Hundreds of thousands of Norwegians could take off on an unusually long weekend that began Wednesday night and continues through Monday. That’s as long as the annual Easter holiday weekend, made possible simply because of how the calendar falls this year. It’s based around the post-Easter Ascension Day (called Kristi himmelfartsdag in Norwegian), which has […]
‘Atlantic Crossing’ crossed the Atlantic
April 8, 2021
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) has confirmed that its dramatization of Crown Princess Martha’s role during World War II is “mostly fiction.” The NRK series Atlantic Crossing has now been aired on PBS’ venerable Masterpiece Theater in the US, where hundreds of thousands of Norwegian-Americans may not be aware that it’s far from being factually correct. When […]
King offers more encouragement
March 26, 2021
A casually dressed King Harald V sent some royal encouragement and sympathy to Norwegians struggling with the ongoing Corona crisis on Friday. Hundreds of thousands would normally be taking off on Easter holidays this weekend, but now they’re either stuck at home or hytter where they’re not allowed to have guests or traditional family gatherings. […]
War hero and royal spouse dies at 98
March 10, 2021
Erling Lorentzen came from a wealthy family, fought in the Norwegian Resistance during World War II, launched a shipping and industrial career in Brazil and married King Harald’s older sister, Princess Ragnhild. His family informed the Royal Palace this week that Lorentzen died at his home in Oslo on Tuesday, after a long and adventurous […]
King turned 84 on sick leave
February 21, 2021
The canons roared at midday on Sunday and flags flew on all public buildings, along with lots of private ones as well. It was all part of the official marking of King Harald V’s 84th birthday, but there were no big parties. That’s because the monarch is still out on sick leave that recently was […]
King quietly marks 30 years on throne
January 18, 2021
It’s been 30 years since King Harald V became Norway’s monarch after his father, the popular King Olav, suffered a fatal heart attack while watching the Gulf War break out live on TV. Now the world is in the midst of a war against a virus, halting public celebrations of Harald’s reign, so he and […]
King offers hope and some consolation
January 1, 2021
It was probably one of the most direct and news-related royal holiday addresses ever: King Harald V used his annual speech to the nation on New Year’s Eve to console and support Norwegians after the country’s worst year since the Nazi German occupation during World War II. The monarch wasted no time in addressing the […]
Broadcast council cross with ‘Atlantic Crossing’
November 25, 2020
Norway’s national broadcasting council unleashed some harsh criticism on Wednesday against NRK’s series about the late Crown Princess Märtha’s war years in the US. The council claims NRK and the creators of “Atlantic Crossing” took too many artistic liberties with history, although several members were supportive. The series has sparked sharp debate in Norway as […]
Storm rages over ‘Atlantic Crossing’
November 23, 2020
An estimated 1 million Norwegians settled down in front of their televisions Sunday evening to watch the latest episode of “Atlantic Crossing,” state broadcaster NRK’s new series about Crown Princess Märtha’s exile years in the US during World War II. Viewers are drawn not only by royal glamour and dramatic war history, but also by […]
King and queen in Corona quarantine
November 19, 2020
King Harald and Queen Sonja were both in Corona quarantine Thursday evening, after an employee at the Royal Palace in Oslo was confirmed as being infected with the Corona virus. The royal quarantine comes just weeks after King Harald underwent a heart operation and was on sick leave through last month. The 83-year-old monarch just […]
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