’s a nice person. I bumped into her at an event and I followed up with the card.”
The situation took an abrupt turn immediately after the court proceeding, when Cook was charged with assaulting a news photographer covering the hearing. A formal police statement confirmed the photographer sustained only minor physical injuries from the altercation. Cook was subsequently released from police custody following his arrest, and has been scheduled to enter a plea and face trial for the assault charge at a future court date on July 17.
Princess Ingrid, the eldest child of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, relocated to Australia last year to begin a three-year undergraduate degree program in international relations at the University of Sydney, and has resided on the institution’s campus since her arrival. Recent local and international media reports indicate the princess recently departed Australia to return to Norway, where she will stay with her mother Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is currently battling a serious illness.