80th Birthday Celebrations of King Harald V and Queen Sonja

[Barbara21]

Finally, I had time to watch all the pics and videos. Big thanks!
A special thanks to Royal Norway, who translated His Majesty's speech.
This has been an amazing tour, i enjoyed it. Nice that so many people were out and celebrated with King and Queen. It seemed that at times the weather was cold and rainy, but nobody cared.
I liked the Garden Party, but my favorite part of the trip was the first day.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Thanks Muhler and Barbara21!

No one was injured in the school fire, but the television news went crazy about it.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

As I've written in the Republic/Monarchy thread several times: Norway is the country of the Law of Jante (meaning we want the royal family to be like us), but this does not apply when it comes to royal celebrations. Norway is also the country where the royal family appears on the balcony in grand gala, and the country where Mette-Marit is criticized by ordinary people for using too small tiaras.

And to my point - Queen Sonja's 80th birthday celebrations on July 4th - transelated by me:

Akkreditering av presse til feiringen av H.M. Dronningen 4. juli - kongehuset.no

Accreditation of the press for the celebration of H.M. the Queen on July 4th

On the 4th of July, the Queen will turn 80 years old. This will be marked by the unveiling of a gift to Queen Sonja from DNT (Den Norske Turistforening/Norwegian Trekking Association), and the official opening of Queen Sonja Art Stable.

In addition, there will be a picnic in the Queen Park for invited guests. That same evening there will be a joint celebration of the royal couple with family and friends at Bygdø Kongsgård.

The unveiling of the gift from DNT and the event at the Art Stable, as well as the Royal Family's arrival at the picnic, will be open to all accredited press.

There will be a pool with Scanpix and NRK at the the official opening of the Art Stable and of the royal couple greeting the guests at Bygdø Kongsgård.

Schedule:

12.00: Unveiling of the gift from DNT.

12.30-13.30: Official opening of the Art Stable

14.00: Picnic in Dronningparken (the Queen park)

19.30: Celebration at Bygdø Kongsgård.

Kjell Arne Totland has also written an article about it on his blog. I will translate it tonight.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

From Kjell Arne Totland - translated by me:
Feirer Dagen med picnic i Slottsparken! | Kongebloggen - Kjell Arne Totland

Tuesday 4th of July, then it's Queen Sonja's turn to fill 80...

And despite the spring's big joint celebration: The birthday shall certainly not be passed by in silence!

Yes, the celebration on the Day itself is actually threefold:

At 12.30 the jubilant herself will open "Queen Sonja Art Stable" in the venerable old stable buildings at the bottom of the Castle Park - where a new, beautiful doorway from Parkveien has now been created.

Otherwise, after the birthday child has unveiled a little surprise from DNT - Den Norske Turistforening (the Norwegian Trekking Association) out in the park itself ...

At 1400 it's invited to a picnic for invited guests in the beautiful so-called Queen Park, where last year's big silver jubilee garden party was held - and Crown Princess Mette-Marit celebrated her 40th birthday in 2013.

And in the evening, the royal couple invites family and friends to a big summer party in the garden at Bygdøy kongsgård - as they did when they both turned 75 in 2012.

We here in TV2 and TV2 news channel will obviously cover the various festivities on the Queen's big day.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

NRK1 and TV2 News Channel will broadcast the events - and I'm really looking forward to yet another celebration.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

1. I think I forgot to post this picture-link from scanpix - here you can go through 848 pictures from May's celebration: Søk | Scanpix

2. Another thing I forgot to mention here in May was that Haakon and Märtha revealed in their speech during the gala dinner on May 10th that the King didn't have a mobile phone. Many articles were written about it, but people (like me) already knew that he didn't have one - how? He said it in an interwju a few years ago. He could of course have got one in the meantime, but he diden't.

3. As people can see in my above post, NRK1 and TV2 News Channel will broadcast the events for Queen Sonja's 80th birthday on July 4th, and we will get more information about the celebrations this weekend.

[fairy tale]

Thank you ROYAL NORWAY for all the information and links!

It's great there will be a broadcast of Queen Sonja's birthday celebrations, unfortunately it's a weekday It will be great to see all the family together.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

You're very welcome!

And yes, It will be great to see the family together again.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Translated by me:
Gratulasjonsprotokoll for H.M. Dronningen - kongehuset.no

Congratulation Protocol on the 4th of July

On the occasion of Her Majesty Queen Sonja's 80th birthday, there will be a congratulation protocol at the Royal Palace and on Kongehuset.no.

The protocol will be in the main gate of the palace, and the audience will be able to sign it from 13:00 to 15:00.

Earlier this day, the President of the Norwegian Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice will sign the protocol. They come from 09:30, while the diplomatic corps will come from 10:00 to 11:30.

Congratulations on the web

Those who don't have the opportunity to go to the palace can make use of the electronic protocol that will be published here on the royal house website. It will be available from 06:00 until midnight on the birthday, 4th of July.

This happened when the King turned 80th on February 21th:
A long queue of well-wishers - The Royal House of Norway

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Translated by me:
https://www.nrk.no/norge/dronning-so...all-1.13585221

Queen Sonja celebrates 80 years with a opening of her own art stable

There will be a new party for Queen Sonja on her 80th birthday on Tuesday. Of course, with art in the center.

During the joint celebrations in May, both the King and the Queen both said that turning 80 was quite unreal.

On Tuesday, Queen Sonja will again be reminded that she now must call herself a 80 year old. The day is obviously packed with programs.

The Queen will probably spend a lot of time opening the gift from the King, which is simply a gallery - Queen Sonja's Art Stable.

Old stables

The stables building was built between 1845 and 1848 and extended by King Haakon and Queen Maud in 1911. The center stable could accommodate up to 40 horses, but the last horses disappeared from the royal stables shortly after the start of the war in 1940.

Queen Sonja will lead the work on the development of the art stable, which becomes part of the Open Palace. The art gallery will have three seasons, in which spring will be devoted to contemporary art. In the summer season the exhibition will be linked to the exhibition at the Palace, and by the end of the year Christmas will be marked.

The exhibition, which opens Tuesday, has two main elements: Norwegian graphics and Queen Maud's photographs. Over 160 Norwegian artists have on the occasion of 80th birthday, donated a graphic work each.

DNT gift

The Queen is also well-known for her great dedication to outdoor activities and walking and will unveil a gift from DNT (Den Norske Turistforening/Norwegian Trekking Association).

In addition, there will be a picnic in the Queen Park for invited guests. That same evening there will be a joint celebration of the royal couple with family and friends at Bygdøy kongsgård.

People's Party in May

The royal couple has been celebrated earlier this year, with celebrations in front of the palace and a gala dinner with celebrities from home and abroad on May 9th.

May 10, the government invited the royal couple to a dinner in the opera, which was the government's gift on the occasion of the 80th birthdays. But Tuesday is the very day for the Queen.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Queen Sonja has not had the easiest of lives, she has been criticized for the smallest of things, had a difficult father-in-law, had two miscarriage, a sister who committed suicide (something she blames herself for) and has on several occasions been called cold.

A journalist in Norway (Jostein Pedersen) became angry when she didn't want to talk to him during an engagement in London in 2004. He came out with an astonishing attack on her, where he among other things said the following:

''The Queen has obviously had plastic operations and they have not been successful. ''Hun ser ikke ut i måneskinn. You can quote me on that.''

(''Hun ser ikke ut i måneskinn'' is a term in Norway and this got a lot of attention. What does that mean? That she looks ugly. In english: ''She doesn't look good in the moonlight'' or somthing like that - difficult to translate)

Pedersen also says that it must have been the taxpayers who have paid for the alleged operations, and that the Queen therefor has to accept that something is said about them. Pedersen also believes that Queen Sonja should have chosen a better surgeon.

People from Scandinavia can read the article from 2004 here:
Hetser dronning Sonja for plastiske operasjoner - Kongehuset - VG

She has also been criticized for being snobbish, for photographs that she has taken of the Norwegian nature and for many other things. She has almost been crying in interviews when she has talked about it.

She was also heavily criticized for the refurbishment of the palace in the 1990s - I have written about in these 3 posts:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1981079

It was so bad that she left Norway for a few weeks in the late 1990s.

It's been better after she turned 70 in 2007, and she was praised last year (by the media) for her efforts, but people here in Norway still look at her as a bit cold, and it would be an exaggeration to say that she's popular.

And even now at the age of 80, she is criticized for thanking, yes, to exhibit her art in Bergen (city in Norway) at a Newly renovated museum. Why? Because artists, art experts and journalists believe that others had deserved the place instead of her.

But to the most important thing with this post:

On the day before her 80th birthday, I want to thank her for everything she has done for the King, the monarchy, the country, the tourism industry, outdoor activities and art and culture in Norway.

[wartenberg7]

Very much surprised to read that! I always thought the Queen was hugely popular in Norway! I remember for instance her 70th birthday celebrations where many 1000s of people turned up to cheer her (in Stavanger, i think, it was), and I thought, my goodness, even more people than the british people welcomed Elizabeth II at her 80th birthday royal walk about in Windsor...!
Queen Sonja cold?! Never seen anything cold about this lady! She´s, on the contrary, very emotional, always cuddles flower children with a warm smile and a few encoureging words, shows love and affection for her entire family, friendly and polite during interviews etc etc. So what would be "cold"!?

[M. Payton]

I so agree with your comment for I also have always seen her as a warm and caring lady who deeply loved her husband and the people. Together the tow of them have made me fall in love with Norway as I can visit there here on the web and see all the beautiful country that I haven't seen. This reporter said all those nasty things just because he did not get his interview and so took it out on her by way of the media. Being *Jealous* does not become anyone.
I have always loved this queen and her husband and my favorite uncle visited Norway many times in his life and thought of that country as home for being a history teacher he loved the Vikings as I do.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I forgot to post the links to my 3 very long posts about the King/monarchy's popularity in post post 540, but I've done it now - read them here too: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1981079

Originally Posted by eya

I'm very surprised me too!! I have the feeling that Queen Sonja was very popular in her country! Very interesting! Thanks ROYAL NORWAY!

You're very welcome! And thanks again to all those who continues to use the thanks button on these and other posts.

Originally Posted by wartenberg7

Very much surprised to read that! I always thought the Queen was hugely popular in Norway! I remember for instance her 70th birthday celebrations where many 1000s of people turned up to cheer her (in Stavanger, i think, it was), and I thought, my goodness, even more people than the british people welcomed Elizabeth II at her 80th birthday royal walk about in Windsor...!
Queen Sonja cold?! Never seen anything cold about this lady! She´s, on the contrary, very emotional, always cuddles flower children with a warm smile and a few encoureging words, shows love and affection for her entire family, friendly and polite during interviews etc etc. So what would be "cold"!?

1. I see that some Danish articles now calls her popular, but (as I said in post 540) it would be an exaggeration to call her that.

2. People always turns up to events like that, and it was also entertainment in the streets, so it can't be compered to the QEII's 80th birthday walkabout in Windsor.

It was the King who decided (as he also did last year for the jubilee) that they had to celebrate with the people too. Se all the picture-links in these posts - where I go through previous royal celebrations in Norway:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1962609

And here's a video of the 70th birthday celebrations in 2007 - see from 02.00 til 18:20:
https://tv.nrk.no/serie/aaret-med-ko...-2007#tab-id-0

3. She can seem a bit stiff/strict, a bit snobbish and talks with a very posh accent. There have also been staffers who have had to quit their jobs because she is a perfectionist and demands to much of the people who works for her.

But as I have said in other threads here, she is also very warm and emotional. She has visited/comforted people (alone and with the King) who have been exposed to natural disasters and other tragedies in Norway, often with tears in her eyes (she did it as late as last year). And as I have said before, she deserved more praise.

Originally Posted by M. Payton

I so agree with your comment for I also have always seen her as a warm and caring lady who deeply loved her husband and the people. Together the tow of them have made me fall in love with Norway as I can visit there here on the web and see all the beautiful country that I haven't seen. This reporter said all those nasty things just because he did not get his interview and so took it out on her by way of the media. Being *Jealous* does not become anyone.
I have always loved this queen and her husband and my favorite uncle visited Norway many times in his life and thought of that country as home for being a history teacher he loved the Vikings as I do.

That reporter is not even among the worst and she's gotten much worse criticism than that, which makes me irritated, because she's a wonderful lady. And I aagree (of course) with the other stuff you wrote.

Norway is the most beautiful and finest country in the world (also the most happiest - we have stolen that title from Denmark) and we have the best consort in the world. Neither Philip, Henrik, Silvia, Maxima, Mathilde or Letizia can compete with Queen Sonja. And then we have our amazing King, the second best head of state in the world after QEII, and (without a doubt) Norway's most popular and respected person. And yes, I'm biased.

[M. Payton]

Oh, it is okay to be biased about your country and I read somewhere, don't remember where, that both King Harald and Queen Elizabeth are cousins through Queen Victoria, please correct me if I am wrong. I have many books on the royal families of Europe, the ancient families to the present. So I am learning more then ever here from everyone here like you.

[Lee-Z]

Originally Posted by M. Payton

Oh, it is okay to be biased about your country and I read somewhere, don't remember where, that both King Harald and Queen Elizabeth are cousins through Queen Victoria, please correct me if I am wrong.

Even closer than that: Q.Victoria's son K.Edward VII and his wife Q.Alexandra were great grand parents to both K.Harald (through their daughter P.Maud, Queen of Norway) and Q.Elizabeth II (through their son K.George V)

[ROYAL NORWAY]

They are 2nd cousins and the King is QEIIs closest relative who is also a monarch.

Translated by me - I hope it's readable, because it went a bit to fast when I wrote it:
https://www.nrk.no/kultur/dronning-s...gen-1.13586289

The Queen to NRK: - I have no formal education, and it has led to some criticism

As she turns 80 this year, Queen Sonja opens the doors to the stable in Dronningparken, which now becomes an exhibition center for art.

The palace stable was used as storage space
for many years. But last year, the palace staff turned the stable into a party room and surprised the royal couple with a party. But a few days later, the Queen got a new surprise:

''One day, I went down with the King and the Lord Chamberlain to see what the stables could be used to. When we entered, the whole family stood here. And I didn't understand anything", she told NRK during an exclusive tour of the art gallery.

''Then the whole palace management stood there and my husband held a beautiful speech. He told me that the room should be named after me and that I should fill it with what I wanted.

Queen and art

Queen Sonja has a large collection of contemporary art. She has also collaborated and studied with leading Norwegian artists such as Ørnulf Opdahl, Kjell Nupen and Magne Furuholmen. But during the spring, there has been debate has about her role in Norwegian culture after she exhibited some of her art during Bergen International Festival.

Now she opens a permanent venue for art, which will compete with other galleries and art museums in the capital. The Queen says that it has been a dilemma for her to become an actor in cultural life in Oslo.

''It's obviously a daring grip. I am an amateur, but I have had good mentors. But I have no formal education, and that has led to some criticism''.

But Queen doesn't fear the reactions when the art stable opens.

''I think this will benefit both us and other galleries. We will collaborate with other art museum, as we already cooperate with the Munch Museum''.

Queen Maud

It was Queen Maud who developed the stable when she took the tradition of royal horses from England to Norway. The stable behind the palace is built according to the same model as the stables at Buckingham Palace. At the most, there were 40 horses here.

The stable is protected, and inside the furniture is the way it was. But in order to make the art gallery accessible to most people, they have made a new door to the street outside. The Directorate for Cultural Heritage approved the change because there had been a door there earlier.

New art scene

Now, Queen Sonja will fill the palave stable with art and culture. But in the first place there are two other birthday gifts that will fill the room. The government has provided an 11 meter high art installation that honors Queen Maud. In the installation, four projectors show a picture of Queen Maud. The way this is done makes a 3D effect.

The opening exhibition is a work of 165 graphics, which is given as a gift to the Queen. It was the organization Norske Grafikere who had the idea. And Queen Sonja is happy to showcase the breadth of Norwegian graphics in this way.

''This is a wonderful gift. All these pictures are going up on the wall. I find it phenomenal that we have got this collection that shows the bride among graphic artists today. This is really an historic event.

You can see more from Queen Sonja art stable in the program "Gift from the King - Queen Sonja 80 years" at NRK1 Tuesday evening.

There are many articles now, and I will translate some of them. I have also decided to work from my home office tomorrow, so I can follow all the events.

[wartenberg7]

Couldn´t it be that this criticism you write about comes from certain sections of society such as journalists and intellectual circles who like themselves to be seen "left" (nothing wrong about that!) and anti-royalist? No one really "dares" to criticize the King, because he´s the respected head of state and truely, and deserved, poupular, but they seem to like to criticize the monarchy by pecking on other members of the royal family such as the Queen or the CP couple.
I still think Queen Sonja is very popular among the normal, average norwegian people! She speaks posh? Oh, well, good gracious! She´s a Queen - so if someone speaks posh, it might well be a Queen, isn´t it? The whole british royal family speaks posh - including William and Harry. Still they are popular!
I disagree with you it is self-evident of people turning up in their 100s or 1000s at royal events only because it´s just another opportunity to party! The affection shown to the Queen in 2007 in Stavanger was real and honest. HM took a lot of time to interact with the people, put on self made "crowns" by small children and had a jolly good time!
Queen Sonja fired some people from the staff? Well, not everyone works as he/ she should be. I can only assume how late King Olav, a very strict, still very respected and loved monarch, treated people from his staff he wasnt happy with....! But, he was a man, so that might have been ok....

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I think you misunderstands me a bit:

1. I'm a big fan of Queen Sonja, and I think she deserves more praise for her effort during all these years.

2. The CP couple have themselves to thanks for all their problems with the media/ordinary people, and it's mostly monarchists who criticize them. But I agree that much of the criticism may seem ridiculous to people who are not Norwegian, and as I've said before, It's also very difficult to be a royal in Norway - why? Because of the Law of Jante - read about it here: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1973448

3. I writes about how King Olav treated his staffers etc in these 3 posts:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1981079

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Norway's amazing Queen is 80, and as people here says, she doesn't look like that at all.

This article from NTB was written yesterday for several newspapers in Norway on (including VG). I had hoped that Norway Today had translatet it by now, but they haven't, - so I've done it - hope it's readable:
https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/no...r-fyller-80-ar

The modern royal house's mother turns 80 years old

In 1991, Sonja became Norway's first Queen in 52 years, and she was given the task of forming the role the Queen has in Norway. It's characterizes the birthday celebration on Tuesday.

The 80th anniversary of Queen Sonja is marked with the opening of the art stable, the unveiling of a gift from the Den Norske Turistforening/Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) and a congratulations from the people.
All three has been important constituents of Sonja's life as Norway's First Lady.

"There are certain tasks that are fixed for a Queen. She is responsible for the household and for being a hostess. In addition, she has had a relatively large opportunity to shape the role of her own interests'', says historian and author Trond Norén Isaksen to NTB.

When King Harald took over as a monarch in 1991, then it was 52 years and 2 months since Queen Maud died. Maud had not been particularly active in the last years of her life, and Sonja could largely find her own place.

Culture and nature

Isaksen points out that it's Sonja's merit that culture has become one of the supporting elements of the monarchy today. Sonja has been good at using art to promote Norway abroad. Among other things, she participated in the opening of "Munch vs. Warhol »in New York in April 2013, and in 2016 she opened the exhibition« Painting Norway: Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) »in London.

''In addition, she climbs into mountains. There are not many other 80 year old ladies who does that!'' Praises the historian.

Sonja is educated in dress and costume, social science, accounting and fashion drawing.

On team with the King

It took nine years from Sonja to meet Harald until the two got permission to marry. The fact that the Crown Prince married a commoner, speeded up the debate about the future of the monarchy in Norway. But that was not the only challenge for the untraditional couple. During the half-century the nation stood without a Queen, many had forgotten that she would have an active role in the royal house, not just being there.

"We saw, among other things, when Harald was to open the Storting in 1991 and the President of the Storting Benkow said that Sonja had no role there," says Isaksen.

It was new to many that the King consulted others in his decisions. King Olav was a widower and a man who made his own decisions. Harald, on the other hand, has been more open for the Queen to say what she wants, and in recent years he has also included the Crown Prince couple in his work.

However, the Queen is not completely rid of the feeling of just being there.

''It has annoyed me. For example, when you're on an official engagement, the press does not write about what's going on, but just about clothes you wear. It is very disappointing'', the Queen said in an interview with NTB in February.

Woman of her time

The Queen has continued some of Maud's cases, such as work with women's organizations and emergencies.

''But Sonja extended it. She is a woman of her time and has a much bigger field to play on'', says Isaksen.

In the youth the Queen competed with the boys in sports. Later she became colonel.

''In a longer perspective, what she has done will be normative for the future. She has paved the way for that the Queen should have an active role and have her own office. Crown Princess Mette-Marit will not have to create her own role in the same way'', concludes Isaksen.