80th Birthday Celebrations of King Harald V and Queen Sonja

[ROYAL NORWAY]

From the government:
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuel...017/id2518270/

Between the king and queen's birthdays, Wednesday May 10, the government will give a gala dinner for the royal couple at Akershus Castle.

Why 2017 will be another huge year for Norway's royals - The Local

In 2017, both King Harald and Queen Sonja will turn 80. Their birthdays will be celebrated together on May 10th, in addition to several private and public celebrations.

The king will be away on his birthday and will celebrate privately. There will be a combined celebration for his and the queen's 80th birthdays on May 10th. That will be the government's gift to them,” Royal Palace communications manager Marianne Hagen told NTB.

Queen Sonja will spend part of her 80th birthday on July 4th inaugurating a new project in Dronningparken, where part of the stables building that was originally built for Queen Maud’s horses, will be reintroduced as the Queen Sonja Art Hall, a venue for arts and culture.

This article is posted in the general news thread, but I post it here too:
60 royal guests to Norway in 2017 – Royal Central

And more information is coming soon.

[eya]

King and Queen's Anniversary Monogram is ready - Norway Today


The Norwegian Royal Family has released this new monogram in honor of King Harald and Queen Sonja's birthdays, both turning 80 this year: the King will turn 80 on February 21 and then the Queen on July 4.

https://scontent.fath3-2.fna.fbcdn.n...bc&oe=59220335

[An Ard Ri]

Has the Norwegian Royal Court announced at date for the celebrations?

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

Has the Norwegian Royal Court announced at date for the celebrations?

Communications Manager Marianne Hagen at the Royal Court said on Norwegian television that the shared celebration for the King and Queen will take place on May 10. Many royal guests are expected, and the highly reliable and trusted royal expert Kjell Arne Totland believe the celebration will be as big as the King's 70th birthday in 2007. Personally, I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

There is still very little information made public, but the royal journalists/experts I've talked to says that the royal court is planning a big celebration. And the musician Kai Robert Johansen has composed a hymn in honor of the 80th birthdays.

Here is an article from december:

Kongeparet kommer til Innlandet i juni
Translated by me:

Both King Harald and Queen Sonja celebrates their 80th birthdays in 2017, and it will of course be celebrated, including with an anniversary trip.

In 2016, the royal couple were on a anniversary trip in several coastal counties to mark their 25 years on the throne. In 2017, their anniversary trip goes to the hinterland, to selected municipalities in Hedmark and Oppland.

Information Manager Erik Haugen at the County governor's office says the visit is in the planning stage, but it is clear that it should last from 11 to 14 June, and that the four-day round trip probably is going to start in Hamar.

The first meeting in Oppland County is on January 4th, so It is not clear which municipalities that should be visited, but we're very excited to get started with planning this, says Haugen.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

More about the 80th birthday tour:

https://www.hadeland.no/kongehus/fyl.../s/5-35-382087
Translated by me:

King Harald and Queen Sonja will visit eight municipalities in Oppland and Hedmark this summer.

It's an anniversary trip on the occasion of them both turning 80 this year, according to the County governor's office in Oppland.

The King and Queen will remain in the Inland from 11th to 14th of June. They are scheduled to visit Gjøvik, Kapp, Hamar, Ringsaker (Tingnes), Lillehammer, Nord-Fron (Kvamsfjellet), Nord-Odal and Kongsvinger.

After the plans, the King and Queen will arrive in Hamar on Sunday 11 June, where they will go on board the D/S Skibladner. There will be several stops before they end their boat-trip at Lillehammer.

On June 12, the King and Queen takes their trip to Kvamsfjellet.

On June 13, the royal couple will hold a garden party in Maihaugen in Lillehammer for 600 guests from Oppland and Hedmark. It is organized on the model of the garden parties during last year's Silver Jubilee trip. That means that some of the secondary schools in the counties are invited to contribute.

On June 14, the journey will go through the Northern-Odal to Kongsvinger.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I am full of admiration for His Majesty (he's my second favorite person after Queen Eleziabeth II), but I don't agree with his decision to not appear in public on his 80th birthday on February 21th. He has decided to celebrate abroad with his family.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

I am full of admiration for His Majesty (he's my second favorite person after Queen Eleziabeth II), but I don't agree with his decision to not appear in public on his 80th birthday on February 21th. He has decided to celebrate abroad with his family.

But there will be a big celebration in May. I can understand the wish of a 80-years old to have a celebration in relative contemplation before the big party starts in three months time.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I agree! But when you're monarch, it is expected that you appear in public on an occasion like this. He did so in 1997 and 2007.

And we don't know if there will be a big celebration in May (although the royal experts say so). The government has so far only confirmed that there will be a gala dinner at Akershus Castle and Oppland County has confirmed the 80th birthday tour in June.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

In my first post in this thread, you can read the government's press release from October. It said that it would be held a gala dinner for the royal couple at Akershus Castle on May 10th.

This has now been changed:
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuel...017/id2518270/

Between the King and Queen's birthdays, Wednesday May 10, the government will give a (festmiddag in norwegian) which could mean a banquet or a finer dinner for the royal couple at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo.

[LadyRohan]

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

I am full of admiration for His Majesty (he's my second favorite person after Queen Eleziabeth II), but I don't agree with his decision to not appear in public on his 80th birthday on February 21th. He has decided to celebrate abroad with his family.

Birthday celebrations in the Norwegian Royal Family are by tradition private occasions not publicly celebrated. Although I can certainly understand the sentiment and wish for more visibility, the Royal Family tend to be less visible during the Norwegian winter, one reason being the harsher climate, and very visible during summer, so it balances out.
The King's birthday, being in February, is not an ideal time for public outings and celebrations. Many other monarchies have moved the official birthday of the monarch to when the climate is more accommodating, but in Norway, we tend to put it all together on May 17, and celebrate the love of King and country all in one.

[wartenberg7]

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

In my first post in this thread, you can read the government's press release from October. It said that it would be held a gala dinner for the royal couple at Akershus Castle on May 10th.

This has now been changed:
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuel...017/id2518270/

I´m happy to read this! King Olav used the Opera and National Theatre for all sorts of jubilees or celebrations regularly and it hasn´t been done for ages at the norwegian court!

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Originally Posted by LadyRohan

Birthday celebrations in the Norwegian Royal Family are by tradition private occasions not publicly celebrated. Although I can certainly understand the sentiment and wish for more visibility, the Royal Family tend to be less visible during the Norwegian winter, one reason being the harsher climate, and very visible during summer, so it balances out.
The King's birthday, being in February, is not an ideal time for public outings and celebrations. Many other monarchies have moved the official birthday of the monarch to when the climate is more accommodating, but in Norway, we tend to put it all together on May 17, and celebrate the love of King and country all in one.

Both King Haakon, King Olav and King Harald have celebrated their round birthdays (as we calls it in Norway) with big celebrations and foreign guests.

King Harald and Queen Sonja:

60th Birthdays 1997:

February 21th: The King appeared in public when he attended the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. He was given a cake and blew out the candles live on TV.

June 20/21th: The King and Queen was celebrated with a big shared birthday celebration in Trondheim .

70th Birthdays 2007:

February 21th: The king was celebrated throughout the day and in the days afterwards.

July 4th: Queen Sonja was celebrated in Stavanger.

I plan to write a post about past birthday celebrations tomorrow.

Originally Posted by wartenberg7

I´m happy to read this! King Olav used the Opera and National Theatre for all sorts of jubilees or celebrations regularly and it hasn´t been done for ages at the norwegian court!

I don't mean to complain, but having a dinner in the modern Opera house instead of a gala dinner at Akershus Castle is actually a downgrade.

[eya]

New Official photos for the 80th Birthday of the Kings

http://1.vgc.no/drfront/images/2017/...415;323794.jpg
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespesi...e9e921380e4f46
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespesi...ededc9a6475572
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespesi...b1bc20e082981d

[sm1939]

love these Official photographs everyone is looking really well :) thanks Eya for posting

[An Ard Ri]

What wonderful new photos to mark The King and Queen's 80th birthdays!

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by eya

New Official photos for the 80th Birthday of the Kings

http://1.vgc.no/drfront/images/2017/...415;323794.jpg
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespesi...e9e921380e4f46
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespesi...ededc9a6475572
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespesi...b1bc20e082981d

I'm surprised Marius is on one of the photos given his recent announcement that he is withdrawing from public duties.

[xenobia]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

I'm surprised Marius is on one of the photos given his recent announcement that he is withdrawing from public duties.

I had the same reaction. But I'm glad he's included in the big family picture

[duke of poliganc]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

I'm surprised Marius is on one of the photos given his recent announcement that he is withdrawing from public duties.

i thought of the same thing but maybe the photos were taken before the announcement .

[crm2317]

I thought the announcement said other than family occasions he would remain outside the public eye. So it isn't too surprising he is in a photo for his grand parents big birthday