NORWAY

Norway: King Harald speaks out on the future of the Norwegian monarch

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – In a new book about King Harald which will be published in Norway this autumn, the King talks about his views on the future of the Norwegian monarchy and the relationship he has with his own son, the future king and present Crown Prince of Norway.

When the king looks ahead to the future of the monarchy, it is with optimism. He has a close relationship with the heir to the throne. King Harald says in the book: “He has become a friend and co-worker. He asks me for advice and I get advice from him. The relationship has become closer and closer. He is a wise guy.”

King Harald continues: “It will go well with him when the time comes. It gives a good feeling to know that. I think my father was more worried than I am. I am so lucky that it is Crown Prince Haakon who will be Norway’s future. He has been with me all my time as King and has been involved all the time. Then he can take what he wants with him, and change what he wants when I am no longer here,”

Crown Prince Haakon is a respected man in Norway. The Norwegian monarchy is among the strongest in the world with approval ratings of over 80% in polls since King Harald took over the throne from his father, King Olav V, in 1991. In recent years, the Crown Prince has been given a number of new tasks and during the King’s illness, as now, he rules the country as Crown Prince Regent.

On 2 October this year Crown Prince Haakon, for the first time, oversaw the solemn and traditional opening of the Norwegian Parliament. It was the first time a Crown Prince had carried out this duty in thirty years. Norway has never had any tradition of abdication and the idea is not popular, either among the people or the royals. In previous interviews, King Harald has made it explicitly clear that he believes it is completely inappropriate for him to abdicate.

Featured image: King Harald (Kenneth Hætta, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Norway: King Harald reveals pandemic made one royal tradition even more important to him

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – This year, the Royal families of Europe have faced, along with all of us, a new type of crisis, a global pandemic. In a new book about King Harald which will be published in Norway this autumn, the King shares his views on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and how this has affected him and the royal family. King Harald and Queen Sonja were themselves quarantined after a state visit to Jordan in March.

King Harald says: “We also noticed the longing to hug those we love. We were not allowed to do that either. I myself have been so isolated that I have not been afraid of being infected. Nevertheless, you never know. I am probably not someone who walks around and is afraid of what might happen. It was still a challenging time. I am definitely in the risk group.”

From a life in quarantine at the royal winter residence “Kongsseteren”, King Harald led the Council of State by phone and gave a speech to the Norwegian people. He did so three days after the government had introduced the most drastic measures we have had in Norway in a time of peace.

The King states: “ I did my best to help keep the nation together. To emphasize how serious the situation was. At this point, I think there were many who did not realize that it was as serious as it actually was. As king, I underlined the seriousness the government had presented to us”.

Ahead of this year’s national day celebration on May 17th, there was uncertainty associated with the royal family’s plans. The children’s parade were cancelled, and people were asked not to travel to the Royal Palace but rather to stay at home as much as possible. Nevertheless, the royal family appeared on the Palace balcony and sang the national anthem. King Harald says about the day: “It was touching to stand there and sing the national anthem. We knew that the whole of Norway sang along from their homes. It was sung all over the country at the same time. It was not just us. This is the first time something like this has happened”.

Later that day, as a surprise, the royal couple and the crown prince couple went on a tour of the capital by open car. The King said: “We were sitting in an open car. It seemed as if people did not believe their own eyes. It was a little fun. It was a happy atmosphere. A very different way to meet people. When people could not come to us, we had to try to come to them. May 17, 2020 was a great day. We were very excited and it was very different. So it was a great experience.”

Norway: Crown Prince Haakon attends special service in Nidaros Cathedral

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Crown Prince Haakon was present as the Church of Norway marked the appointment of a new president in the Episcopal Conference, a new church meeting and a new church council with a special service in the Nidaros Cathedral.

The Norwegian Church’s new president, Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, was installed during a service in Nidaros Cathedral on 10 May this year. Due to the infection control restrictions, the service was held in limited forms and outside the planned church meeting. Further celebrations was therefore held on October 11th with Crown Prince Hakkon, currently Regent of Norway, present. King Harald and Queen Sonja were meant to attend originally but, following His Majesty’s heart operation just days earlier, both stayed in Oslo.

The President began his sermon with a greeting to the King and Queen: “We had looked forward to the King and Queen being with us today, but for reasons we all know, it was not possible. We send King Harald and Queen Sonja our warm greetings, and hope and pray for continued good recovery for the King.”

Olav Fykse Tveit also said: “Sometimes we are inspired to see the value and infinite value of all people by the way someone meets others or mentions others. We recognize such moments when we have them. For many of us, it has happened when we has listened to His Majesty King Harald. Then we were all embraced as Norwegians, no matter who we are, where we come from, what we believe in or who we love. These are words that have left traces in us as a human being and as a nation. These are words that build on what we have with us in our Christian and humanistic heritage, but which show what they must mean today, in our diverse society now. These words set a new standard in our understanding of our nation’s common values”

All bishops in the Church of Norway, President of the Parliament, President Tone W. Trøen, Prime Minister Erna Solberg and President of the Sami Parliament, President Aili Keskitalo were also present during the service together with Crown Prince Haakon.

Nidaros cathedral choir participated during the service. After the service, the Crown Prince attended a lunch in the Archbishop’s Palace in Trondheim.

Featured image: Crown Prince Haakon (Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen, Det kongelige hoff)

Norway: King Harald discharged from hospital following successful heart surgery

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – His Majesty King Harald of Norway was discharged from hospital on Monday following his successful heart-operation last Friday. The news was announced in a press release form the Royal Court on Monday afternoon.

The full statement form the Royal Court states: “The King is in good shape and is returning home from Rikshospitalet today, says the King’s life doctor, chief physician Bjørn Bendz at the Cardiovascular and Lung Clinic at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet.”

The King has now been transported away from the hospital to his villa in Holnmenkollen, Kongsseteren. The king will stay here as it is easier and he will not travel to the royal palace. Queen Sonja will also in the next week live with her husband, King Harald in the villa in Holmenkollen, which is otherwise used by the royal family as a winter residence and in connection with Christmas celebrations.

Kongsseteren is a property and timber lodge which is under the Norwegian Royal Family’s private ownership. King Haakon and Queen Maud received the property as a gift from the Norwegian people after their coronation in 1906. Some of the architecture details are inspired by the Norwegian farming tradition. Otherwise, it is built in New Baroque style. Besides being the Christmas home of the Royal Family, the building is most known for being the favourite residence of King Olav. The lodge is also known for being the place where Ari Behn proposed to Princess Märtha Louise in 2001.

On October 9th 2020, King Harald underwent surgery to replace a heart valve first operated on in 2005. His Majesty’s operation was successful. After the operation, the King was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit for further observation. His Majesty will be on sick leave through October. Messages about the King’s state of health will be sent out regularly in the near future.

The last time the King had heart surgery, the King was on sick leave for two months. It has been announced that the King this time will be on sick leave until October. A more detailed update on the king’s health is expected at the end of this month. Crown Prince Haakon takes over all his father’s duties for the rest of the month.

Norway: Queen Sonja hands over the “Queen Sonja Print Award”

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Irish-Canadian artist, Ciara Phillips, is this year’s recipient of the world’s leading graphics prize, “Queen Sonja Print Award”. Queen Sonja presented the award to the winner in a small ceremony at the Royal Palace on October 7th 2020. Queen Sonja received Ciara Phillips in an audience at the Palace before presenting the award during a lunch.

Queen Sonja said: “I am very pleased that the Queen Sonja Print Award 2020 goes to an artist who is as dedicated to graphics art. Ciara Phillips’ formal and social research in the field of graphics is both bold and unconventional and yet striking and aesthetic”.

Queen Sonja continued: “A unanimous jury is impressed by the power of Ciara Phillips’ commitment to graphics as a medium, by the boldness of her formal and social research in art, and by the maturity and solidity of her view of art and production in general. Her belief in collaboration, as it manifests in her ongoing project “Workshop”, springs from a set of political and aesthetic issues that she develops and elevates through a joint participation process.”

A total of 44 artists from around the world were nominated for the award this year. Curators, museums and artists from around the world were behind the nominations, which show the breadth of contemporary graphics. Both traditional methods and new approaches with installations, assemblies and performance have been represented among the nominees.

Ciara Phillips receives 400.000 Norwegian Crowns, aproximalty 40.000 US dollars and a stay at the Gallery “Atelje Larsen” in Helsingborg in Sweden. The Queen Sonja Print Award is considered the world’s leading award in graphic art and is awarded every other year.

Ciara Phillips lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland, and is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. She has been represented at a number of exhibitions both in the UK and internationally. In Norway she has held exhibitions in Stavanger and Bergen. Her ongoing art project “Workshop”, which started in 2010, was nominated for a Turner Prize in 2014. In 2021, exhibitions await in Sligo, Edinburgh and Limerick.


Queen Sonja and the winner Ciara Phillips. Photo: Sven Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court.

Featured image: Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen, Det kongelige hof

Norway: Crown Prince Haakon opens Norwegian parliament

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Today is a historic day for the Norwegian people. For the first time in 30 years, the solemn and traditional opening of the Norwegian Parliament has been made by a crown prince and not the king of the nation. In a shortened ceremony, due to the pandemic, Crown Prince Haakon opened the 156th session of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament. Queen Sonja was also present during the ceremony.

On September 25th 2020, it was announced that King Harald had been admitted to hospital in Oslo. The Norwegian Royal Family later confirmed it was because the King was having breathing difficulties. Covid-19 was ruled out after tests, and on Friday evening, the Royal Court released an update on the King’s health. They confirmed that the King was to be in hospital over the weekend and on sick leave until 4 October. This is the reason why King Harald did not open parliament this year.

The last time a crown prince opened the Storting was in 1990. Then, it was King Harald who opened the parliament as Crown Prince. His father, King Olav V, was then seriously ill and died only a few months later.

There was great excitement about whether Crown Prince Haakon would make the opening sitting on his Crown Prince’s throne or whether he will use the Norwegian Monarch’s throne, as he is the regent in his father’s absence. The Crown Prince ended up sitting on the King’s throne. It was also the first since 1990 that only two and not three thrones were placed in the parliament hall.

The ceremony began when Crown Prince Haakon and Queen Sonja left the Royal Palace. Escorted by police and soldiers, they travelled by car down the parade street to the parliament. Usually, several hundred soldiers are lined up as a guard of honour, but due to the COVID-19 danger, only a few soldiers attended. Some spectators had lined up to watch, but significantly fewer than usual.

Featured image: Opening of the parliament. (Stortinget via Flickr.)

Norway: Ari Behn’s urn buried in private ceremony

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – On Christmas Day 2019, Ari Behn, the former husband of Princess Martha Louise of Norway, took his own life. His funeral in Oslo Cathedral on January 3 was attend by royals from Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands and Crown Prince Haakon was one of the pallbearers.

On his birthday yesterday, September 30, Ari Behn was laid to rest at Our Savior’s Cemetery in Oslo. Behn was cremated. He was born on September 30, 1972 and would have turned 48 on Wednesday. It is still unclear who from the royal family attended the ceremony apart from Princess Martha.

In a short statement to the press, his former manager Geir Håkonsund wrote: “I can confirm that there has been a urn ceremony for Ari today. It is no coincidence that today’s date is chosen. It was a private ceremony.”

Wednesday evening, Ari Behns daughter, Leah Isadora published a moving post on Instagram with a picture of her and her father. Leah Isadora wrote: “9 months ago, my dad passed away from suicide. This has been and will always be the toughest tragedy me and my family have had to go through. I really don’t know what to say. I miss him so much and I wish that things were different. I have never really ever been open about this on social media, because I was scared and sharing my feelings seemed terrifying. Going through something like this made me feel so many emotions. So many thoughts that I will never ever be able to explain. I felt so broken inside and walked around feeling like it was all a dream and this wasn’t real or it didn’t happen. But it did. And I will never forget my dad. He was an amazing human with so many good intentions and always wanted everyone to have a good time. I loved him so much.”

She continues: “Going through all of this changed me. It has given me a whole different perspective in life, and if you love someone you tell them. You never know when you will lose them. Sometimes when I’m happy and I catch myself having fun, I stop and think. Do I deserve this? Am I allowed to feel like this? And of course I am. This didn’t make me stronger or brave, it made me realize how strong I already was. I miss you so much dad. Love you and Happy Birthday!”.

Ari Behn was married to Princess Martha Louise, the oldest child of King Harald and Queen Sonja from 2002 to 2017. They had three children together, Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora and Emma Tallulah. Shortly after the death of Ari Behn, King Harald said that it will take time to move on after the death. The King said: “It will take some time. Not a bit either, I think. We have three grandchildren who have lost their father. So it will take time.”

Norway: King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon inspect the Norwegian Royal Yacht

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – King Harald, accompanied by his son Crown Prince Haakon, announced the end of this year’s season for the Norwegian Royal Yacht “KS Norge”. This year, the ship has not been used as much in official contexts, due to the virus. In return, the ship has been used much more than usual by the royals privately, especially during the summer holidays. The ship was also in use last week, when Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit travelled along the southern Norwegian coast.

During the now ended summer season, the crew consisted of 53 people, 17 officers and 36 other crew members. During winter, the crew is reduced to a minimum of approximately 25 people. The duties are mainly guarding the ship and maintenance during the winter. In February, the vessel receives new officers and military crew who undergo theoretical and practical training for the upcoming season.

During the ceremony, on September 24th 2020, the King inspected this year’s crew. He also examined the ship and made sure everything was as it should be before having a short chat with the captain and another military commander on board the boat. The King then announced with his official approval that everything was as it should be and that the royal ship is officially ready to spend the winter in dock before the next season which will begin mid-May 2021.

The Royal Yacht has been used for many large celebrations before. When King Harald and Queen Sonja celebrated their 60th anniversary in summer 1997, royals from all over Europe participated in the event. The guests were invited on a trip from Trondheim to Lofoten and were accommodated aboard the Royal Yacht.

The Norwegian Royal Yacht is one of the world’s two remaining royal yachts. The other is the Danish Royal Yacht, Dannebrog; the British Royal Yacht, Britannia was decommissioned in 1997. The Royal Yacht was a gift from the people of Norway to King Haakon VII in 1947, purchased in the wake of a nationwide collection effort. The ship is owned by His Majesty The King but is manned and maintained by the Royal Norwegian Navy.

In July 1947, the British ship “Philante” was bought for 1.5 million Norwegian crowns and would later become the “Norge.” Before the King could use the boat, the ship had to be rebuilt. In the years that followed, King Haakon used the vessel on his journeys along the long Norwegian coast and travelled to foreign countries on board it. In June 1955, King Haakon used to ship on a visit to Molde. This was King Haakon’s last trip with the ship; he died in 1957.

King Olav took over the ship after his father’s death in 1957. King Olav followed his father’s traditions and used the royal boat both privately and officially. In the winter of 1985, the ship was to be repaired and upgraded at Horten Naval Base. During welding work, there was a fire that spread rapidly to the entire ship. When the fire was put out, the ship was completely scorched. The King decided that the vessel should be rebuilt.

One year after the fire, King Olav again took over the ship which was in far better technical condition than it had been before the inferno. King Harald took over the yacht upon King Olav’s death in 1991. King Harald actively uses the ship both in official journeys at home and abroad and as a private home when he participates in international regattas.

Featured image: His Majesty King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon during the inspection. (Sven G. Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court)

Norway: Princess Martha Louise and boyfriend Shaman Durek reunited after six months apart

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – For Princess Martha Louise’s birthday, her boyfriend Shaman Durek has made a surprise visit to Norway. The couple has been separated due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and has not been able to meet for the last six months. The birthday visit was announced on her Instagram by Princess Martha Louise as she turned 49 on September 22nd 2020.

Princess Martha Louise wrote on Instagram: “I love surprises. And the best surprise ever was you turning up for my birthday, Shaman Durek, after 6 long months of being apart. It has been so challenging yet wonderful to see how, even when not seeing each other, we have deepened our connection and understanding for each other. One of the main things this corona period has shown me, is that we humans are tougher than we think and can prevail anything, but it’s better when we have our loved ones close.”

Sham Durek posted the same photo of him and Princess Martha Louise on his Instagram with the following message: “I’m so happy to see you. It’s been really difficult for me being away from the woman I love. There were times where I struggled emotionally, however my love for you is enduring and I’m blessed by God to be with my angel on her birthday. Love you forever. Happy Birthday, baby.”

It is not known how long Durek will stay, but he will start his visit with a 10 day-long mandatory quarantine as he is coming from USA.

In June, the Princess posted a picture of herself and her boyfriend on her official Instagram account where she dealt with racism. The Princess then wrote: ” Being Shaman Durek ‘s girlfriend has given me a crash course in how white supremacy is at play and the way I have consciously and subconsciously thought of and acted towards black people. How I have taken my rights for granted – never looked properly at what racism really is, because it has been comfortable for me that the system is in place.”

Martha Louise of Norway is the daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja and was born on September 22nd 1971 in Oslo.

Featured image: Princess Martha Louise and boyfriend Shaman Durek  (Instagram/@iam_marthalouise)

Norway: Norway’s Crown Prince and Princess visit Florø and Stavanger

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – With events on Wednesday and Thursday this week, Crown Prince Haakon has concluded his tour of southern Norway to learn more about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected Norway.The Crown Prince’s goal is to learn more about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected various Norwegian industries and the Norwegian people.

Last week the journey started in Østfold, when the Crown Prince visited a virus test station. On Wednesday and Thursday the journey continued to Vestfold and Telemark. This week has been dedicated to Western Norway. Following a visit to Kristiansund on Tuesda, where the Crown Prince was accompanied by the Crown Princess, the couple also visited Florø together on Wednesday.

The royals, upon arrival in Florø, were given a briefing on how the pandemic has been handled in western Norway and the help provided through volunteering in the municipality. Afterwards, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess met with representatives of voluntary organizations. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess met a wide range of people involved in handball, football, local politics, games and hiking teams and heard about their experiences.

The Crown Prince Couple’s Fund launched the project “Move” in 2019. It is a life program for young people who want to use their free time to prepare for the future. Young people in the transition to upper secondary school meet in their spare time and get to test activities, make friends and become better acquainted with their own strengths. The Crown Prince Couple could, in Florø, see the results of parts of this project.

On Thursday the visit continued to the city of Stavanger. Oil and energy industries employ over 40,000 people in Rogaland, and the pandemic has affected the industry in many ways. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess visited Stavanger to listen to the experiences they have had and how they look at the future. Crown Prince Haakon met with representatives of the Business Association in the Stavanger region. Here, the Crown Prince heard presentations and entered into dialogue with representatives of various parts of the industry.

Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess joined the Crown Prince for the second part of the day`s program, when the trip went to Equinor, Rogaland’s largest and most important employer, and operator of around 60 % of all oil-production on the Norwegian shelf. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess heard directly from the oil-platform Johan Sverdrup, which has now been in operation for one year.

Featured image: The Crown Prince Couple in Florø. (Simen Sund / The Royal Court)

1...789...17Page 8 of 17