Mette-Marit's visit to Washington DC

[Jacqueline]

Details about Princess Mette-Marit's trip to Washington D.C.

A Royal visit
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is in Washington, DC for a special visit. A guest of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Crown Princess will attend a number of events in the DC area.

The Crown Princess is spending this year in London, England as a student together with HRH Crown Prince Haakon, and she has chosen Washington, DC as her only official visit abroad during this period.

On Sunday, November 24, the Crown Princess introduced an exhibition by the Norwegian design group Norway Says, the first of many Norwegian events taking place at Union Station this holiday season. The Crown Princess takes a great personal interest in design, and she also attended a design seminar at the Corcoran Gallery of Art the following day.

Dinner with Carter
The Crown Princess had a hectic schedule during her four-day visit to the Capital. On Friday, November 22, she was a guest of honor at a dinner hosted by Ambassador Knut Vollebaek. The second guest of honor that night was former President Jimmy Carter, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

On Saturday, November 23, the Crown Princess paid a visit to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and on Monday, 25 she was given a tour of the World Bank by Managing Director Jeffrey Goldstein.

Something for everyone
The Royal Norwegian Embassy is proud to have received the Crown Princess as a special guest during the Norwegian Christmas at Union Station cultural festival. The festival, which started on November 21 with a concert dedicated to the memory of the greath 19th Century composer Ole Bull at the Carmichael Auditorium at the National Museum of American History, features a number of special treats for every generation.

For the youngest audience, December 7 offers an opportunity to learn how to make Norwegian christmas ornaments at the Smithsonian Assiciates, C. Dillon Ripley Center. A slightly older crowd may be expected to take an interest in what goes on at the Black Cat on 14th Street the following day, when the cream of Norwegian rock hits the stage. Furia, Bjørn Berge and Minor Majority are flown in from Norway to entertain the DC nightlife.

For those who fear for their ear drums or don't take an interest in rock music, the Coucheron siblings will be playing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 7. Julie and David Coucheron are probably the most promising young talents in Norway. Her piano and his violin communicate youth's exuberant and playful view of life.

The cultural festival offers a variety of activities for the whole family, as well. Union Station will host a number of activities during December, and one of the highlights will literally happen on December 5, when author and radio celebrity Garrison Keillor lights the 8,000 glittering lights of the Official Christmas Tree of the District of Columbia. The tree is a gift from the people of Oslo to the people of DC.