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 […]
Mette-Marit regrets her ties to Epstein
December 2, 2019
Crown Princess Mette-Marit publicly apologized on Monday for having had several meetings with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Norway’s Royal Palace finally confirmed the meetings to newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN), which also has revealed how Epstein donated large amounts of money to the International Peace Institute in New York that’s run […]
Princess’ shaman issues apology
October 28, 2019
Durek Verrett, the self-appointed “shaman” who’s romantically involved with Norway’s Princess Martha Louise, has now apologized for “generalizing Norwegians” when he reacted angrily to how local publishing companies won’t put out his new book. In it, Verrett claims that cancer is “self-inflicted” and a result of not wanting to live any longer. “I made some […]
Hopes and tension at liberation jubilee
October 25, 2019
On the eve of Friday’s ceremonies marking the Soviet liberation of Finnmark in 1944 came word that a Russian commission was recommending a pardon for convicted Norwegian spy Frode Berg. As hopes rose for Berg’s release, however, Russia uleashed harsh criticism of Norwegian defense policy, marring the Norwegian delegation’s long-planned meetings with Russian Foreign Minister […]
Tradition reigns at Parliament opening
October 2, 2019
PHOTO: FEATURE: All the preparations and timing are carefully planned, right down to the smallest detail. See the Norwegian Parliament’s own photos of its annual, highly formal and traditional opening ceremonies. There’s a certain amount of “re-furnishing” needed before the Parliament (Stortinget) opens after the long summer recess. The president’s podium and speaker boxes are […]
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