State visit to the Republic of Ireland (Eire) 18/9-20/9 2006

[Larzen]

Pic of King Harald and Queen Sonja arriving in Dublin yesterday for the statevisit that starts today. They are heading a big business delegation and are accompanied by 3 ministers. They are staying at the royal yacht
http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article1461718.ece

[fanletizia]

Dublin, IRELAND: Irish President Mary McAleese (2ndL) welcomes Queen Sonja of Norway (R) and Martin McAleese (L) welcomes King Harald V of Norway (2ndR) at Aras An Uachtarain in Dublin's Phoenis Park on the first day of a three-day state visit of Norway's royals to Ireland.

from getty

[fanletizia]

Wellcoming ceremony

from getty



King Harald V of Norway (L) plants a tree as Queen Sonja of Norway (2ndL), Irish President Mary McAleese (2ndR) look at Aras An Uachtarain in Dublin's Phoenis Park

from getty

[Her_Majesty]

Great new hat of Queen Sonja!
Looks very interesting! I like it!

IRELAND NORWAY VISIT
(AP Photo/John Cogill)

Polfoto

[Larzen]

Originally Posted by Her_Majesty

Great new hat of Queen Sonja!
Looks very interesting!

You are too kind, I was going to say it looks terrible the color is just so blah. The Irish President is good looking woman IMO. Sonja wore that outfit for Ingrids christening, Im sure some other time s as well but cant remember.

King Harald V (R) and Queen Sonja of Norway meet with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern (C) 18 September 2006 in Dublin on the first day of their three-day state visit to Ireland. AFP photo/NEWSFILE/FRAN CAFFREY

[Her_Majesty]

Originally Posted by Larzen

You are too kind, I was going to say it looks terrible the color is just so blah.Sonja wore that outfit for Ingrids christening, Im sure some other time s as well but cant remember.

I see . Well, I like the form of the hat! Something I didn't see before!
The colour isn't that good indeed.
I first thought the dress was new... But of course it's not.

[seto]

That hat is terrible and not flattering at all.

[fanletizia]

Gala dinner from aftenposten

[weinyer]

from abaca-press americas

[fanletizia]

More from abaca



More images of yesterday

http://www.abacausa.com/ximagi/searc...nment_id=33403

[Her_Majesty]

Oh, what an interesting new dress for Queen Sonja .
It must be one of her favourite dresses.I wonder how often she woreuit now. 4 times??
Well, anyway I like her hairdo.
The President lookes nice,too.

[fanletizia]

Day 2
King Harald and Queen Sonja visit National Library at Trinity College in Dublin

from abaca




Gallery
http://www.abacausa.com/ximagi/searc...nment_id=33450

[Her_Majesty]

Queen Sonja meeting the artist Haakon Gulvag and John O'Donoghue, Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism

getty


Polfoto

[fanletizia]

Norwegian royalty open Irish maritime conference

http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fulls...onference.html

[fanletizia]

King and Queen at the City Hall in Cork

from abaca



King and Queen at the Naval Base Haulbowline

from abaca

[fanletizia]

Queen Sonja attends the opening of the exhibition "Rythm of Light Norwegian Jewellery 2006"

from abaca

[Her_Majesty]

Thanks for the pictures, Fanletizia!
Very beautiful pictures of the Royal Couple!
They both look very happy during this trip! The king is smiling so often! And Sonja looks really beautiful!

Originally Posted by fanletizia

King and Queen at the Naval Base Haulbowline

from abaca

Does anyone know what she was doing here??

[Pink Tulip]

News video fro RTE. You will need Realplayer to view it.

http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/230-2174136.smil

[Larzen]

Since the royals dont seem to be up to much at the moment (school has autumn break now I think) here is some translated articles from Se og hør about Sonja, dont really know where to place them but they are written in connection with the state visits

An article on Sonja and how she keeps her self young, VERY respectfully written by Kjell Arne Tottland (who likes to refer to himself as “us”)

Unbelivable but true, next year she is 70.
This is how she keeps young and fit.



Queen Sonja (69) impresses everyone with her fitness and youthful appearance. What are her secrets? Se og Hør gives you some of the answers:

Youthful and fit
People who meet the Queen and sees her up close are always impressed with her vitality, and not least her pace. So also during the state visit to Ireland this week.
- She manages more in one day than others in a week say friends and family with respect and admiration.
Abroad they almost do not believe us when we say that the Norwegian Queen will be 70 next year. Does she perhaps follow a special fitness program they ask us?
- I run once a week with a group of friends and I go for a walk in the weekends. I thought think the most important is to keep oneself active in the daily life. I move a lot and I am busy. And I have always been.
In her day to day work she always takes the steps at the palace instead of the elevators. She admits she misses being able to walk right out into nature like she could when she lived at Skaugum, when she could start her weekly jogging trip right outside her door. Thus now she drives to Bygdøy and walks in the nature around Bygdøy Royal Farm or around the Royal Lodge in Nordmarka. When she is at their summerhouse at Maagerø she swims in the pool every day and jogs in the hills around the house. In her vacations the Queen walks a lot in the mountains, summer as winter alike. And every year she walk the long distance on ski from Finse to Hardanger on ski.
- I love to climb mountains, to get sweaty and tired. I love to be outside.
Sonja finds it to a bigger degree than her husband necessary to reload her batteries in peace and quiet outside the public spotlight.
- It is important to take care of yourself as well. I live an intensive life and need my small breaks. Walking in the mountains is the best I can do. There I let go of all problems at the bottom of the valley, it is really oil for the machinery.

Trough the year Sonja also takes several short trips abroad, lately the trips has gotten more frequent, and she has been on several spas in Switzerland and Italy. As many women Sonja is conscious about her appearance and she goes regularly to a beauty saloon in Oslo. Trough the years she has tried laser and electro treatment, but she has never been tempted to put herself under the knife. Instead Sonja keeps her wrinkles and ages with dignity (hahum, she deff tried some botox a couple of years ago, she could hardly move her face during the Brazilian state visit, but she seems to have stopped thankfully) Even is she is in enviable shape, Sonja also notices that the age takes its toll. She has had some trouble with her body lately and has needed to see a physical therapist. She has also in periods had trouble sleeping. This has resulted in that Sonja has stopped drinking coffee in the afternoon. Thus she always – even for big galas –gets discreetly a cup of herbal tea. She also eats healthy and slowly. That way she avoids the dangerous comfort kilo that so easily piles on at that age. She is also very careful with alcohol, she is happy to enjoy a glass of good whine or champagne, but she rarely asks for refill and sticks to lots of water. The cigarettes she threw away when she got pregnant in 1970. As most know our Queen has in periods of her life had chronically back troubles. Stress can make them more common. She therefore has been better at delegating her work, and to keep the back working she does special exercises, besides she get regular massages every morning both at home and abroad.

Queen Sonja’s way of dressing certainly contributes to her youthful appearance and makes her look young and petite and less frumpy than some of her colleges in the European gotha. Sonja has found a style that suits her and that fits her role as Queen. She likes small tailored suits and coats that shows of her petite figure. Many might think that Clothes is among her big interests. But she sees it as a necessary and important part of her job to always look presentable, and it is not a hobby, Sonja always appears impeccable and elegant and she does buy a lot of clothes, but if one looks at her wardrobe closely one can see that many of her outfits are both 10 and 15 years old. Many of the suits and gala dresses she still uses frequently were made in the 3-4 first years of her time as Queen. Sonja has always been interested in hair, makeup and jewelleries. Jewelleries and accessories are always perfectly complimented. She has good help from her chamber maid and hairdresser. The last years she has also used a professional makeup artist for the biggest official engagements. Because Sonja’s perfectionism is still in hr blood

The end, one cannot accuse her of being low maintenance

[Larzen]

Here is an article on Sonja’s jewellery from Se og Hør, its mostly about her modern jewellery and not the royal pieces. Anyway I think Sonja has a ghastly collection of hats and gala dresses but she really does know how to accessorise day suits, better than most royals IMO and most of her jewellery comes from Norwegian jewellery artists.

Thanks for the jewellery girls.
Queen Sonja was really in her element when she during the Irish state visit opened an exhibition about modern Norwegian silver jewellery in the Irish town Cork. Sonja has for several years been very interested in Norwegian jewelleries and has consciously chosen to wear Norwegian jewellery when on duty home and abroad. Several of the 10 female artists in the exhibition has also made jewelleries for her trough the years. And when some of the jewellery of the veteran Tone Vigeland’s jewelleries was up for auction in Oslo Sonja purchased them immediately. Our Queen has also given some designers special orders. Therefore in 1997 she gave commissioned the artist Millie Behrens to make her a modern tiara I gold with tiny diamonds and an interchangeable stone in the front (aka the starwars tiara) Later Sonjas has also commissioned a collier and earrings in the same style. Lately she also got a ring in massive gold that she wore in Ireland. Also during this state visit the Norwegian first lady used generously of her collection of Norwegian jewelleries. For the opening of the exhibition in Cork Sonja carried a huge set of modern jewelleries by Ingjerd Hanevold and a ring by Millie Behrens. For the reception on the royal yacht where all the artists where invited she wore a huge necklace with matching bracelet and earring from Toril Bjorg. And soon we might see Sonja with even more jewellery, she was rumoured to fall completely in love with several of the silver jewellery in the exhibition.

Picture caption
Green modern jewellery by Ingjerd Hanevold and ring in solid gold with diamond by Millie Behrens

Round picture: In Dublin Sonja carried a huge silver set which is one of her favourites for several years now. They are by Toril Bjorg

During a visit to a maritime school in Cork Sonja chose a maritime outfit with Norwegian jewelleries in silver

In Dublin Sonja chose a beautiful set of cabochon amethysts to match her purple suit from 1995

For the dinner at Dublin Castle Sonja chose pearl jewelleries after Queen Maud who also was born Princess of Ireland

For a reception at the royal yacht the artists were invited. Sonja chose a silk outfit in silver with jewelleries by Toril Bjork and Ingjerd Hanevold

Group picture
Sonja with the artist, several of the are good friends
Sigrunn Aune, Torill Bjork, Millie Behrens, Sonja, Åse-Marit Torbjørnsen, Inger Marie Berg and Ingjerd Hanevold