General News & Information for King Harald V and Queen Sonja: 2006 -

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

Well, there wasn't really a side, since almost every politician (from all parties) and a unanimous press were against it (the marriage, I mean). - And Sonja had in fact already helped out her brother by working period-wise for the family-business in the years leading up to the wedding.

''Were they a majority or minority in Norway in the 1960s?''
Good question! - And with the word ''they,'' I assume you mean ordinary Norwegians? Hmm, most were probably skeptical at first, but there is broad agreement among living politicians and journalists from the time (and those who have been alive until recently) that a large majority were happy that CP Harald would finally get the chance to marry his Sonja.

It's quite interesting that, in a democratic constitutional monarchy, the beliefs of the politicians and press in respect to the monarchy diverged so substantially from the beliefs of the ordinary people. Of course that seems to be a commonplace event in many democratic monarchies, not only Norway, but it is especially remarkable in this case seeing that the possibility of the monarchy losing popularity with the public was an argument used against allowing the marriage.

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

Yes, but there are exceptions, such as Märtha standing in a room teaching paying-people to speak with angels.

Is it the payment or the angels which discomfits Norwegians the most?

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

They were most likely thinking about the stability of the business.

I can understand that. But it would have been interesting if the business had been inherited by Sonja as planned - I think she would have been the first modern queen consort in Europe to have run her own business.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

Good question! - And with the word ''they,'' I assume you mean ordinary Norwegians? Hmm, most were probably skeptical at first, but there is broad agreement among living politicians and journalists from the time (and those who have been alive until recently) that a large majority were happy that CP Harald would finally get the chance to marry his Sonja.

My impression from all the programs done around the time of their Gold wedding was that initially the Norwegians were against the mere thought of their Crown Prince marrying a commoner, but that public opinion changed as the romance went on especially after it reached the critical stage and became a political matter.

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

I think she would have been the first modern queen consort in Europe to have run her own business.

Business or not, she is the only queen I know of that has a gold record

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

It's quite interesting that, in a democratic constitutional monarchy, the beliefs of the politicians and press in respect to the monarchy diverged so substantially from the beliefs of the ordinary people. Of course that seems to be a commonplace event in many democratic monarchies, not only Norway, but it is especially remarkable in this case seeing that the possibility of the monarchy losing popularity with the public was an argument used against allowing the marriage.

As I wrote in the previous post, most ordinary people ''were probably sceptical at first,'' since they were not used to that royals married commoners. Although Princesses Ragnhild & Astrid did it to much criticism from politicians/media in 1953 and 1961 (especially the latter one, since she married a divorcee), but neither of them was the heir, which made it a bit easier.
And remember that Sonja was a proper woman who came from a good family - and that she and the CP had been waiting for 9 years.

And the politicians/commentators who were against it at the time, have later said that while they first feared that public-support for the monarchy would ''go down-hill'' in the event of The Crown Prince marrying Sonja, they finaly realised that most people would indeed accept it, yes, even support it. - And that was before they heard about CP Harald's so-called ''I will remain unmarried'' ultimatum to his father in 1967, although they still meant that the heir should marry a foreign royal, because ''she would be used to royal-life'' and last but not least, it was what ''one used to do.''
But after the wedding, when they saw how the then CP Sonja handled her new role and how happy the once grumpy Crown Prince had become, they ''regretted'' their previous thoughts.

--------------------

Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria

Is it the payment or the angels which discomfits Norwegians the most?

I will say both! And then I mean the media/church, since it is difficult to know exactly what ordinary Norwegians think about it, although some polls conducted in the late 2000s showed that a majority believed it ''weakened the monarchy.''

But let's take both issues:

Talking to angels: The opinion of media-commentators (most of them pro-royal) is that it ridicules the monarchy, which I very much agree with. - Because although she's no longer a member of The Royal House, she is still a titled daughter of the monarch.
While The Church of Norway (as some of you already know from Ingrid's confirmation thread), of which Märtha is still a member, has accused her of going against Evangelical-Lutheran teaching. - A religion, which the monarch is dictated by the constitution to ''at all times profess.''

Taking money to teach others to do the same: Some commentators (again, most of them pro-monarchy) have accused her of ''exploiting vulnerable people for money,'' while others have called it ''pure fraud.''



--------------------

Originally Posted by JR76

My impression from all the programs done around the time of their Gold wedding was that initially the Norwegians were against the mere thought of their Crown Prince marrying a commoner, but that public opinion changed as the romance went on especially after it reached the critical stage and became a political matter.

Although, it was very much a ''political matter'' from the rumors of a relationship began and until they were allowed to marry, I think it probably was (as several politicians/commentators from the time have said) because people felt sorry for The Crown Prince having had to wait all those years. - And the fact that ''they finally realized that royals were human too,'' as the now 90-year-old former Prime Minister, Kåre Willoch said it some years ago.

People can read more about it in this post: Golden Wedding Anniversary of King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Kjell Arne Totland @TV2KjellArne
50 YEARS AGO... #CrownPrincessSonja of #Norway poses for new official pictures in her husband’s office at #RoyalPalace in #Oslo. - dressed in the same gown that she wore at #Akershus the day before her wedding. And for the first time she wears the big diamond tiara & earrings (link).

And with ''the big diamond tiara & earrings,'' he meant (as most of you will know when you click on the picture) Queen Josephine's Diamond Tiara (link) and The Diamond Pendant Earrings (link).

[eya]

Thank you from the Palace for all the wishes for the Birthday of the King yesterday:

"Thanks for the many nice wishes to the King's birthday! We have been allowed to share this which the King received from the crew of Christian Radich and Windjammer. Thank you and good sail"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuL7mzln5h0/

[ROYAL NORWAY]

The Queen is 82-years-young today! And as with all other RF-members of the Royal House (i.e. The King, Crown Prince and Crown Princess), her birthday is an official flag day and is marked by a 21-gun salute around the country.
And to those who are now wondering, why didn't he mention Ingrid? Well, because even though her birthday is already an official flag day, she won't get the salute before she's 18 (age of majority).

BTW, here is an ABC article with a photo-video from some of the many milestones of Her Majesty's life (link).

And a TV2 article, where their Royal Expert, Kjell Arne Totland, gives a comment (link).

He says: ''As the tradition is, the birthday is celebrated with family and friends at *Mågerø* (The Regent-Couple's private holiday-home at Tjøme in southern Norway - English RH-article - link). Then she always invites to a black-tie event around the outdoor swimming pool. Many of the guests come by sea in their own boats, which will be docked, down by the boathouse'' (better written in English as ''docked around the boathouse, a bit down from the property'').

He goes on to say that she will have two more engagements (on July 6th and 8th) before the weeks ahead will be used to relax and recharge the batteries for a busy autumn. But if he knows her right, ''there is still a little hike in the mountains on the program before she returns to The Palace in Oslo.''
He also mentions that she's had a busy year and that she before the holiday had an infection in her right foot (which led to the cancellation of her program during the state visit from South Korea in mid-June), but that she has had engagements after that.
He concludes by saying: ''Think (some may use the word *imagine*) that she turns 82-years-old - it is not to be believed! When I tell it to foreign colleagues who don't know, they do not believe it. She herself says she almost feels like 50.''

--------------------

Hmm, was there anything else? Yes, Märtha has wished her mother a ''Happy Birthday'' on Instagram (see Eya's post in this thread - link).

[eya]

"UPDATE ON QUEEN SONJA: Queen Sonja has now also canceled her participation in today's events in Oslo. She is still sick and has a respiratory infection. The Royal Court does not want to comment on how serious the illness is or when Queen will be back at work."


https://twitter.com/OAanmoen/status/...004545/photo/1

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by eya

"UPDATE ON QUEEN SONJA: Queen Sonja has now also canceled her participation in today's events in Oslo. She is still sick and has a respiratory infection. The Royal Court does not want to comment on how serious the illness is or when Queen will be back at work."


https://twitter.com/OAanmoen/status/...004545/photo/1

Thanks for posting this update. Best wishes to the Queen for a quick recovery. I hope the refusal to comment is not an indication of seriousness, but as the Court has a history of transparent communication regarding the King's health issues I am inclined to take it at face value that they simply do not know when the Queen will be fit to resume her engagements.

[eya]

"UPDATE ON KING HARALD :
Crown Prince Haakon has met the press and says: "My father has contracted a small viral infection and is on sick leave for a few days, but we hope he is healthy for Christmas""


https://twitter.com/OAanmoen/status/...984002/photo/1

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by eya

"UPDATE ON KING HARALD :
Crown Prince Haakon has met the press and says: "My father has contracted a small viral infection and is on sick leave for a few days, but we hope he is healthy for Christmas""


https://twitter.com/OAanmoen/status/...984002/photo/1

So, apparently an earlier release today indicated that Haakon is taking over his father's duties as temporary regent (at least that's what I made of the Dutch news about it; see also Royal Central) because of his father's illness, including attending tomorrow's State Council; so that had people worried.

[HereditaryPrincess]

Oh dear, I wish King Harald a speedy recovery. It's not fun being ill at the best of times, but especially over the festive period.

[An Ard Ri]

Wishing King Harald a speedy recovery its not a nice time to be ill!

[Muhler]

There are speculations about the King's New Year speech.

https://www.tv2.no/nyheter/11083440/

King Harald's New Year speech is recorded in advance, on 19th December. But now the recording will have to take place between Christmas and New Year. That is if the King is well enough.
The palace has not responded to questions as to whether the King will be able to record his speech, but it is expected he will recover soon.

However, should he still be ill it will be Haakon who will give the speech as he did in 2003.
It was also Haakon who had to stand in for his father at a state council Wednesday.

- To me this smells like a flu. It's flu season now. But of course even for a healthy person a bad flu can easily last a week, and for an elderly and somewhat frail man, it may last longer.
So I think it's likely he will take his time to recover and let Haakon give the speech. It won't exactly help if King Harald looks like the Death from Lübeck on TV while giving his speech!

[Muhler]

As if the death of Ari Behn wasn't enough...

https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/0nJ6OG/...gt-paa-sykehus

King Harald has been committed to hospital.
He has seemingly suffered spells of dizziness and has been committed. (Presumably for observation.) His condition is not considered serious and he is expected to be released before the weekend, but he will be on sick leave for the next two weeks.

- I guess this is exhaustion caused by partly his illness prior to New Year and the death and personal toll for the family due to Ari Behn's death.

[sm1939]

Hope he is felling better soon.

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by Muhler

As if the death of Ari Behn wasn't enough...

https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/0nJ6OG/...gt-paa-sykehus

King Harald has been committed to hospital.
He has seemingly suffered spells of dizziness and has been committed. (Presumably for observation.) His condition is not considered serious and he is expected to be released before the weekend, but he will be on sick leave for the next two weeks.

- I guess this is exhaustion caused by partly his illness prior to New Year and the death and personal toll for the family due to Ari Behn's death.

The hits never stop coming for him, do they?

[SLV]

I hope he gets well soon.

[An Ard Ri]

Wishing the King a speedy recovery its been a very tough time.

[Lady Daly]

So sorry to hear about King Harold's hospitalization. People can only take so much. Thoughts and best wishes for a full recovery.

[HereditaryPrincess]

Oh dear, this is not good news. I hope Harald makes a speedy recovery. Winter can be a particularly rough time for people with long-term conditions who are more vulnerable to common colds and flu, especially the elderly.