The Royal Palace and Castles

[hrhcp]

Also, what does the inside M/S Norge look like. That is quite an old ship by the way? Is it a twin of the Danneborg?

Palace greenhouses up in flames

A new gardening complex on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Oslo was destroyed by fire early Monday. Police suspect an arsonist set the greenhouses ablaze.

There wasn't much left of the royal greenhouses after a fire swept through them early Monday.

PHOTO: CORNELIUS POPPE / SCANPIX
The fire broke out around 4:30am but it started in two places on opposite sides of the 550-square-meter large gardening facility. That's why police suspect the blaze was intentionally set.

A police spokesman said yet another alarm came in early Monday that someone had tried to burn some outdoor furniture in front of the nearby Hotel Continental. That gave rise to fears that an arsonist was on the loose, but no one was apprehended.

The palace's gardening center already was in flames when fire-fighting crews arrived on the scene. It took nearly an hour before the flames were extinguished, and then the greenhouses were little more than a pile of twisted and charred metal.

The center took care of all gardening around the palace itself, along with the grounds of royal properties on the Bygdoey Peninsula.

It also raised flowers and plants for interior use, and staff was bemoaning the loss of large poinsettias that were being nurtured for the holiday season.

Palace officials had no comment on the fire, referring inquiries to the police. (Aftenpost)

[norwegianne]

If you're ever in Oslo, during the summer, I believe that the Palace gives a limited number of tours through some of the official rooms some days. I don't know the specifics.Go to: http://www.kongehuset.no/default.asp?lang=eng and press on the Royal Palace button. They have something called a Guided tour. (I don't have the right plug-in, so I can't see it, but you should try.)

Bout the Royal Yacht from http://www.kongehuset.no

The Royal Yacht NORGE was the Norwegian people's gift to King Haakon VII in 1947. NORGE is owned by the King but maintained and manned by the Royal Norwegian Navy. The Royal Standard is flown when the King is on board.

History:
When Prince Carl of Denmark, a naval officer, agreed to be elected to the vacant throne of Norway in 1905, he was promised a royal yacht. Due to Norway´s difficult economic situation after the dissolution of the union with Sweden, it never materialized. By 1913, as King Haakon, he had decided to build a yacht at his own expense if the country would undertake to man and maintain it. Two world wars intervened. Afterwards a nation-wide appeal was made for funds to purchase a yacht for the respected and ageing king who had become a truly national symbol. In July 1947 the British motor yacht PHILANTE, built in 1937 for Sir Thomas Sopwith and used for Atlantic duty as a convoy escort vessel during World War II, was bought by Norway in time for a model to be made for the king's 75th birthday. After refitting was finished in 1948, King Haakon was finally able to take over his royal yacht, which was renamed NORGE.

With NORGE King Haakon was able to visit isolated communities along the whole length of the Norwegian coast, as well as many places abroad on official visits - not only neighbouring countries but also for example England, The Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany.

King Olav took over NORGE after his father in 1957 and a 10-year plan was adopted to upgrade the hull and technical equipment. The King followed the traditions introduced by King Haakon, using NORGE on both official and private occasions. In 1985 during welding operations on board when NORGE was docked for repair, a fire broke out with disastrous consequences, though fortunately the hull and engines survived. King Olav decided the ship was to be rebuilt, and a year later he was once more able to take over NORGE, with a higher standard of safety and better technical equipment than before the fire.

When King Olav died in 1991, NORGE was taken over by King Harald. There are now only two royal yachts in the world: NORGE and the Danish DANNEBROG.

Manning:
The royal yacht NORGE is owned by HM The King. A Royal Decree of 1947 provides that the ship shall be manned, operated and maintained by the Defence Forces. NORGE has a gross tonnage of 1628 and a maximum cruising speed of 16 knots, and is 264 ft long. In summer the complement of officers and crew is 54. The season begins when the King embarks in mid-June and ends when he disembarks in late September. In winter the complement is reduced to about 20, mainly for watch duty and maintenance. In February the new recruits begin theoretical and practical training for the coming season.

NORGE today:
The sailing schedule for the Royal Yacht varies from year to year. Some of the ship's activities are connected with HM The King's participation in regattas, for example in recent years in Polish, Spanish and British waters. When the King is competing in major international yacht races, he uses NORGE as a base. The King and Queen also make use of the Royal Yacht for official events in Norway and abroad: for example for the Southern Norway Royal Tour after the Consecration Service in 1991 and for the Northern Norway Royal Tour in 1992. When Their Majesties celebrated their 60th birthdays in the summer of 1997, royalty from the whole of Europe joined in a coastal cruise on board NORGE, the Danish royal yacht DANNEBROG and the naval ship, HNoMS HORTEN. The comprehensive upkeep of NORGE is carried out in the winter months by the ship's deck and engine crew. The ship is subject to Veritas control. The ship's officers and crew will be responsible for executing the plans and projects to renovate the ship's galleys and refrigerated storage rooms before summer 2000.

[norwegianne]

The other royal residences are:
Oscarshall, owned by the public
Gamlehaugen, in Bergen, owned by the Public
Stiftsgården in Trondheim, owned by the public
Ledaal in Stavanger, owned by the public
Bygdø Kongsgård, owned by the public.

Several of the above also give guided tours, and are open to the public at various times. I've been to Ledaal, and seen the bed the king is supposed to sleep in when he visits. (He doesn't because it's too short.)

Skaugum, privately owned.
Kongseteren, privately owned
Prinsehytta, privately owned
Mågerø, privately owned
Bloksbjerg, privately owned

[hrhcp]

The Royal Family lives in a number of buildings and a ship provided to them by the State, and I happen to know they own also a slew of private residences.

Any chance that the respective builidngs can be connected here, via links?

Any chance of showing picture links of what these buildings look like from the exterior and the interior?

Any chance of showing picture links of what part of the countryside can be seen from these buildings? Like, from the Royal Lodge, do they see the other side of the valley? What part of the sound do they see from Skagaum?

Are all the buildings located in the Oslo area?

Do they have any buildings near the border, like their Swedish 'cousins'??

[lala22]

http://members5.boardhost.com/Mette-.../msg/5483.html

http://www.kongehuset.no/ Also with surround video

http://www.reisenett.no/facts/government/slott.html#6

http://www.norway.org.uk/info/residence/residence.htm

Not as much information compared to other royal houses.

[hrhcp]

lala22  Posted: May 29th, 2004 - 3:28 pm

http://members5.boardhost.com/Mette-.../msg/5483.html

Nice links. Thanks, lala22.

Now.... this is a dream home:
Gamlehaugen

[lala22]

A dream for a haunting mystery. B)

[carina_antonsen]

I read a book about european royalty,written by a famous royal-watcher / journalist. He said that the palace in olso is propably the most beautiful royal palace in all of europe..I wonder if its true.I heard they often re-decorate the place,and I heard that the last time it turned out to be very expensive..
But still, is it true?can someone post pictures of the inside of the palace?

[norwegianne]

Often and often. I wouldn't say that redecorating/renovating every 50 years or so is often. And the things they do are mostly things that are necessary, because the palace has not been kept up well. There was talk about the last renovating job being too expensive, but the place did need renovating.

It is a beautiful palace. If you go here: http://www.kongehuset.no/default.asp?lang=eng and press on the Royal palace link, you might find out more about it. They even have a virtual tour.

[norwegianne]

I think Oscarshall look pretty nice too. Perfect for lazy, yet formal, summers by the fjord...

http://www.kongehuset.no/dt_kongehus...=4&gid=79&aid=

[kittencrews]

Does anybody know about the Cannabis plant found at the palace in Oslo??

[mixer2002de]

Maybe the wanted a homemade joint ;-) ?

[Mandy]

Here is the article from http://www.aftenposten.no/english/

Cannabis plants removed from palace park

A surreptitious patch of cannabis plants tended on the fringe of the park surrounding the royal palace in central Oslo has been discovered after an alert call from newspaper Vårt Land. The annual plants were sown in the spring but will not be completing their life cycle.

Botanical gardener Steinar Volden confirmed the identification of the plants, which can be used to produce hashish or marijuana, after seeing Vårt Land's photographs of the cannabis bed on the edge of the park. The paper then called the palace.

"Cannabis plants in the palace park? I have to check this," information consultant Sven Gjeruldsen at the royal court told the paper. An hour later the court assured the paper that the plants had been removed and destroyed.

(Aftenposten English Web Desk)

[kittencrews]

ha ha... thanks for that article

[Josefine]

any good photos of the palaces

[LaMinka]

Please post pics and info of the palaces/castles

[LaMinka]

Private Ownership:
Skaugum, Asker
Kongsseteren, the Royal Lodge, Oslo
Prinsehytta, the Royal Mountain Chalet, Sikkilsdalen
Mågerø, Tjøme
Bloksberg, Hankø

Public Ownership
Several of the residences used by HM The King and the Royal Family are placed at their disposal, but are actually owned by the State. Apart from the Royal Palace in Oslo, this applies to Bygdøy Royal Farm and the "pleasure palace" of Oscarshall. Stiftsgården in Trondheim and Gamlehaugen in Bergen are state-owned properties which are at the disposal of HM The King and the Royal Family. Ledaal in Stavanger is owned by the municipality of Stavanger.

Bygdøy Royal Farm, Bygdøy
Oscarshall, Oslo-fjorden
Stiftsgården, Trondheim
Gamlehaugen, Bergen
Ledaal, Stavanger

http://www.kongehuset.no

[LaMinka]

More Pics of Gamlehaugen Palace:
http://www.touristphoto.no/images/B...N_02_003755.jpg
http://www.statsbygg.no/aapentrom/a...amlehaugen4.jpg

http://www.statsbygg.no/aktuelt/int...lehaugen360.jpg
http://www.statsbygg.no/aarsberetning2000/img/eiendom/gamlehaugen.JPG

http://home.c2i.net/stigmh/eivindwh/bergen/graphics/gmlehaug.jpg
http://www.gamlehaugen.no/hovedbygn.jpg

http://www.ba.no/multimedia/archive/00528/Gamlehaugen_leserbi_528695e.jpg
http://www.touristphoto.no/images/BERGEN%20B/GMLHAUGEN_01_003755.jpg

http://www.heiselberg.no/foto/b&w/gamlehaugen_l.gif
http://www.andycam.net/top10/IMG_0135.JPG

[LaMinka]

Pics of Mageroe:
http://www.nrk.no/img/278144.jpeg
http://gfx.dagbladet.no/nyheter/200...ngehyttesak.jpg