PROVO — Norway's Princess Martha Louise will present a free lecture at Brigham Young University on Thursday.

The princess also will give a reading of her new children's book to 800 local school children prior to the lecture, which she will deliver at 11 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall at the Harris Fine Arts Center on campus.

She also will be featured at a book signing that day at 1:30 p.m. in the BYU Bookstore.

Her visit is part of the Annual Featured Author of the Year Lecture sponsored by BYU's Harold B. Lee Library. Princess Martha will speak about her personal writing experiences and her latest book, "Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns." The children's tale, illustrated by award-winning artist Svein Nyhus, explains how her royal Danish great-grandparents became King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway.

Princess Martha Louise is the oldest child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. She gave up her royal title when she opted to marry a commoner, Ari Behn, in May 2002. Princess Martha Louise and her husband have two daughters, Maud Angelica Behn and Leah Isadora Behn. Admission is free.