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Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria
Thank you very much for the superbly descriptive post about the state visit! And for the extensive response to my comments as well.
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You're very welcome!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria
Thank you for the reminder. I have a propensity to think of all the speeches delivered by the King as "his", owing to his charismatic personality in part, but also because a number of the stories you've shared here illustrate the esteem in which Norwegian politicians (and the public) hold the King.
In consequence, it seems improbable to me that the Foreign Ministry would ask the King to make any statements which violated his conscience or feelings. Perhaps that's why the several speeches I've read in translation which were delivered by the King on foreign visits haven't given the sense of being obviously political, but concentrating on the social and exchange components of the visit.
I did notice that he addressed electric cars, which seems to be a priority for Norwegian governments(?). |
The Royal Secretariat at the court (which is responsible for the official/private programme of the RF) asks the Foreign Ministry if they have some specific wishes before The King gives his ''inputs'' (perhaps something he wants to say about a previous royal visit to the host country, etc), which is then followed by an approval of His Majesty and the ministry. But the main thing here is that this is an apolitical constitutional monarch who is on a state visit for his government, and he will, therefore, read up what he is told to read up, although the ministry (I.e. the government) will, of course, be pretty careful so they don't put him in a bad light.
You wrote: ''Electric cars, which seems to be a priority for Norwegian governments.'' Yes, and that's because there has been (and still is) a broad consensus in the Storting on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from road traffic. And initiatives such as no road tax, exemption from 25% VAT on sales, reduced road/ferry tolls and parking costs, and access to bus lanes for zero-emissions cars have driven Norway to have the highest electric vehicle use per capita (and over 50% of all new vehicles sold in this country in 2019 ''is likely to be all-electric cars'').
Yes, I could actually have written a lot more about it, but since this is a royal forum, I think I must TRY to restrain myself (not easy BTW).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria
It hadn't occurred to me that the schedule of a state visit must be hectic even by diplomatic measures, but that is wholly understandable given that a state visit between two nations is generally an opportunity that presents itself once in a generation. Kudos to the King and Queen for adapting to meet the physical demands, although I wonder how it will be handled the day their health becomes too frail.
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As The King has said on several occasions, then they ''won't make state visits,'' which is quite usual actually:
King Olav V did four state visits after he turned 80 in July 1983; the last one in April 1988, about three years before he died in January 1991. - While QEII stopped with long-haul Commonwealth/state visits in 2011 and those within a shorter distance in 2015 (aged 85 and 89).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tatiana Maria
That is a good selection of observations from European (and one Asian) royal families, and I admittedly cannot see an issue with any of it. But it raises the question of why it is that, granting that informality is widely appreciated, every constitutional monarchy (I suppose it's natural that monarchs of dictatorships are not known for their folksiness) continues to see a number of royals and/or monarchists who insist on royals being revered and disdain the folksier style?
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IMO, it's mostly due to differences in personalities (talks about it in the next part of this post BTW).
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Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair
The "folksy style" is the most difficult. Keeping the monarchy accessible and within approach but at the same time to beware the neccessary distance and the dignity of the institution. Sometimes the "folksy style" was considered as "gone too far" by the successor, who then re-introduced more formality and dignity, exactly to help the monarchy to behold its dignity and relevance.
Example: the "distant" King Baudouin, followed by the "folksy" King Albert II, followed by the "somewhat more distant" King Philippe.
Example: the "folksy" Queen Juliana, followed by the "distant" Queen Beatrix, followed by the "somewhat more folksy" King Willem-Alexander.
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I'm not so familiar with these two monarchies, but the examples you gave here, is most likely due to different personalities. I mean, take The Danish Royal Family which I pretty much follow on a daily basis: It isn't like QMII is saying to herself or her advisers, ''my father was folksy, so then I have to be more regal in order to help the monarchy behold its dignity;'' or Frederik saying, ''my mother is regal, so then I have to be more folksy in order to keep the monarchy accessible.''
BTW: Margrethe has, in fact, herself said that she ''would've liked'' to have had her son's ability to come in contact with people.
And when it comes to formality and dignity: Well, in Norway, DK and UK, these things are there anyway. I.e. Grand ceremonies and the fact that every courtier has to bow/curtsy to the royals and call them ''Majesties/Royal Highnesses,'' which is followed by most of the public as well. And that despite, whether the RF-members are folksy or more regal (which both seem to be accepted).
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