It's hard for me to see how Harald could improve - unlike Haakon, Harald always seems to button his jacket, and don't wear light brown trousers with a black jacket on engagements. Granted, most of the clothes Harald wears when he's fishing/sailing, or whatever, isn't very fashionable. I'm not sure that I want a king approaching his 69th year be a fashion icon for teenagers. There is a thing called "Dress for your age", which I think both Sonja and Harald do well. Mette-Marit sometimes dresses too oldfashioned and frumpy, but she isn't afraid to try something new - like the dust-bunnies masquarading as hats.
Märtha has really improved since she met Ari, and when she started working with Wenche Lyche it really got exciting to follow. Her clothing before, in the 80s and early 90s, I highly suspect was a case of Queen Sonja and others picking out dresses for Märtha to wear... safe choices, and not very exciting.
Royal men are likely to lose, in any case. Men's clothes are pretty boring. Shirt, jacket, tie, pants, shoes. Hard for most men to go wrong (well, okay, some of them still do!). Off-duty clothes are more interesting, but still boring compared to women's. IMO
Today Norway got a nw goverment The King and Crown Prince had the following activities related to that
10.00 The King and Crown Prince recieves Party Leader Jens Stoltenberg (future PM) to recieve the list of the new Minister
11.00 The King and Crown Prince presides extraoridnary State Council for outgoing goverment
13.00 The King and Crown Prince presides extraoridnary State Council for incomming goverment
Outgoing goverment in state council from www.vg.no
Our New minister of treassure Kristin Halvorsen is the leader og The Socialist Party where they want to vote for a republic, now she has to meet every Friday with the King. She made a polite bow to the King but did not curtesy as many in the old goverment and a couple of the women in this goverment did. She however always says that it is the system she oppose not the people.
Found this press release on the Royal Family official website. I translated it as no English version existed. It was posted on the website today. I post it here as I presume it will involve most of the Norwegian Royal Family.
18.10.2005 Palace Ball
Their Majesties the King and the Queen invites to a grand bal at the Royal Palace Sunday 27. November 2005. The Palace Ball is a part of the monarchys[1]’ celebration of the centenniary of the arrival of Prince Carl and Princess Maud in Norway as the countrys’ new King and Queen.
King Haakon and Queen Maud held several balls at the Palace during their first years in Norway. The ball which is being held in November will not be a copy of former balls, but will contain elements of decorations and contents which draws the lines from King Haakon and Queen Maud to todays monarchy.
The ball will be started with a big celebratory polonaise which will give the guests a tour of the Palace many halls and rooms. Afteron the Military Staff Music will play for dancing.
The more than 550 guests which will be invited to the ball, will be a selection of the population of the country (my comment; both rich and poor, commoners and famous, young and old). Apart from central government all the county leaders have helped find guests which represents all the counties in the country and which comes from different municipalities. From each country there is picked five couples as representatives from local voluntary organizations, the voluntary local cultur arena, municipality politics or local press. Representatives from the different organizations under Royal Protection and Norwegian world champions in 2005 are amongst the guests.
On the occation of the ball the Royal Court have started a project with one class from the chefs programme at Øyrane Vocational College in Førde, which will help the Palace kitchen staff with the food.
The work with the ball is lead by senior advisor Lise Harlem.
[1] I’ve translated Kongehus to monarchy as there isn’t any better word for it in English.
The King and Crown Prince has given an inteview to Aftenposten to mark the 100 anniverary, it will also be an inteview with them on NRK tonight. Ingrid Alexandra is with them both places, sort of a 3 generations thing.
Its a long interview, and here are the pictures from Aftenposten
I dont have time to translate now, maybe someone else or maybe Ill do ot later in the week
Translation of the article Larzen posted the link to above. Translation by me.
Grandfather enjoys being the babysitter.
Aftenposten has met three generations of royals on the occasion of the 100-years celebration of Norway as an independent nation with a modern monarchy.
WENCHE FUGLEHAUG
It is a fresh King Harald who receives us with son and granddaughter. He is in better shape than he has been in a very long time, after a year with cancer and heart illness.
"I'm back in business, full-time now, with good energy. But I haven't been good enough to work out. Jokingly I say that I've grown out of working out, but I'm practising it," says the King.
Swimming, sailing, trips and plenty of free time this summer has done the monarch good.
"And quitting smoking?"
"Yes, and it was really disappointingly simple to quit. After I made the decision, I haven't given cigarettes a thought for five seconds. To me it wasn't problematic.
But King Harald has much respect for those who can't. That's why he won't share any concerte advice regarding stopping smoking.
"I think that those who succeed, has to want it very much. You really have to make up your mind."
We are on the third floor of the Palace. In the hallway between Queen Josephine and King Oscar's suites, where a delicate sitting group has been placed, so that we can enjoy a panorama view to Karl Johan. An official room, but just so intimate that we feel welcome.
And.. Suddenly she is there, walking in the hallway, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, or Ingrid as daddy and grandfather calls her. After a while she wants to study the inventory in the room. As most children that age, most things needs to be investigated.
"I didn't think I was going to get grandfather-crazy, but I did. Both the Queen and I very much enjoy spending time with the entire family," says the King.
As the King and Queen have many duties in the weekends, the sunday dinner is often changed to another day of the week. At the Palace, Skaugum or in Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn's house in Lommedalen.
"It's especially nice to spend time with the little ones. Development happens so quickly in the children's first years of life, that you should see them often as to not lose the contact," says the King.
He and Queen Sonja also baby-sit their grandchildren.
"Not over several days, but at the Palace when the parents need it, and we're gladly evening-babysitters in the vacations at Tjøme," tells His Majesty.
Heir to the throne
"Is Princess Ingrid Alexandra, as heir to the throne, going to be raised differently from her siblings?"
"Both yes and no. There will be a difference regarding the conciousness of it all. We will always be open to the fact that Ingrid is heir to the throne, and tell her what lies in that. She will gradually discover that she is heir to the throne, if she hasn't already. It is also important to talk about these things in connection to the other children, so that they know where they stand. But in the family, of course, everybody is equal," says Crown Prince Haakon.
Hopefully it will be long until the Princess ascends to the thone.
"There is no tradition in Scandinavia for a monarch to retire. I stay in my life's duty as long as my health is there for me," King Harald says.
Moral of Values
Yesterday, 18. November, it was presisely 100 years to the day, since the Storting chose a form of government and elected Danish Prince Carl to the first king in an independent Norway. 25. November 1905, he arrived in the country and two days later, King Haakon VII swore the oath.
"100 years after Norway left an union, many wants us to join another: the European. What thoughts to the King have about that?"
"I leave that question to the cabinet. We have nothing to do with that, as it is a purely political decision."
King Harald's answer isn't surprising.
Because, even if there is no law that says that The King and his family is without a right to vote, or a right to speak about political affairs, our royals keep a low profile.
"Why is it really like that?"
"I've read Johan Castberg, who thinks that the King hasn't a right to vote, but that the rest of the royal family does. It is a tradition from King Haakon, that we don't interfere in political questions. A constitutional monarchy is based on political neutrality, we are meant to pull the country together, not divide it. Once you take a political point of view, someone will disagree," says King Harald.
"But doesn't the King, from time to time, want to break with this principle?"
"No. It's buried well into the marrow, that it doesn't tempt."
"But the King and the Crown Prince speak with much authority about questions like immigration, homosexuality, bullying, etc.?"
"It's probably easier for the Crown Prince to do than me. I said things as a Crown Prince that I couldn't say as a King. On the other hand, King Olav was early making statements that later was interpreted as political points, ie. about our new inhabitants," says King Harald.
"It's a question of values that often are repeated in those kind of statements. It isn't statements that necessarily are tied to party politics. Even if everything is politics," adds the Crown Prince.
Not to gain support from the population
The People's support of the monarchy has been high and steady all the time, but the King never thinks tactical in regards to winning the support of the people.
"We are given a task by the Norwegian population as a monarchy and we do it as well as we are able to. We try not to "collect votes" from the population. We don't do anything, currently to gain something positive on a poll, or to win short-term personal popularity," King Harald underlines.
"What could the Crown Prince imagine doing if the monarchy was dissolved?"
"You mean if I wasn't born royal? It is often that you have a dream of what you might imagine doing, but when faced with reality, it might be less spectacular. But I might imagine doing something in music or movies. Or questions of development, something I work with in my current role as well.
Text messaging - no thank you
We live in a new age. The tecnological development is rapid.
"The way we communicate changes. Everything happens so quickly, headlines are made to be seen and heard and it interferes in ours and other official persons lives," says King Harald.
"The press has to, and should, show special care towards children and youths, and I hope they respect that," says Crown Prince Haakon.
Neither he nor the King read everything that is written about them, but the King catches some of the parodies of himself, which can be very invasive.
"The good ones are okay to watch. When they are bad, it is just sad," says the King.
He starts to laugh when we ask if he's an eager internet user.
"No, I don't use the internet or text messages. But the Palace as an organization is up to date."
Nor is the Crown Prince a computergeek.
"Technology is fantastic, but also extremely frustrating. I'm into new technology, but it isn't always I manage to do what I want... but we send text messages to each other; friends and family in the european royal houses," he says.
Learning from Marius
Mette-Marit is due in few days.
"To be the father of small children has changed my life. The biggest transition came when I became stepfather. To have Marius has been an enrichment to me. I have learned much from him, and I still do."
"I know how it is to have two children, but how it is to have three children and two arms...? That will be a challenge," laughs the Crown Prince.
"The Crown Princess and I wish to give our children values in life. We want to be listening and create limits around them that they will get to know well. Then they won't have to get insecure. That's our goal. Though, it isn't always we manage," smiles the Crown Prince.
The King is healthy and on the offensive. The Crown Prince takes over the day he has to. Princess Ingrid Alexandra's destiny is to be Queen. Few royals turn the back on their destiny.
Little Ingrid has such a special face, I can't put my finger on it. It radiates sweet intelligence, if anything. There's really something about her eyes, so cute. I guess she takes after her father?
I would say she is currently the most beautiful of the crop (i.e. compared to Amalia, Elizabeth, Eloise, Maud) of recently born female heirs to thrones (ok, if we add Leonor and Alexia in the mix, things might get tricky as those two can also hold their own in the beauty department).
I've always been kindof loath to compare appearances of those tiny tots as I used to think it kindof isn't fair on some level, but now my policy is, as long as I don't say outright who I think is <not> so lucky looks-wise, that should do. Also, of course, I should add that physical appearance doesn't neccesarily match other and more critical human qualities such as intelligence, curiosity, creativity, resourcefulness, what have you!)
Little Ingrid has such a special face, I can't put my finger on it. It radiates sweet intelligence, if anything. There's really something about her eyes, so cute. I guess she takes after her father?
I know her face really does captivate you, doesn't it? I don't know about beauty, each child is beautiful and adorable in their own right but personality wise, this litle princess has me enthralled. Sometimes she seems playful and sometimes so aware of her surroundings. I am just waiting for her to grow up, she will be a big asset to the monarchy.
I cannot describe what Ingrid Alexandra is now... she is so so cute.. cute...
she has pretty eyes, and pretty much inherit her mother & father's extremly good looks...
i think she'll grow up to be a very cute & beautiful child...
Wow!Thanks lots purple platinum.How cute Ingrid Alexandra is now!C, times so quick, she nearly 2 already(which in January still 2 months to go), and i would agree she has inherited the looks of both her parents really much, she does have much when she looks cross something her face exactly like MM, how beautiful daughter Haakon and MM have!Im sure Ingrid later will be a really wonderful Queen.
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"God save our Gracious Queen,
Long live our Noble Queen,
God save The Queen"
God save Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
I don't know if this has been posted but King Harald, Queen Sonja, Princess Märtha Louise and Ari and Princess Ragnhild and her husband attended the memorial of the 100th birthday of Queen Astrid of Belgium. There are lots of pictures and Martha Louise looks great!!
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