Are Norway ready for the Cambridges? Yes, we are.
From the Royal House calendar:
February 1th:
Their Majesties The King and Queen host the official visit from Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 1 - 2 February.
Their Majesties The King and Queen welcome Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (The Royal Palace, 12:45).
Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra accompany Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a walk in Princess Ingrid Alexandra's Sculpture Park. Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess will also be in attendance (The Palace Park, 15:00).
Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess accompany His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge on a visit to MESH (Oslo, 16:00).
Their Majesties The King and Queen host a dinner in honour of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess, Her Highness Princess Märtha Louise and Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner will also be in attendance (19:45).
February 2th:
Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess accompany Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a visit to Hartvig Nissen Upper Secondary School and a meeting with students and the cast of SKAM (10:10).
Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess accompany Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on a visit to the Ski Museum and the Holmenkollen Ski Arena (14.00).
Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess accompany Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Øvresetertjern (Øvreseter lake) for out-door activities with children and kindergarten visit (14:45).
As you can see, Kate will not attend MESH (a co-working space for entrepreneurs and start-up companies to grow their businesses and thrive in a creative environment). - Why? Due to her pregnancy.
As you also can see, HM the King will not attend the Princess Ingrid Alexandra's Sculpture Park event. - Why? We don't know, but he hasn't been that well lately.
Read more about the program in post 1.
Television Coverage:
February 1th:
NRK2 will send live from 11:30 to 17:00 (10:30 to 16:00 British time) and from 19:30 to 20:30 (18:30 to 19:30 British time).
February 2th:
NRK2 will send live from 10:00 to 17:00 (09:00 to 16:00 British time).
TV2 News Channel will also send live from all the events.
I will post live links later (if not others do it before me).
Read more about the television coverage in post 2 and 16.
Articles:
Article from TV2's royal expert Kjell Arne Totland with google translation:
Welcome to Norway! -
translation
Article from NRK with google translation:
Her kan du lettest treffe prins William og hertuginne Kate -
translation
And interesting NRK article with video of QEII's state visit to Norway in 1955 with google translation and a quote translated by me:
Tette band mellom kongehusa i Noreg og Storbritannia -
translation
Looser ties today
After King Olav died in 1991, the ties between the royal houses in Norway and the UK have not been as close. One thing is that the kinship ties becomes more distant, but author Bomann-Larsen also draws up the Second World War as a cause.
''While his father lived a large part of his childhood in England, King Harald became stronger linked with the United States through his American war exile''.
This article is written in Nynorsk, which means that the google translation is poorer than usual.