King and Queen mark Swedish-Finnish Bicentennial
TM King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia have completed an official visit to neighbouring Finland, in celebration of the two countries’ division in 1809, following the Finnish War which saw Finland lost to the Tsar of Russia. This bicentennial was celebrated in both nations, with national committees set up to organise the events collectively known as “Märkesåret 1809″ in Sweden and “Finland 1809 – Kansakuntaa rakentamaan” in Finland.
Click above to view the Finnish Presidential website
The King and Queen were invited by President Tarja Halonen, who greeted the Royal Couple at her official summer residence Kultaranta upon their arrival on August 25th. The President’s husband, Dr Pentti Arajärvi, was also on hand for the welcoming ceremony. The group then moved on to Turku, via the Kultaranta VIII (the Presidential yacht), for a lunch at Turku Castle. This was followed by a seminar at the Åbo Akademi University, where the Royal Couple had a chance to brush up on their knowledge of the 1809 war.
The party then continued to the STX shipyard, where a visit on board the Oasis of the Seas cruise liner was scheduled. This gave an opportunity for photographers to catch King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia in hardhats, and get a look inside the future largest cruise liner in the world. President Halonen hosted a private crayfish dinner at Kultaranta in the evening, which was also attended by the Finnish Minster for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Housing.
The following day, August 26th, the quadruplet traveled by train to Tampere, where they visited a Swedish school and the Moominvalley of the Tampere Art Museum. A lunch at the Tampere City Hall was also organised, and the Royal and Presidential couples both appeared on the balcony of the City Hall to greet well-wishers. Following the luncheon, a visit to the Finlayson factory took place.
Click here to view the visit thread at TRF.
