King Harald And Queen Sonja Visit Asia: October & November 2004
The King and Queen of Norway arrived in Singapore, where they are expected to attend a dinner at the Norwegian ambassador's residence. They will then visit the country, proceeding onwards to Vietnam on Sunday.
1) King Harald and Queen Sonja with Singapore's President Sellapan Ramanathan and his wife Urmila Nandey
and some pics admiring Orchids, Singapore's national flower during a tour of the National Orchid Garden, where Queen Sonja had an orchid named after her, called 'Queen Sonja Orchid'
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"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."--P&P
Today The King and The Queen will begin their official visit to Viet Nam.They will stay there from 1th Nov. to 5th Nov. by the invitation of Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong.
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"God save our Gracious Queen,
Long live our Noble Queen,
God save The Queen"
God save Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
yee, they are visiting my country..It is a beatiful country...but I have never been there before..I saw the pictures on the satalite so...King Harald is a very tall man, in comparison to those tiny vietnamese people..haha.
i saw the queen opening a exhebition or something for modern art. A lot of Norwegian/Or western people were travelling with them. Very nice to sum it up
1. King Harald and Queen Sonja are in Asia for official state visits to Singapore and Vietnam.When the couple arrived in Singapore late last week, Queen Sonja was presented with orchids and later had a new variety named after her.
2. It was pouring rain when Queen Sonja and King Harald first arrived in Singapore last Thursday. Members of the welcoming committee held up an umbrella for the queen.
3. It was plenty dry once inside a local reception hall, where Singapore's president, SR Nathan, and his wife officially welcomed Queen Sonja and King Harald.
4. When the king headed for a tour of Singapore's famous port, the queen visited the Asian Civilization Museum, followed by lunch at the famous Raffles Hotel. The couple also had a large delegation representing Norwegian business with them on the trip, and used the opportunity to market Norwegian goods and services.
5. The royals rode in a golf cart to shade them from the hot sun while visiting Singapore's botanical gardens.
6. Queen Sonja was hostess at a dinner for Singapore's presidential pair Friday night.
7. There's a fairly large Norwegian community in Singapore, and local children turned out in national costumes to greet their royal couple just before the state visit to Singapore ended.
8. The king and queen got a day off on Saturday, and went sailing off Singapore before traveling on to Vietnam on Sunday.
9. Norway's royal pair were officially welcomed to Vietnam on Monday, and more bouquets were presented to Queen Sonja.
10. Queen Sonja appeared radiant, despite the heat and humidity.
11. King Harald and Queen Sonja, wearing red accessories for the occasion, were officially welcomed to Hanoi by Vietnam's president, Tran Duc Luong, and his wife.
12. Vietnam's presidential pair hosted a welcome ceremony for Queen Sonja and King Harald at the presidential palace in Hanoi.
13. As with all state visits, an exchange of gifts is obligatory. Here, the two first couples of Vietnam and Norway admire their presents.
14. Their Vietnamese hosts literally rolled out the red carpert for their royal visitors from Norway. Many Vietnamese live in Norway, among them "boat people" who were picked up by Norwegian vessels after fleeing in the 1970s.
15. Queen Sonja and Mrs Tran Duc Luon leaving the presidential palace in Hanoi on Monday.
16. The Norwegian royals visited a literary temple after the welcome ceremony.
Our Secretary of Farming, who also is accompanying them on the state visit, admired Sonja openly. http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=100997 King Harald had said earlier in the day that he very rarely gets jealous.
The King and Queen look like they are having a good time on this trip. Might we see Sonja in a traditional Vietnamese dress? I think Silvia of Sweden donned one when she visted during her last trip there with the King.
November 1, 2004. Queen Sonja of Norway during her visit to the Hanoi University of Fine Art exhibition where Furholmen is showing his work in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Lise Aserud SCANPIX
October 29, 2004. Queen Sonja of Norway during the visit to the industrial seminar in the Island ballroom in Singapore. Photos #1,2,3,4 by Lise Aserud/Scanpix
October 29, 2004. Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway in a joyful mode during ther press conference in Singapore. Photos #5, 6 by Lise Aserud/Scanpix
October 30, 2004. Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway on the way to make a sail trip in the waters around Singapore. Photo #7 by Lise Aserud/Scanpix
October 30, 2004. Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway on the way to eat dinner at Sentosa island, just south of Singapore. Photo #8 by Lise Aserud/Scanpix
October 31, 2004. King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway were invited to the Norwegian seamen's Church in Singapore Sunday. The king also cut the ribbon to inaugurate a new road bearing his name, King Harald V Road. Picture of Sonja #9 by Lise Aserud/Scanpix
The King won't be able to attend meetings today in Vietnam, because he has got some stomach problems, the Palace reported in a press-release today. VG also reports that he's still ill, and won't attend the official programme of the evening.
Queen Sonja also confessed to NTB that she had noticed some stomach pains herself, but as she followed through on her programme, it was okay.
HANOI, VIET NAM: Visiting Norwegian Queen Sonja enjoys a city tour by cyclo in the old quarter of Hanoi, 02 November 2004. King Harald V and Queen Sonja are on a five-day official visit to Vietnam.. AFP PHOTO/HOANG DINH Nam