SEE THE PHOTOS: This year’s celebration of Norway’s annual Constitution Day holiday on the 17th of May will go down in history for its cancelled parades, scaled-down ceremonies and Corona virus-induced social distancing. It remained festive in the capital, though, as Norwegians made the best of a difficult situation. Spirits were definitely raised when the […]
Royals went on display after all
May 17, 2020
After weeks of announcements that the royal family wouldn’t be waving to the masses as usual on the 17th of May, King Harald V and some of his closest family members made an appearance anyway. Then they set off on a surprise drive around Oslo in open vintage cars, including a swing through the grounds of […]
Secrets swirled around the 17th
May 15, 2020
UPDATED: Norway’s most important holiday of the year was heading into the history books as Norwegians prepared for their strangest 17th of May ever. No one even knew where King Harald V would be spending the Corona-hit holiday that celebrates Norway’s constitution and independence, as events were kept secret to keep crowds from gathering. With […]
Royals send some encouraging words
April 3, 2020
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 […]
CURRENCY RATES