Harald V - Biography of King Harald of Norway

[zarat]

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1509863.ece

According to aftenposten.no the official biography of king Harald is to be released

[norwegianne]

Summaries from articles about the book:

- Harald and Sonja broke up several times, but always found their way back together. King Olav was gauging what the Norwegian people would accept before he gave his acceptance. When the time came, the King asked the Prime Minister for his approval and the PM asked to know more about Sonja as he didn't know her. The King replied that he didn't know her either. (He didn't meet her until the engagement was official.) - http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480922.html

- Mette-Marit revealing her past to the King and Queen, the third time she met them, and when she was done, the King said: "Is that all?" Mette-Marit said: "Yes." And he said: "We can do this." - http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=135424

- Plans to kidnap Haakon or do something to Marius, was the reason for why the King allowed Haakon and Mette-Marit to live together before they were married, even if he is opposed to such a thing. It made more sense security wise. - http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480913.html

- According to the author, King Harald has a comedic talent that is wasted in his position. He, apparently, is quite good at imitations (Yeltsin was mentioned), and love being parodied (if the parody is good, he'll laugh a lot at it)

He was also quite good-natured about the previous intermarriages in his family, being a reason for finding new blood when it came to Sonja. When asked about it, he made some grotesque faces and asked if the author hadn't noticed that "we're a bit weird, all of us in this family?" http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=135426

- King Harald didn't grasp that he was the king, after leaving his father's deathbed, and so when the doctor adressed him as "Your Majesty" Princess Astrid had to elbow him and say: "You're the one he's talking to." http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480920.html

[sm1939]

I so hope this is going to be printed in the Uk as well !!

[Larzen]

Not likely to be translate IMO,

The real treassure about the book is the pictures, some of them were just shown on TV, all taken by the Queen, it shows a totally relaxed King with his children, there are also a couple of pictures taken at the Spanish royal family Vacation home Marivent (in the 80s I think), the book is 500 pages long

also some absolutly adorable pictures with the Grandchildren, Maud Angelica on his shoulders, Ingrid and Harald in the gardens of Skaugum blowing on old "løvetann", you know theese flowers. http://home.online.no/~krosvold/natur/12.jpg
http://www.toyen.uio.no/botanisk/nbf/plant...ichaelsen01.jpg

and a funnyl series of the King working the barbecue without success, with Sonja looking on a little annoyed with his clumsyness.

Some of the articles printed today, some ofthem already mentioned by norwegianne
King Harald says his father was the first vicitim of the gulf war, he had followed the beginnign all day on CNN and according to Harald his father had seen to much war and he belived the gulf war to be WW3 and his heart did not take it and he died at the royal lodge that night. Crown Prince Harald barely made it there while he was concious and the King told his "Is it you?" Haralds family was not prepared, Sonja and Märtha was abroad and Haakon in Hemsedal. When Harald was walking down the stairs from hs dead father the dr called Your Majesty two times, he did not understand it was him until his sister Astrid told him the doctor was speaking ot him
http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480920.html

The King also talks about state visits, the most difficult one was the one from Ceausescu. It all started badly, the diktator had told the palace he would like a white Mercedes as a welcomming gift so when he got a book with pictures of the westerns fjords he was not amused. He also wanted to stop the tram outside the palace because he found it so noisy, and all the staff had to walk without shoes because he could not stand the noise of shoes on wooden floor, he and his wife left one day early
http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480925.html

The 3 time Mette-Marit was at the Palace she decided to tell them all about her "past" when she was finnshed the King asked "is it more now?" No, she said, then the King said "We will manage this" he also talked to the PM Jens Stoltenberg who also agreed they would manage this. The King said they had to belive in Haakon as it was afterall they who raised him and he had faith Mette-Marit would manage it if she was given the chance

some nice pictures as well
http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480924.html

The King does not speak of divorce only says a marriage needs maitnance.
According to Hegge people at the palace had inquired into the hypotetical situation of a seperation but the King and Queen says they knows nothing about it
http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480927.html

There are also rumours that some criminals wanted to kidnap Haakon in 2000 to use him to get some people out of jail, the King and Queen was worried and the fare that something might happen to Marius was one of the reasons H and MM was allowed to move together even if the King was against it, he say this way they all got proper protection
http://www.kjendis.no/2006/10/26/480913.html

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by sm1939

I so hope this is going to be printed in the Uk as well !!

If I were you, I'd contact the Norwegian publishing company: http://www.damm.no/agency (the English site) and ask if there are any plans of it being translated into English.

[sara1981]

King Harald's story
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1509863.ece

Sonja or the monarchy
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1509902.ece

Two tough engagements
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1509991.ece

pictures about Harald's lifes of his childhood till his become adult,becoming King,Grandfather
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/bi...cle1509869.ece

[sm1939]

Originally Posted by norwegianne

If I were you, I'd contact the Norwegian publishing company: http://www.damm.no/agency (the English site) and ask if there are any plans of it being translated into English.

Thank you , I have just written to them , will tell you want they say when they write back , once again thank you !

[flcty]

Please keep me notified when it is released in Australia, Vic or in English.

[Her_Majesty]

Thanks for all the articles dealing with the Story of Harald V..
I really hope it will be released in English, too (or even in German ) otherwise it seems we have to learn Norwegian.

[Lady Jennifer]

The book does sound interesting. It would be nice if it were translated.

[Her_Majesty]

http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/199814
nice video of nrk . Lots of beautiful pictures!

[marian]

Lady Jennifer, please, can you say me of where you to obtein the photo of prince Haakon of your message? please, I like this photo.

[sm1939]

Really liked that little film on Harald's life ! thanks for posting it !

[norwegianne]

I got this book for Christmas. What can I say? If you're a royal watcher, and have read other books about Harald before - there isn't really much new. There were some adorable anecdotes, and some new pictures of Harald with his grandchildren, but other than that, it seems mostly to be a rehashing of the things we know.

But it is worth reading to get a complete overview.

The author is a well-known columnist on the Norwegian language, and I do wish he'd used some of it in writing. The text jumped a couple of times, and when quoting sources, it was sometimes hard to know what was quoting the source and what was the author telling about the situation.

[Her_Majesty]

It must have been an interesting book if you read it within 2 days, Norwegianne!
I wish I could understand Norwegian. I would love to read it! And of course I would love to see the pictures printed in the book.

[Marie-Anne]

Is it possible to see the pictures of the book online ?