King Harald V and Queen Sonja dressed themselves in casual outdoor clothing and sat outside their timber lodge in the hills above Oslo to send highly unusual greetings to Norwegians Friday afternoon, as they all embarked on highly unusual Easter holidays in the middle of the Corona crisis. Armed with a thermos full of gløgg […]
King Harald urges unity and confidence
March 16, 2020
“We’re in this together, and together we’ll get through what lies ahead,” King Harald V declared in a surprise televised address to the nation Sunday night about the Corona virus crisis . Norway’s 83-year old monarch described the current crisis situation in the country as “unreal, strange and disturbing to all of us.” “We can’t […]
Royal appeal from quarantined king
March 12, 2020
UPDATED: “Our country is in a serious situation that is striking individuals and our entire society,” warned King Harald V on Thursday. As Corona virus infection soared to 621 confirmed cases, up by 163 in the past 24 hours, the monarch urged full and complete cooperation with all special preventive measures being put in place. […]
Royals wrap up visit to Jordan
March 4, 2020
King Harald V and Queen Sonja ended a three-day state visit to Jordan on Wednesday, their first official visit to the Middle East. The royal couple hailed Jordan’s efforts to take in thousands of refugees from Syria, and seek solutions to conflicts in the region. Just as debate has reignited over Norway’s refusal to take in […]
King Harald released from hospital
January 15, 2020
UPDATED: Norway’s 82-year-old monarch, King Harald V, was released from the national hospital in Oslo on Wednesday after a week-long stay. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, will continue to serve as regent until the monarch’s sick leave ends, probably after another week. In a press release last Wednesday evening, palace staff wrote that King Harald, […]
Behn funeral drew crowds, appeals
January 3, 2020
Funeral services for Norwegian author and artist Ari Behn were held at the Oslo Cathedral on Friday, attended by the entire royal family, government leaders and more than 800 others who lined up outside to get in. His suicide on Christmas Day has transformed how Norway deals with suicide, leading to more openness and an […]
New Year speeches all addressed suicide
January 2, 2020
King Harald, Prime Minister Erna Solberg and the president of Norway’s Sami Parliament, Aili Keskitalo, all tackled the difficult issue of suicide in their traditional New Year addresses to the nation. King Harald won praise for what was called his “serious, warm, but authoritative” message to the Norwegian people. The monarch, stunned by his own […]
Royals adorn ‘real’ homes nationwide
December 31, 2019
PHOTO FEATURE: So much for all the recent hype about uncluttered Norwegian design, architecturally spectacular homes in Norway, and criticism of the Norwegian monarchy. A new book offers rare insight into how Norwegians really live, and how affection for the royals through generations is reflected in homes from north to south and in between. The […]
Tributes pour in after Behn’s death
December 27, 2019
UPDATED: Impromptu memorials in front of Norway’s Royal Palace, countless messages on social media, condolences from top politicians and plans for a torchlight parade in his hometown of Moss were among the tributes pouring in after author Ari Behn’s suicide on Christmas Day. The former royal son-in-law may well have been as overwhelmed as his […]
Tragedy shatters royals’ holidays
December 25, 2019
Both Norway’s royal family and many Norwegians as well were stunned on the Christmas Day holiday when the family of Princess Martha Louise’s ex-husband, Ari Behn, announced that Behn had “taken his own life” earlier in the day. The announcement also broke new ground in a country that’s always been reluctant to report or otherwise […]
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