H.M. KONGENS TALE VED GALLAMIDDAG PÅ SLOTTET 10. MAI 2005
The King speaks at Gala dinner at Palace.
Your Majesties, your royal highnesses. It is with great anticipation and happiness that we the Royal Family have put into place this visit
In the year, 1905, representatives of both Sweden and Norway put forth our parting in history. It is therefore a special visit for us all.
In Norway, we both mark and celebrate this year. We mark the hundred years since the dissolution of the union. We celebrate that it happened in a peaceful way and that the cooperation and lasting peace that we have had since was impressed in our connections.
Such a dissoluation can serve as an example for our time. The road from conflict and war to peace and prosperity goes through negotiation and compromise.
When we take a look back at the 91 years that went from 1814-1905, there is no doubt that the time of the union with Sweden was very much a time, for Norway, of wide growth and development.
There was a rise and growth in Norwegian shipping. There was big and important Swedish investment in Norwegian mining and industry. Sweden and Norway grew together through the work of immigrants, family ties, business activity and practical cooperation over the border. We retained, however, our own constitution, national assembly, government, army and public administration.
The union with Sweden was also a time for language and national consciousness formation. It was for us a cultural bloom in literature and in painting unlike any other time in our history.
The historians have noted that if conflict between Sweden in Norway in 1905 had not happened as it did, Sweden and Norway may not have been a part of the modernization of Europe. For too much time and cancer would have been used for political strife.
In the 100 years since 1905, we have wide community developmen and friendship. Sweden and Norway have become the world´s best neighbors! The glue in this uniquely close relationship is the deep and profound contact across Europe´s longest and oldest border.
The Swedish-Norwegian Cooperation is not limited to certain sectors. It is not hard to take for granted that on the long path all is completely understood. I for my part can not as a matter of fact see for myself something in the area where we will not have contact.
In the area of sports there are has been some variances in concerns over whomever is leading at the moment both in the winter and summer sports. There is great joy in being able to state that we have now clearly beaten Sweden in football! It has been many years since that last happened. It has not happened in Sweden since 1951.
Also internationally there is cooperation between our two good and changing countries. It is true but sometimes there is a little formal distinction in the connection but yet with very many common meeting places.
Of course, we can also have unlikely opinions and objectives. We will not sweep underneath the carpet that there can arose between us disagreements in the Nordic region but also regionally and globally. But disagreement is natural and all too familiar. It is as important that we all try to loosen the problems and not make them greater than they are. And all through dialogue.
Your majesties,
From a Norwegian stand, there are 3 main objectives for the marking of the Hundred Years.
We wish to see the period of the union with new and fresh eyes. What did the union mean for both nations? What happened in 1905? There is coming forward exciting and historic research that is trying to map out all of this.
Another interesting question is what importance had there been for both Sweden and Norway that the dissolution had a peaceful time. The peaceful dimension that had later impressed on all of us in the two political nations became for many ways inserted in Swedish and Norwegian foreign policy in 1905. There is a tradition in either nations that can be proud of and which both Sweden and Norway as in so many connections has carried on in development and strength.
The marking of the hundred years will besides contribute to bring forth a period of work on knowledge to both our two nations and to our two peoples. There is happening a newly creative and exciting time in both Sweden and Norway!
Even if the Swedish-Norwegian connection today is tight, there is still room for further development and communication. There are no doubts at least that there is cooperation between the regions, the counties and the municipalities. A good example is the cooperation between the Göteborg and Oslo regions which will be able to receive an important period of work in the years to come.
Your majesties,
Nothing is a better symbol of the close contact between us than the new bridge-link over Svinesund which we earlier today had opened together with joy. This new bridge is a picture of the outstretched hand between the two nations.
The marking of the hundred years makes it possible for us together to lift upwards the level of Swedish-Norwegian links to a whole new place. We place also the foundation for an even closer and tighter cooperation in the years to come.
I am entirely sure that the young generation of Swedes and Norwegians will maintain the task at hand in an excellent manner. Children are curious and are able to be creatively resourceful. Many have clear opinions on history and public enterprise. Their answers as to who King is are not particularly inspiring though. Unni Lindell has interviewed children between the ages of 5-10.
Tobias, 8 years old, said the following, "The Majesty is the father of the King. He has a smarter brain but he understands less yet."
Here is the the clearest potential for improvement for the next hundred years!
Let us together bring forth a "Skål" for Swedish-Norwegian links! For what it has meant in the past, for what it represents today and for what it possibly will do for us in the future.
