King Harald and Queen Sonja Current Events Part 4

[GrandDuchess]

King Harald and Queen Sonja was today present for the opening of the new Bislett stadium in Oslo which was followed by Bislett Games that is part of the the IAAF Golden League

Pictures from VG and Aftenposten

And what a great new stadium it is! Wonderful! And the games were great tonight, a lot of praise for the tracks by the athletes too. Go Bislett! ...And to keep it on topic, nice to see the King and Queen in public today!

 

[Alisa]

On July 16th the Queen was in Åndalsnes to recievce the prize "the mountain goat" for beeing such a good ambassdor for walking in the mountains and promoting norwegian mountains and nature abroad.

www.kongehuset.no

This picture is very nice and what great honor for the Queen.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Anyone know about details about The Official Visit of Their Majesties to The United Kingdom this Autumn yet?Is it in October or November?
Becuase normally at this time,just 2-3 months far,they often have the date already but it still nothing yet?Like last year,when Queen Elizabeth II opened the British Parliament in November she already announced that the Italian President would pay a State Visit on 15th March 2005.And this visit also announced at the same time with The Italian State Visit.

 

[Larzen]

This autumn they will make two visits one to Denmark and one to Britain, If I remember correctly, cant find a source the visit to UK is first week of november, the visit to denmark for sure is 7-8 november, Haakon and M-M is also invited to both trips but I dont know if they will go as Mette-Marit will be over 8 months pregnant at the time. There is also the official visit to Sweden on september the 1. which both Haakon and Mette-Marit will take part in, according to various press.

******************

Today the King and Queen was at Stiklestad waching the play about Olav den hellige (Olav the wholy)
Article in norwegian
http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/nordtrondelag/article527882.ece
A flash slide show from today from adressa.no
http://www.adressa.no/tjenester/bildegallerier/article527961.ece
An article from Vg with two pictures
http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=285438

I love how they decorated the lunch room.

1-5 from adressa.no
6 from db.no
7-8 from t-a.no

 

[Larzen]

1-2 Today the King and Queen is in Trondheim to open the Olavs week, which is a week of theatre, music and festivities.

Pictures from adressa.no

the rest
From Stiklestad yesterday pictures from t-a.no and isifa.com

 

[mandyy]

More photos from Afterposten

 

[KikkiB]

Lent the King the car for free
The government asks firms and private persons for help to provide fancy enough cars during royal visits.

Taxi owner Ola Waagen (50) is amongst those who have had King Harald in his private car. The man from Steinkjer lent this weekend his 3 year old Toyota Camry to the King and Queen for free, when they were in Nord-Trøndelag county on an official visit.

“Isn’t it great that the Palace is so common that you can do such a thing?” asks a proud Waagen. VG has been in contact with the counties around the country. With a few exeptions where the Police has their own car for representation, the government borrow cars when they have visitors from the royals. And the car owners isn’t always payed.

"I’ve helped provide cars from car dealers and private persons. Most often we don’t have to pay. This way the hosts doesn’t have extra expences” says county chief (in want of a better translation, he/she representative of the government at county level) Ottar Befring at Møre og Romsdal county to VG.

Great joy
Taxi-owner Ola Waagen thought it was a great joy when the chief of the local car rental firm contacted him and wondered if they could borrow his Toyota. The car rental firm had gotten the assignement from the county chief to provide a car for King Harald. “I wan’t promised pay, and didn’t demand it either. I think it was just fun to contribute” says Waagen.

The car rental firm will neither demand pay from the county chief. “When the King is such an common person, that we couldn’t be less common. We therefore asked Ola, who has a really nice car. We haven’t charged it, this is a gesture from us” tells Steinar Vesterdal at Hertz car rental in Steinkjer.

Municipality direktor (direktør) Roald Huseth at the county chief in Nord-Trøndelag county knows that they don’t have cars that is good enough for royal visits. “We therefore rent nicer cars to such occasions.” “Do you pay rent?” “I suppose so” says Huseth. In Troms county Police chief Truls Fyhn has a fancy car which is used during royal visits. “We have a Volvo we use” tells Fyhn. Similar arrangements does Sør-Trøndelag and Vest-Agder counties have too.

”The Police chief has a car which has been bought just for such occasions” tells assisting county chief Odd Inge Mjøen in Sør-Trøndelag county. During larger official royal visits the Palace provides their own cars. “It is the county chief along with the local police has the responsibility to provide a cortage (kortesje) of cars during official visits” tells information advisor Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen at the Palace.

Translated by me. The article is from www.vg.no

 

[Harmony]

Thanks for the pictures. The King looked well.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

More photos from Afterposten

Thanks you so much for the pictures,mandyy.Really nice to see the King looking well and The Queen looks really elegant.

 

[LaMinka]

Thamks for all the pictures Larzen and Mandyy!

 

[Larzen]

The King and Queen will make their second visit to the states this year, during the visit the King will unveil a statue of his mother Crown Princess Märtha in fromt of the Norwegian embassy on september the 18th.
http://www.norway.org/culture/Royal+House+of+Norway/2005Avisit.htm
the staue
http://www.norway.org/News/marthastatue.htm
Information first posted on the ERMB by Dag T Hoelseth

That means the following visits abroad for the King and Queen

September 1-2 to Sweden accompanied by the Crown Prince couple
September 18th (more days?) to Washington
October 25-27 to the UK
November 7-8 Denmark

An official portrait of King Harald and Queen Sonja, by Morten Krogvold

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

It is areally great Official portrait of Their Majesties.Thanks lots Larzen.

 

[GrandDuchess]

Thank you Larzen for the info and pictures. What a busy autumn the King and Queen will have with all those visits! Great for them and us, I'm already looking forward to seeing pictures from them.

Would you say that the official portrait is a new one? Or is it an old one that they just brought out from the archives for this particular story?

 

[norwegianne]

Would you say that the official portrait is a new one? Or is it an old one that they just brought out from the archives for this particular story?

As they're wearing the same things in that photo as they're wearing in the official photos in their profiles on the webpage, which has been up for quite some time, I assume that this is a picture taken at the same time. Mostly because it's also in the same setting.

I like them in this picture, they look very relaxed.

But I kind of miss the official portrait of a very regal-looking Sonja in the yellow dress, that was released some years back (around the time when they became monarchs...?)

 

[rchainho]

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/royal_family/83242004.htm

Royal News: Norway's King Harald V receives statue

August 10, 2005, 2:04:53 Royal News: Norway's King Harald V is set to unveil a gift to the country from Norwegian Americans.

The present - a stunning bronze statue of the late Crown Princess Märtha - will be uncovered in front of the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC, next month.

The much-loved princess, who died in 1954, was married to the late King Olav of Norway and was King Harald's mother.

 

[GrandDuchess]

Queen Sonja visited Tromsø today, she had a lot on her schedule, among things to open a new library. Here are some pictures from Tromsø municipality, the last one is from Bladet Tromsø.

 

[LaMinka]

Thanks Gran Duchess!

 

[GrandDuchess]

A few more pictures of Queen Sonja's visit to Tromsø yesterday. The first two pictures are from the Tromsø municipality, the third and last is from Nordlys.

 

[Larzen]

Thanks GrandDuchess, the one with the seal is nice.
King Harald has sent his condolances to the Presidents of Cyprus and Greece after the tragic plain crash

H.E.Mr. Carlos Papoulias
President of the Hellenic Republic
Athens

Your Excellency,

I am deeply saddened by the news of the terrible plane crash in Greece on Sunday 14 August, resulting in the tragic loss of so many lives.

On behalf of myself and the Norwegian people I send you my heartfelt condolences.

Harald R

H.E. Mr. Tassos Papadopolous
President of the Republic of Cyprus

Your Excellency,
I am deeply saddened by the news of the terrible plane crash in Greece on Sunday 14 August, resulting in the tragic loss of so many lives, among them many Cypriots

On behalf of myself and the Norwegian people I send you my heartfelt condolences and ask you to convey my deepest sympathy to the bereaved
Harald R

King Harald was yesteday present at the opening of IFLA 2005, its the intenational library conferance of which he is protector
Unfortunatly only pictures of the back of his head
from http://www.ifla.org/

 

[LaMinka]

Here is a bigger photo of Sonja and the seal, from www.side2.no:

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Here is a bigger photo of Sonja and the seal, from www.side2.no:

Thanks lots Mariella.That is a great photo.

 

[Larzen]

King Harald at the reopening of the Norwegian national library on August 15th. Also present Mayor of Oslo and Minister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland

Credit, Arne Knudsen, Knudsen fotocenter

 

[LaMinka]

Thanks again Larzen!

 

[KikkiB]

A funny story with a photo!

Charmer gave the Queen a wet kiss

This fellow really put an effort in when Queen Sonja herself visited. And got a kiss on the cheek.

“Ohhhh” yelled the Queen when she got the juicy kiss and straight on the cheek, writes the local newspaper Nordlys. The chosen one didn’t have two legs, but swam eagerly around the pool at Polaria in Tromsø. Perhaps the seal, Sassen, wanted to give Queen Sonja a good and warm welcome to the city. When she bent down to the seals, she was surprised by the quick seal. She straightened up quickly and stepped back, before she whiped her face with her right hand. Aquarium manager Espen Rafter says he didn’t believed the Queen would be daring enough to go near Sassen. Wether she liked the kiss or not, isn’t known.

http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/side2/kongelig/article438627.ece

 

[Mapple]

...

That means the following visits abroad for the King and Queen

September 1-2 to Sweden accompanied by the Crown Prince couple
September 18th (more days?) to Washington
October 25-27 to the UK
November 7-8 Denmark

...

The visit to the UK will be their second; Harald, following in his father's steps, is going to be one of the few monarchs to pay two state visits to Queen Elizabeth II.

 

[sm1939]

do you know weather the crown princes and princess will be with them?
also do you know what they will be up to in london?

 

[Larzen]

King Harald was spotted fishing in Sele on Sunday together with Christian Bjelland and Jan Erik Blom
from www.anb.no

 

[LaMinka]

King Harald opened the newly renovated National Library last monday, and here is one more pic and three videos:
Entré.
Utdrag fra finalen.
H.M Kongen åpner Nasjonalbiblioteket.

All from (http://www.nb.no)

 

[trevor]

[SIZE=+3]Se, hvordan Kongen stråler[/SIZE]

Den tunge tiden med sykdom og operasjoner er endelig forbi. Nå strutter kong Harald av energi og livsglede.

Av JORUN SOFIE F. AARTUN ​

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-2]NÅ-SPREK 68-ÅRING: Fire måneder etter operasjonenener er smilet igjen på plass. Kong Harald er brun og strålende opplagt etter sommerens fartsfylte aktiviteter. Foto: ØYVIND NORDAHL NÆSS, Foto: Øyvind Nordahl Næss
[/SIZE][/FONT]VG Nett følger:
Kongehuset



Det var en spøkefull og opplagt kong Harald som møtte VG under åpningen av Mela-festivalen på Rådhusplassen i Oslo forrige helg.

Fremdeles solbrun etter sommerens fartsfylte aktiviteter boblet monarken av overskudd og livsglede.

Da VG møtte Kongen under EM i seiling utenfor Stockholm tidligere i sommer, uttrykte monarken at han var svært fornøyd med livet.

- Jeg har ikke vært i så god form som nå på en tre-fire år, sa Kongen oppriktig.

Tøffe operasjoner

I løpet av en toårsperiode har monarken vært igjennom flere tøffe operasjoner. Etter kreftoperasjonen måtte Kongen på nytt legges under kniven på Rikshospitalet i vår. Kirurgene byttet ut en av Kongens hjerteklaffer med en kunstig klaff laget av biologisk materiale.

Samtidig gjennomgikk Kongen en omfattende hjerteoperasjon, hvor en blodåre fra leggen ble flyttet til hjertet.

En drøy uke senere ble monarken hasteoperert etter at legene oppdaget en væskeansamling på baksiden av hjertet.

Kongens livlege, Halfdan Ihlen, er imponert over hvor raskt Kongen har kommet seg etter sykefraværet.



[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-2]

DA - ALVORLIG SYK: Kong Harald forlater Rikshospitalet i Oslo etter den omfattende hjerteoperasjonen. Monarken er tydelig preget av sin alvorlige helsetilstand. Foto: SCANPIX​

[/SIZE][/FONT]- Vi er veldig fornøyd med kong Haralds innsats og innstilling. Kongen er kvitt hjertesykdommen, som i seg selv er viktig. I løpet av sommeren har monarken trent seg godt både fysisk og psykisk, sier Ihlen.

I de hektiske sommermånedene har kong Harald stått foran flere fysiske utfordringer.

Kongen har tilbrakt mye tid med barnebarna, som har vært et lyspunkt i de lange sykdomsperiodene. Den spreke monarken har også jaktet på drømmelaksen ved Altaelvens bredd, og ble europamester i seiling i IMS-klassen i juli.

Forbilde

Under åpningseilasen var monarken igjennom en 15 timers seilingsmaraton langs svenskekysten under røffe værforhold.

Ihlen tror Kongen har vært et godt forbilde for andre som har vært igjennom tunge sykdomsperioder.

- Jeg er sikker på at Kongen er en stor inspirasjonskilde for andre. Selv er jeg mektig imponert over hvordan han har håndtert situasjonen. Veien tilbake til normal tilstand har blitt til gjennom Kongens egne positive målsettinger, sier Ihlen

(VG 23.08.05 kl. 10:38)

 

[rchainho]

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/royal_family/86402004.htm

Royal News Norway's King Harald slams rumors

August 22, 2005, 3:10:53 Royal News: Norway's King Harald has slammed rumours claiming Princess Martha Louise is pregnant with her third child.

The monarch has dismissed reports in Norwegian gossip magazine Se og Hor, which alleged the princess and her husband, Ari Behn, were expecting another baby just four months after the birth of their second daughter, Leah Isadora.