80th Birthday Celebrations of King Harald V and Queen Sonja


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ROYAL NORWAY

ROYAL NORWAY

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From the government:
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktue...til-kongeparets-80-arsdager-i-2017/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.
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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.
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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.
 
Has the Norwegian Royal Court announced at date for the celebrations?
 
An Ard Ri said:
Has the Norwegian Royal Court announced at date for the celebrations?
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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.
 
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.
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More about the 80th birthday tour:

https://www.hadeland.no/kongehus/fy...ileumsreise-blir-med-skibladner/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.
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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.
 
ROYAL NORWAY said:
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
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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/aktue...til-kongeparets-80-arsdager-i-2017/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.
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ROYAL NORWAY said:
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.
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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.
 
ROYAL NORWAY said:
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/aktue...til-kongeparets-80-arsdager-i-2017/id2518270/
Click to expand...


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!
 
LadyRohan said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.

wartenberg7 said:
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!
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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.
 
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love these Official photographs everyone is looking really well :) thanks Eya for posting
 
What wonderful new photos to mark The King and Queen's 80th birthdays!
 
 
Mbruno said:
I'm surprised Marius is on one of the photos given his recent announcement that he is withdrawing from public duties.
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I had the same reaction. But I'm glad he's included in the big family picture :flowers:
 
Mbruno said:
I'm surprised Marius is on one of the photos given his recent announcement that he is withdrawing from public duties.
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i thought of the same thing but maybe the photos were taken before the announcement .
 
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
 
Some very nice pictures of the royal family. Love the one with the grand-kids
A happy surprise that Marius is included:flowers:

the grand-kids are getting so big
 
The King and Queen has given an interview to NTB: (NORWAY TODAY has translated the entire interview)
Read More: No pause for breath for the royal couple who’ve reached the grand age of 80 - Norway Today
King Harald has no plans to take it easy although he’s reached 80 years of age. To step back out of the spotlight is out of the question, unless he gets a clear message from the ‘children’ (who are themselves in their mid to late 40s) that it’s time. ‘But then, I’ve probably come so far that I don’t realize it’, said the king with a smile.
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He has said this (in fun) several times. He has asked his children to speak out if he becomes senile, but then (as he says) he would probably not understand what they are talking about anyway.

It would not be customary for him to do this in Spain, the Netherlands, or Belgium, where the Heads of State have recently abdicated.

‘I took an oath to the Constitution. For me, it means for life’, said the King to Norsk Telegrambyrå (NTB) news agency.
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As he has said several times before!

He could have abdicated before 2012 (when the Crown Prince was still popular), but it would not had ben possible today.

The king said that cooperation with the crown prince and princess is of great help to him and the queen.

‘We have four people working as a team. We work closely together, have many meetings, and talk a lot together. This is a scheme that I introduced myself, and that I missed when I was crown prince’.

The king said the crown prince occasionally offers to take over some assignments.

King Harald said, ’But I seldom accept the offer, I should emphasise!’

NTB will meet the king and queen to interview them on the occasion of their 80th birthdays on February the 21st and the 4th of July. The royal couple will not allow that age to weigh them down.

‘I always thought that those who were 80, were old aged, but I do not feel old aged myself. Age is just a number’, said King Harald.
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The King is a bit frail, but it's good that he still feels young.

In 2016, after 25 years on the throne , the jubilee year was eventful. In all, the couple attended more than 6,000 meetings with Norwegians who are not members of the aristocracy. The speech, which the king held in the Royal Palace on September the 1st, summarised his impressions, and described the Norway that had met him.

The speech touched many, even people outside the country. For the king, multicultural society is no threat.

‘I think it enriches Norwegian culture. We gain more diversity. Meanwhile, I think we should stick to what is Norwegian. We do not need to drop it, even if we get input from outside.
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It was one of the best speeches he has held.

The 17th of January, 1991, saw the death of King Olav, and the country got a new king. It was no easy task.

‘I was terrified. To be quite honest, I was pretty sure I was not going to be able to do it. My father was incredibly popular’, said the king.
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King Harald is a much better monarch than what his father was, and is, according to experts (and I agree) more popular than King Olav was. And considering the fact that King Olav was never criticized by the media, that is an accomplishment in itself.

Asked if sometimes, as the crown prince grew up, he was scolded by his father’, the room echoed with familiar laughter.

‘No, but it happened often enough that it was vice versa!’
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The transelation is wrong - here comes the rigth one: Asked if he sometimes scolded his father when he was crown prince, the room echoed with familiar laughter

''No, but it happened enough that it was vice versa sometimes!''
 
eya said:
New Official photos for the 80th Birthday of the Kings

http://1.vgc.no/drfront/images/2017/02/16/c=0,165,1300,827;w=652;h=415;323794.jpg
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespes...5e94f1393f1825f69716f61b5683766e9e921380e4f46
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespes...16169d6d6c9b278e72063c003759e2bededc9a6475572
https://imbo.vgc.no/users/bildespes...9db2eb1fa2754c1468412943ae96c87b1bc20e082981d
Click to expand...

Very lovely pictures, especially the one with the whole family.

I don't find it odd that Marius appears in the family photo, in fact, I would have find it stranger if he wasn't there. He might have left the spotlight, but he hasn't left the family.
 
How they all have grown in no time! Especially Maud, Leah Isidora and Emma Behn are changed, since they go completely out of my viewpoint as foreign outsider and follower of Norwegian royal news. The King and Queen look happy and well. Happy birthdays to the couple.
 
From Kjell Arne Totland: Kong Harald (80 til uken): – Alder er bare et tall! | Kongebloggen - Kjell Arne Totland
Translated by me:
King Harald turns 80 next Tuesday.

And although the King and all his family this time is "away on the day", its flag day throughout the kingdom with a greeting protocol at the palace and online.

I must admit that I find it almost unbelievable that King Harald now is celebrating his 80th birthday. The years have really gone fast - and neither he nor Queen Sonja is as other 80-year-olds.

Personally, as a royal reporter, I have had the great pleasure to follow His Majesty in all his now 26 years as king - and I think he really lives up to his motto "All for Norway".

King Harald is like his father and grandfather an outstanding focal point for the nation.
Yeah, he's probably maybe even closer to his people than they were!

On the occasion of the birthday, the royal couple has together and separately given a interview.

An amused King Harald said the following about turnig 80:

I always thought that those who were 80, were old aged, but I do not feel old aged myself. Age is just a number.

Both here at the King Blog and elsewhere in TV2 of course, we will celebrate His Majesty's birthday on February 21.
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You're very welcome, polyesco!

I'm a big fan of both the Crown Prince and Crown Princess and I like that they are trying to make Norway an even better and more inclusive society (as King Harald and Queen Sonja have done since they married in 1968), but they do it in a wrong way.

After the criticism from people/media calmed down after the wedding in 2001, both Haakon and Mette-Marit become very popular (I would say even more popular than what Frederik and Mary are in Denmark now). They got some criticism for the controversial journey they went on in 2010/2011, but it calmed down quickly. Their approval ratings were above 80% until early 2013.

In the last 3 years, this has unfortunately changed. They have been criticized for being friends with wealthy people, politicians, actors, for going on luxury boat-trips and for taking the children out of the public school etc.

And this is not well received in a country where the Law of Jante is still very present. And as a female Danish expert said when Queen Margrethe celebrated her 75th birthday: It's much harder to be royal in Norway than in Denmark and Sweden because everyone expects you to be like them.

Haakon: He interferes in politics, uses the royal court's money to build organizations and is bad at dealing with the media.

Mette-Marit: She's even worse at dealing with the media and gets cranky when she gets asked critical questions.

Many expert/journalists (who are very pro royal) is concerned about the monarchy's future when Haakon becomes king. And even worse: He has said that he will not change when he becomes King.

Haakon will also have an enormous task of taking over after King Harald, who is extremely popular.
 
:previous:thank you for that insight. Just from my perspective, it does seem that they hang outmwith elites
 
Thank you for the translations Royal Norway and thank you eya for the photos!

The photos were taken in October according to the captions:
https://www.nrk.no/norge/nye-kongebilder-uten-ari-1.13381718?index=9#undefined

Even in the future, I wouldn't find it odd for Marius to be included at times.

About CP Haakon and CP Mette-Marit: are their friendships with the wealthy/elite a recent development? Or, they've always had those friendships but were discreet in the past?
 
I would first like to thank all of you for all the thanks I have received for my pretty bad (because of dyslexia) translations. It's one of the reasons why I still bother to keep on with this.

Frelinghighness said:
:previous:thank you for that insight. Just from my perspective, it does seem that they hang outmwith elites
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You're very welcome!

Prisma said:
Thank you for the translations Royal Norway and thank you eya for the photos!

The photos were taken in October according to the captions:
https://www.nrk.no/norge/nye-kongebilder-uten-ari-1.13381718?index=9#undefined

Even in the future, I wouldn't find it odd for Marius to be included at times.

About CP Haakon and CP Mette-Marit: are their friendships with the wealthy/elite a recent development? Or, they've always had those friendships but were discreet in the past?
Click to expand...
You're very welcome!

They (especially Haakon) has been criticized for networking several times before, but their friendship with very rich people both in Norway and abroad have become more visible in the last three years, and Haakon has even admitted it himself in interviews. He has said that it is important for him and Mette-Marit to have a powerful network so that they can help people.

Gratulasjonsprotokoll 21. februar - kongehuset.no
On the occasion of His Majesty King Harald's 80th birthday, a greeting protocol will be available at the Royal Palace and at the Kongehuset.no.

The protocol will remain in the Main Port at the Palace, and the audience will be able to sign from 14.00 to 16.00.

Earlier in the day, the President of the Storting, the Prime Minister and Chief Justice will sign the protocol, and between 10:00 and 12:00 the diplomatic corps.

Greeting Protocol online

Those who are unable to go to the Palace can take advantage of the electronic protocol that will be published here on the Royal House website. It will be available from 06.00 on his birthday, February 21.
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