PHOTO FEATURE: Norway’s King Harald V was once again on the throne this week that’s only used once a year, when the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) ceremoniously opens for its annual session. Royal pomp and traditions were carefully retained, also after months of both political and royal scandals.
King Harald had his wife of 56 years, Queen Sonja, and his 51-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, by his side at the opening of Norway’s 169th parliamentary session on Wednesday. Brilliant weather outdoors had allowed the king and queen to arrive in the royal family’s classic Lincoln Continental convertible, the same car that the couple rode in when they married in 1968, now with police helicopters whirring overhead. PHOTO: Stortinget/Hans Kristian Thorbjørnsen
It had taken some time for the 87-year-old monarch to carefully walk into Parliament, accompanied by security guards on each side and a royal procession right behind. King Harald has had a rough year of illness, family drama and declining support for the monarchy in public opinion polls, but he seemed determined to carry on his formal “opening day” duties that are carefully orchestrated. It’s the only time the monarch enters the building where Norwegian laws are made, apart from special occasions when no actual political work is carried out. PHOTO: Stortinget/Simen Prestaasen
The royals then traditionally shake hands with all members of the current Labour-Center government before heading into the Parliament’s main chamber, where all Members of Parliament were waiting in formal dress or national costumes. This is the current government’s last year in its four-year term, before national elections will be held again next September, and they’re already running hard for re-election. PHOTO: Stortinget/Peter Mydske
The Parliament is always a special place on opening day, ceremoniously decorated and with all members standing in place at their seats while the monarch reads the government’s address known as the Trontale, which sets its agenda for the coming year. The goverment’s seats (at center-right) are empty because all government ministers are standing at attention at lower left. To the left of them are invited members of the diplomatic corps in Oslo. The queen and crown prince also stood while King Harald read from his podium, as did members of the press and the leaders of all state directorates (center left). The balcony is also full of invited guests, members of the Supreme Court and other officials. PHOTO: Stortinget/Simen Prestaasen
In the middle of it all is the president of Norway’s Parliament, currently Masud Gharahkhani of the Labour Party, who delivers his own address and leads the singing of both the Norwegian equivalent of “God save the King” and the national anthem. Gharahkhani also had a special greeting this year to the now-former secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, a former Labour prime minister who just ended his extended term after 10 years in Brussels. “Dear Jens, welcome home,” said Gharahkhani. And when the roughly 40-minute opening session was over, all traditionally remained sitting until receiving a signal that the monarch had left the building. Then business can begin. PHOTO: Stortinget/Morten Brakestad
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
