State Visit from Slovakia to Norway 4-6 June

[eya]

After the invitation from King Harald, Slovakia's President Andrej Kiska visit to Norway from 4 to 6 June 2018.

Slovakias president på statsbesøk til Norge 4. - 6. juni - kongehuset.no

The program of the visit

"The program includes official welcome ceremony at Slottsplassen Monday 4 June, followed by a wreckage ceremony at Akershus Fortress. Then visit the President Kiska the Parliament.

In the afternoon, the royal couple and president Kiska participate in the business building seminar "Building Smart Cities" in NHO's premises before President Kiska meets Prime Minister Erna Solberg. Then the president will meet the Slovak people living in Norway. Monday ends with gala dinner at the castle.

Tuesday 5 June starts with a visit to the Wilhelmsen group. Then, the Royal Host and President Kiska go to the Oslo Cancer Cluster, a research and industrial cluster in cancer diagnostics and medicine. In the afternoon, the Slovak president invites a special set-up of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's "Over Ability 2" at the National Theater with actors from the Slovak National Theater.

Bjørnson has a special place in the hearts of the Slovaks. When a new Hungarian law in 1907 prompted the Slovaks to speak Hungarian at school and in the church, Slovakian intellectuals appealed to the minority defender Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. He stepped heavily into the international press with support for the Slovaks and their right to their own language and identity, thereby contributing to international attention about the Slovaks case.

Wednesday 6th of June, Crown Prince Haakon accompanies President Kiska in Bergen. The program starts in Media City and continues to the Bjerknes Center for Climate"

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Thanks eya!

Royal Central article: Norway’s King Harald welcomes President Kiska of Slovakia next week – Royal Central

An announcement has been made by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry that King Harald has invited President Andrei Kiska of Slovakia for a State Visit next week, he is due to visit Norway between the 4th and 6th June. This is the first official visit of a Slovakian President, but it does follow a visit to Slovakia in October 2010 by King Harald and Queen Sonja when they were guests of the then President Gašparovič.

The television-coverage:

With the exception of state/official visits from the UK and US, other state visits are almost not covered at all (not even the state visits from Japan in 2005 or from Spain in 2006).

State and royal official visits from the UK:
The channels went crazy and sent most of the day during QEII's state visit in 2001, the Cornwalls official visit in 2012 and the Cambridges official visit in 2018.

State and official visits from the US President:
The channels sent a great deal during Bill Clinton's Middle East peace summit visit in 1999 (the first day was described as a state visit) and Obama's Nobel Peace Prize visit in 2009, but not on the same scale, as we see for the royal visits from the UK.

This state visit:
Well, TV2 News Channel will hopefully send the procession and the King's speech live, as they've done since they come on air in January 2007.

And NTB Scanpix will of course give us some photos, a video of the King's speech and perhaps a video of the procession.

Will the Norwegian media provide us with live feeds who works outside Norway? Well, that would surprise me, especially since they have not done so for other state visits.

NRK and sometimes TV2, VG, NTB & Dagbladet only provides live feeds for the big annual events, such as the May 17th celebrations, the Stortingsdinner (gala dinner for the parliament), the Opening of the Storting, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and big national events as the Regent Couple's Birthday and Jubilee celebrations. - They also provided us with live feeds of all the events during the Cambridges visit in February, but that was only done because it was a visit from the future monarch/consort of the most famous and prestigious monarchy in the world.

 

[iceflower]

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Here are some first photos of the welcome ceremony and reception today, June 4:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 ** Pic 7 ** Pic 8 ** Pic 9 ** profimedia gallery **

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

The gala dinner started now at 20:00 (19:00 in the UK). - Here's some more information:

Some of these photos are not the same as those I posted in the ''Annual Gala for Stortinget'' thread in October, last year. So therefore you should take some time to look at them, and get a glimpse of what I consider to be the most beautiful palace in Scandinavia:

The guests will be greeted by the King and Queen, the President, the CP couple, and Princess Astrid in Speilsalen (the Music Hall). - Photos of the room: photo 1 - photo 2

They will then walk into the Smal Dining Room. - Photos of the room: photo 1 - photo 2 - photo 3

And then into the Smal Ballroom. - Photos of the room: photo 1 - photo 2

And then into the The Great Ballroom. - Photos of the room: photo 1 - photo 2 - photo 3

And then into the Banqueting Hall. - Photos of the room: photo 1 - photo 2 - photo 3 - photo 4

This was only the reception rooms, there are several beautiful drawing rooms as well.

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Will the Norwegian media provide us with live feeds who works outside Norway? Well, that would surprise me, especially since they have not done so for other state visits.

NRK and sometimes TV2, VG, NTB & Dagbladet only provides live feeds for the big annual events, such as the May 17th celebrations, the Stortingsdinner (gala dinner for the parliament), the Opening of the Storting, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and big national events as the Regent Couple's Birthday and Jubilee celebrations. - They also provided us with live feeds of all the events during the Cambridges visit in February, but that was only done because it was a visit from the future monarch/consort of the most famous and prestigious monarchy in the world.

Well, to my not so great surprise, they didn't.

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Read more about the television-coverage of state visits to Norway in post 2.

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BTW, I am in the UK right now, but I'm watching TV2 News Channel live via my TV2 Sumo subscription, and they are not sending anything.

 

[Ilse]

What a beautiful interior!

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Yes, I know:

Photos from the gala dinner this evening:

The Queen and the President:
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53c51

The King and CP MM:
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53c88

CP Haakon and Princess Astrid:
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53c53

From inside the Banqueting Hall:
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53def
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53d10
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53e17
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53dcf
https://scanpix.no/spWebApp/preview/editorial/tce53e77

 

[wartenberg7]

The Queen does not wear her St.-Olav-sash...?!


Obviously the Slovaks only give away an order to the head-of-state!

 

[Mary-Rose]

The Queen does not wear her St.-Olav-sash...?!


Obviously the Slovaks only give away an order to the head-of-state!

Queen Sofia received the Order of the White Double Cross in 2007

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

The Queen does not wear her St.-Olav-sash...?!


Obviously the Slovaks only give away an order to the head-of-state!

Well, the first grade of the order consists of the Grand Cross-badge with a sash, star, and ribbon bar - i.e. the one that the King has been given.
The second grade of the order, which the Queen has been given, consists of the Grand Officer-badge with a necklet, star (which she's wearing BTW), and ribbon bar.
But why doesn't she wear her St. Olav Grand Cross-badge with sash, since there are no sash with her Slovak order? Well, I'm told that she doesn't do that when she has an order from the visiting head of state (although, she is wearing her St. Olav Star).

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Royal House article with google translation of today's events: Statsbesøk fra Slovakia - kongehuset.no - translation

Text of the King's speech at the gala dinner this evening: State visit from Slovakia: Gala dinner - The Royal House of Norway

Video of the King's speeech:

 

[Mbruno]

The Queen does not wear her St.-Olav-sash...?!


Obviously the Slovaks only give away an order to the head-of-state!

She appears to be wearing the dame’s bow insignia and the star. I don’t know why she isn’t wearing the sash, but probably she has been given a Slovakian order at a rank that is equivalent only to a commander and does not come with a sash.

 

[Countessmeout]

There are three classes, of the order. Only the 1st class has a sash, the second and third have a necklet and star.

According to her bio, Sonja was bestowed the 2nd class order.

https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=34906&sek=34893

It always seems odd to me to see a president without a spouse with them, when married. But it seems the first lady never appears with her husband at public events. She focusses on raising their young children.

 

[eya]

And The second day of the visit

Bjørnson i slovakisk tapning - kongehuset.no

 

[iceflower]

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On the final day of the state visit, Crown Prince Haakon and President Andrej Kiska visited Media City Bergen and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research today, June 6:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** kongehuset.no: Avsluttet i Bergen **

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Here are three Royal House articles in English:

State Visit from Slovakia - The Royal House of Norway

His Excellency President Andrej Kiska of Slovakia began a three-day State Visit to Norway today. Their Majesties The King and Queen welcomed the President in the Palace Square.

Bjørnson in a Slovakian rendition - The Royal House of Norway

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson played a prominent role on the second day of the State Visit of His Excellency President Andrej Kiska of Slovakia to Norway. Norway’s eminent national poet-playwright is remembered with great fondness in Slovakia.

Concluded in Bergen - The Royal House of Norway

Today, His Excellency President Andrej Kiska of Slovakia concluded his State Visit to Norway. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon accompanied the President for the final day of his visit, which took place in Bergen.

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Well, due to the ridiculous small media coverage (and the fact that I'm in the UK), it hasn't been that easy to follow this state visit. - But from what I've seen/read, it seems to have been a successful visit for both countries, and the Regent couple appeared to be in good spirits on some of the photos.