General News and Information for the Norwegian Royal Family: 2003 -

Mandy · #1 06-13-2003, 12:34 AM

Royal toys

The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History will present an unusual exhibition from now until 30 September, presenting the favorite toys of the 20th century generations of Norway's royal family, from the painted doll's chairs of Princess Ragnhild and Astrid, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus' favorite cow.

The exhibition is sure to be a hit with curious children, who may be surprised to discover that royal toddlers do without jewel-encrusted toys and fall for simple and friendly playthings, too.

Crown Princess Haakon's belled cow and his constant companion "Puttekokken", a knitted doll with long arms and legs, will both be on display, as well as some of his favorite cars.

Princess Martha Louise's absolute favorite, her doll Ruth, will be appearing in the exhibit, alongside some of her beloved stuffed animals, and a wooden cradle painted in a traditional rustic, floral style, rosemalt.

None of King Harald or King Olav's playthings are available. King Harald's toys were left behind in America when the last world war ended and King Olav's can be seen at the palace's exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth.

But there are some fine older pieces, Princess Martha's dollhouse and dolls, and the rosemalt doll's chairs from 1932 used by princesses Ragnhild and Astrid.

The exhibition also promises unique photographs of the royal family at play.

Aftenposten's Norwegian reporter
Thorleif Andreassen
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Jonathan Tisdall

Favorite items of Crown Prince Haakon and his sister Martha - toys of tradition rather than luxury.

PHOTO: Trygve Indrelid

Mandy · #2 06-13-2003, 12:41 AM

One of the 'participants' in the exhibit of royal toys that will run until Sep. 30 at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History.
PHOTO: Trygve Indrelid

Mandy · #3 06-13-2003, 12:43 AM

This plain but simple doll was a favorite royal plaything.
PHOTO: Trygve Indrelid

Mandy · #4 06-13-2003, 12:45 AM

Life in a royal doll house.
PHOTO: Trygve Indrelid

Mandy · #5 06-13-2003, 12:47 AM

This fascinating figure is one of the more unusual objects in the exhibition.
www.aftenposten.no

Mandy · #6 06-13-2003, 12:49 AM

A pair of beautiful 'rosemalt' doll chairs, belonging to princesses Ragnhild and Astrid.
PHOTO: Trygve Indrelid

Mandy · #7 06-13-2003, 12:51 AM

Some of Crown Prince Haakon and his sister Martha Louise's favorite things.
PHOTO: Trygve Indrelid

agisele · #8 04-14-2005, 05:55 AM

Well with King Harald in the hospital, Prince Haakon in Japan and Princess Martha Louise just giving birth. Who's currently regent in Norway?

norwegianne · #9 04-14-2005, 05:58 AM

Crown Prince Haakon will be back in time for the state-council on Friday. There only needs to be a regent in the country for those, though if the regent is on official business on those occasions the Prime Minister will be acting regent.

Princess Märtha Louise has never been a regent.

agisele · #10 04-14-2005, 06:09 AM

Thanks for the information.
No, I just assumed that because Martha Louise was 3rd in line to the throne, (and Ingrid Alexandra being too young to be a regent), that if her father and brother were not available, that the duty of being regent would fall on her.

GrandDuchess · #11 04-14-2005, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agisele

I just assumed that because Martha Louise was 3rd in line to the throne, (and Ingrid Alexandra being too young to be a regent), that if her father and brother were not available, that the duty of being regent would fall on her.

That's how I assumed things as well before reading this...

How come only Crown Prince Haakon can be temporary regent when King Harald is not "available"? So she has never been temporary acting regent, in a case like if both Harald and Haakon would be abroad?

Larzen · #12 04-14-2005, 11:58 AM

Haakon is regent even when he is abroad, however you will notice that his trips are usually planned so that he is always in Oslo for Statecouncil on Fridays. The regent always goes out of their way to attend statecouncil, like King Harald arrived just hours before Frederik and Marys wedding so that he could hold statecouncil first. Latly there has been a great many royal funerals that has been on Fridays. I assume Haakon would have attended Rainiers funeral had it not been on a friday. He would have also had a very busy scheduel had Prince Charles wedding not been moved to London, first statecouncil at 11 and then fly to Britain as the plan was first.

Its a pitty Märtha cant be regent IMO, it would have made things easier. Like in Denmark where they have Frederik, Joachim and Benedichte to choose from, but I do belive that Denmark always has to have a regent in the country, which is not the case in Norway. If the King is on a longer trip abroad he is still regent, but Haakon will host the Statecouncil in his absens.

I do belive the statecouncil can be held on Thursdays if there is a special reason for it, and if both the King and CP cant attend the Primeminister (Or the highest ranking minister in the country at the moment) will preside the state council

*****
Today Haakon and Mette-Marit gave a lunch for the President and first Lady of Kroatia. Unfortunatly not the best quality pictures, but I can say that I dont like her outfit....

MoonlightRhapsody · #13 04-15-2005, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandDuchess

That's how I assumed things as well before reading this...

How come only Crown Prince Haakon can be temporary regent when King Harald is not "available"? So she has never been temporary acting regent, in a case like if both Harald and Haakon would be abroad?

See, I thought that since the constitution was changed so that the first-born child inherits the throne and is effective starting from Haakon that Martha-Louise would be able to act as regent. As someone pointed out, Ingrid's a tad bit too young for that position.

norwegianne · #14 04-15-2005, 06:58 AM

Märtha Louise would technically be allowed to be regent should it ever come to that. The only problem currently is that she hasn't given the oath to uphold the constitution, and therefore cannot act as regent. My only guess as to why not is that it is customarily something done when they come of age, and when Märtha Louise did it, she wasn't actually eligeble to the throne. (I think she turned 18 in 1989, and the constitution changed in 1990.) And when the law changed she was so far down the line, and Harald hadn't yet ascended to the throne.

It's all guessing, really, though it was discussed in the media when King Harald was recovering from the cancer surgery, and Haakon officially was eligeble for "daddy leave" around Ingrid Alexandra's birth. It seems to be a matter of how you interpret one or two of the paragraphs in the constitution, etc... whether it should just be the closest to the throne, or everybody eligeble.

GrandDuchess · #15 04-15-2005, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norwegianne

It seems to be a matter of how you interpret one or two of the paragraphs in the constitution, etc... whether it should just be the closest to the throne, or everybody eligeble.

This all sounds very confusing! If a person is in line to the throne - that person should also be able to act as temporary regent, otherwise it doesn't make sense to me.... But I guess there's history behind all this and so on, so it might be following tradition and not just about law interpretation.

agisele · #16 04-15-2005, 11:43 AM

Thanks for clearing it up for me.
I had always thought that it was the same in Norway as it is in Denmark, take for example, that last year in May. Prince Frederik was on his honeymoon in Tanzania, and Queen Margarethe was attending the wedding of Prince Felipe & Princess Letizia of Spain, it was Prince Joachim who was regent during that time (albeit for a short period)

I just assumed that it was the same in Norway, with King Harald on sick leave and Crown Prince Haakon away, that the duty of regent would fall upon Martha Louise. But it would have been interesting to see who the regent would have been, if Norway did have a similar law to that of Denmark in this situation. It would have been the person who is placed 6th in line to the throne i suppose (who is that?), after Princess Martha Louise's two daughters, Maud Angelica and Leah Isadora (who like Ingrid Alexandra are a bit too young to be placed in charge of a country. ;-))

norwegianne · #17 04-15-2005, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agisele

Thanks for clearing it up for me.
I had always thought that it was the same in Norway as it is in Denmark, take for example, that last year in May. Prince Frederik was on his honeymoon in Tanzania, and Queen Margarethe was attending the wedding of Prince Felipe & Princess Letizia of Spain, it was Prince Joachim who was regent during that time (albeit for a short period)

I just assumed that it was the same in Norway, with King Harald on sick leave and Crown Prince Haakon away, that the duty of regent would fall upon Martha Louise. But it would have been interesting to see who the regent would have been, if Norway did have a similar law to that of Denmark in this situation. It would have been the person who is placed 6th in line to the throne i suppose (who is that?), after Princess Martha Louise's two daughters, Maud Angelica and Leah Isadora (who like Ingrid Alexandra are a bit too young to be placed in charge of a country. ;-))

The Norwegian law of succession ends with Leah Isadora. There is no person after her in the line. Neither Princess Astrid or Princess Ragnhild, or their children or grandchildren, have ever been eligeble. The law change didn't encompass them at all.

agisele · #18 04-15-2005, 12:40 PM

Right. was it because they gave up their right to ascend the throne? I'm thinking that Princess Ragnhild probably did, considering her history with the family. (wasn't she the one who said that the Norweigian Royal Family never accepted her choice of husband or something of that sort? and how it was hypocritical that they accepted Mette-Marit into the family?) correct me if I'm wrong, i could just be making something up on top of my head and convincing myself that it did actually happen.

norwegianne · #19 04-15-2005, 12:56 PM

They've never had rights to the throne at all, so it isn't something they've given up at all.

Well, Princess Ragnhild did speak out against Haakon and Märtha Louise's choice in partners. I don't think it was a relevance on her own choice of partner, it was more a feeling of having a certain standard to uphold if one was royal.

Ragnhild had to prove to her parents that she wanted Erling, but that was: 1) because she was 15 when she began to fall in love with him and 2) because she was among the first royals in Europe to marry a commoner.

LaMinka · #20 08-17-2005, 12:40 PM

Just wondering, Princess Anne of Britan is one of the godparents to Haakon rigth? And King Olav, King Carl Gustav of Sweden and Queen Magrethe of Denmark?

Mariella