The Norwegian Royal Court. Annual Report 2023

The Norwegian Royal Court's annual report for 2023 was published on 18 April 2024. As the Royal Court writes on its website, the report "provides an account of the official activities of the Royal Family and the operation of the Court during the previous year" and "is intended to provide better information about and increase understanding of the activities of the Royal House of Norway and the Royal Court". As I write almost every year when I comment on the annual report, the publication is a great compensation for the lack of the former royal yearbooks. You get a very good summary of the activities of the royal family during the year in question, and  in addition you get lots of great pictures and statistics.

The Royal Court has provided the following summary of the report:

Annual report for 2023

The activities of the Royal House of Norway over the course of the year are closely aligned with the current situation in the country. The visits by the members of the Royal Family to 47 municipalities, official visits to five European countries, participation in a wide array of events together with the Norwegian Armed Forces and a focus on national security and preparedness both show what is essential for Norway and demonstrate the commitment of the Royal Family.

In 2023, members of the Royal Family continued to meet people throughout Norway – at schools, at new start-ups and traditional industrial companies, in museums and churches, at primary industry businesses, at music and drama festivals, at sporting events. They also visited with many of the people who experienced the devastation of Storm Hans in August.

Activities in 2023 were framed by the security situation in Europe. The King and the Crown Prince carried out a number of activities and visits with the Norwegian Armed Forces. The visit of the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to Oslo in May, and of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Palace in December, both point to the serious events taking place in the world at large, and the importance of constructive cooperation with trusted allies. Internationally, the Royal Family represented Norway in Denmark, the UK, France, Sweden and Germany. Topics highlighted during these visits included the green transition, defence and industrial development and cooperation in the cultural sphere.

The year also held milestone events for the Royal Family. In 2023 the Crown Prince and Crown Princess both celebrated their 50th birthdays. They wanted to mark the occasion by celebrating Norway and the Norwegian sense of community by acknowledging the many people who help to make Norway what it is. They spent the year travelling to different places in Norway and in August they invited 370 guest from across the country to a party in the Courtyard of the Royal Palace.

Annual accounts

The accounts for the Civil List showed a calculated deficit of NOK 54.3 million in relation to the 2023 allocation. This deficit will be covered by previously allocated funds. The result is in keeping with the anticipated charges to expenses projected in the annual report for 2022. 

The deficit has its origin in the lag between allocations to and disbursements from the Palace security project. In 2023, the project accounts showed a calculated deficit of NOK 70.9 million (cf. the corresponding surplus of NOK 92.7 million for 2022). Commissioned in 2016, the security project was by and large concluded in 2023. Security enhancement of the perimeter of the Palace and Palace Park was completed, and the logistics building, which ensures safe handling of mail, goods and waste, was opened. A few minor tasks that remain under the project will soon be concluded.

The management accounts for the Royal Court show a surplus of NOK 16.5 million. This surplus is largely due to vacant posts and postponement of projects as a result of an ongoing organisational development process. The accounts show that a significant proportion of the ordinary appropriations are used for operation and maintenance of the Palace and other Royal residences, as well as the cultural and historical assets these encompass.

The annual report and accounts of the Royal Court for 2023 have been submitted to the Presidium of the Storting, the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance, and the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

18.04.2024

Every year when the report is being published the Norwegian media tend to focus on the budget and nothing else. When the report this year showed a calculated ("planned") deficit of NOK 54,3 million, the media omitted the word "calculated" in the headlines, hoping that the readers wouldn't care to read the article, or the report itself, to get the details. It happens every year when there is a deficit. Then people will get the impression that the royal court – or the royal family – is out of control.

The report showed that the members of the royal family had 756 engagements ("oppdrag") in 2023, while the number was 769 in 2023, 635 in 2021 and 381 in 2020. The two last-mentioned years was of course dominated by the pandemic. In 2019 the number of engagements was 723. In other words, the number of engagements have not changed much, but considering the fact that the king will scale down his activities due to his age, that the queen is also of old age and the crown princess has chronical health issues, the number might fall a bit in 2024. Obviously the crown prince will not be able to cover all the things the king has normally taken care of. Fellow historian Trond Norén Isaksen has done some calculations and found out that King Harald in 2023 had 55 engagements outside the Royal Palace, as compared to 92 in 2013. Obviously his health and age are the reasons for this.

The report also tells that the members of the royal family visited 9 counties (out of 11, from 2024 the number of counties have gone up to 15), 47 municipalities, they have made official visits to Denmark, France, Greece, Jordan, United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany and have hosted as many as 2 735 guests.

But what about the orders and medals? 12 people were awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2023, as compared to 17 in 2022 and 2021. Among the 12 were Prince Sverre Magnus and the then Prince Christian of Denmark, who both received the Grand Cross. The order is conferred as "a reward for distinguished services rendered to Norway and mankind".

53 people received  the Royal Norwegian order of Merit in 2023, all classes combined, compared to 34 people in 2022, 56 in 2021, 89 in 2020 and 57 in 2019. Not sure what to read into the increase. It varies a bit from one year to another. According to the official website, the Order of Merit is conferred on foreign and Norwegian nationals as "a reward for their outstanding service in the interest of Norway". Most of the recipients are diplomats, mostly ambassadors and honorary consuls. Bishop and Preses of the Bishops' Conference of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit, who became a commander, was one of the exceptions.

The Medal of St. Olav is conferred as "a reward for services in advancing knowledge of Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their descendants and their country of residence". In 2023 only one person, farmer Ole P. Gamme from Gran, county of Innlandet (formerly Oppland), received the medal, compared to two people in 2022. Gamme is known for his impressive efforts through many years of promoting knowledge of Norway in the Norwegian-American communities in the USA, and to establishing contact between emigrant Norwegians in the USA and their relatives in Norway. He has among others also built a very impressive database of emigrants from Hadeland and in this way helped a lot of Americans finding their roots at Hadeland.

The King's Medal of Merit is conferred as "a reward for service in the fields of art, science and industry and for outstanding public service". 68 people redeived the medal in 2023, as compared to 53 in 2022, 47 in 2021 and 46 in 2020. Among the 68 were the artist Finn Kalvik, rose painter Hjørdis Emilie Juvik and several teachers.

The King's Commemorative Medal "is conferred for particularly meritorious service to His Majesty the King", but "may also be conferred on foreign nationals in connection with state visits and visits of the King abroad, on those who have served at a Norwegian foreign service mission, and on others in recognition for special services". The medal is conferred in silver or gold. In 2023, 7 people got the medal in gold, while 23 people were awarded the medal in silver. In 2022 the numbers were much lower - 3 gold medals and 6 silver medals. Several people connected to the king's staff received the medal in 2023 and 2022.

Previous articles on the subject of the Norwegian Royal Court's annual report:

• 2022 (published 23 April 2023)
• 2021 (published 4 May 2022)
• 2016 (published 24 April 2017)
• 2014 (published 30 March 2015)
• 2013 (published 16 April 2014) 
• 2012 (published 17 April 2013)  
• 2011 (published 11 April 2012)  
• 2010 (published 12 April 2011)

I started the blog in 2009. The first annual report was published by the court in 2005. Previously all there were links to all the reports here, but now only the reports from 2020 to 2023 are available. You may, however, contact the court and ask for earlier reports if you are interested.

Front cover: © 2023 (?) Eskil Wie Furunes/NRK.

The Norwegian Royal Court. Annual Report 2022

The Norwegian Royal Court's annual report for 2022 was published on 13 April 2023. As I wrote last year, the annual report is a great compensation for the lack of the former royal yearbooks. You get a very good summary of the activities of the royal family during the year in question.

From the article «Annual Reports» at the official website:

Annual report for 2022

The celebration of the eighteenth birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra was the most important event for the Royal House of Norway and the Royal Court in 2022. The Princess will one day assume the role as the Norwegian Head of State. In connection with attaining the age of majority, the Princess visited the Storting, the Government and the Supreme Court. She also attended a meeting of the Council of State at the Royal Palace as an observer. Originally scheduled for January, the celebration was postponed until June due to the pandemic. The Princess was celebrated by the Government at Deichman library, and at a gala dinner at the Royal Palace hosted by Their Majesties The King and Queen.

Official engagements

When Norway reopened after the pandemic, the members of the Royal House once again had the opportunity to meet people in person across the country, and in 2022 they paid visits to 10 counties and 37 municipalities. In addition, they participated in several hundred official events and hosted a variety of events at the Royal Palace and Skaugum. They were also able to resume their international travel on behalf of Norway, and paid visits to Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, the US, Italy and Kenya, among others. Guided tours of the Royal Palace were reinstituted, and more than 43 000 people visited the Palace in the course of the eight-week period. In addition, more than 20 000 people visited the two exhibitions at the Queen Sonja Art Stable, “The King’s Cars” and “Open Doors”.

The Royal House of Norway encompasses the King and Queen, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra. In addition, Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner carries out certain official duties. In November 2022, Princess Märtha Louise, in consultation with The King and close family members, decided that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time. This is intended to draw a line that more clearly separates her commercial activity from her role as a member of the Royal Family.

In 2022, the Royal House of Norway, too, dealt with the impact of the crises and the geopolitical situation that Europe and the world have been contending with. Throughout the year, members of the Royal House have taken part in events and met people who are directly affected by the war in Ukraine.  When the Oslo Pride Celebration was subject to an act of terrorism in June, the members of the Royal House took part in the memorial services and commemorative activities.

The war and the crises in Europe have also had ramifications for Norway, and thus on the activities of the Royal Court. Rising prices, especially the price of electricity, have changed the anticipated cost levels. Measures implemented to reduce energy consumption at the Royal Palace by roughly ten per cent during the winter, combined with re-ordering of priorities and austerity measures have provided the funding needed to cover the extra expenses incurred in 2022.

The security project

Over the course of the past years, an extensive security project has been carried out at the Royal Palace and the other Royal residences. The project primarily involves enhancing the security of the properties and surrounding park areas. A major portion of the project activity was completed in 2022, and will be finalised during 2023. The activity has been somewhat delayed, and in 2022 the cost framework was adjusted upwards in line with new prognoses. In the revised national budget, the project’s cost framework was increased to NOK 800 million, and all the remaining activities will be carried out using the allocations provided under the national budget.

Annual accounts

The accounts for the Civil List showed a surplus of NOK 63.6 million in relation to the 2022 allocation. The surplus is due to allocations to the security project that will not be disbursed and charged to expenses until 2023. The 2022 accounts for the security project at the Royal Palace and the other Royal residences therefore show a surplus of NOK 92.7 million. The management accounts for the Royal Court show a deficit of NOK 27.17 million. This is largely due to the transfer of NOK 31 million from the Royal Court’s operating reserve to the security project to cover the increase in the cost framework for the project.

The annual report and accounts of the Royal Court for 2022 have been submitted to the Presidium of the Storting, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, and the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

Besides the topics mentioned above, the readers can among others enjoy the new Lord Chamberlain's commentary as well as articles about the royal court, the Royal House's cultural outreach activities, audiences, a more environmentally friendly car park, apprentices at the Royal Court, royal orders and medals.

The Lord Chamberlain, Olav Heian-Engdal, replaced Gry Mølleskog in 2022.

The royal family had 769 engagements («oppdrag») in 2022, compared to 635 in 2021. The numbers show that the world has become «more normal» again after the pandemic. In 2019 the number was 723, compared to only 381 in 2020.

The newspapers have written about the annual report, and the focus is of course mostly on the costs. Nettavisen points among others out out that the court paid NOK 1,067,944 for the celebrations of Princess Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday. The Government's dinner for the princess cost NOK 3,7 mill. 

But I would rather like to focus on orders and medals! 17 people were awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2022, which was exactly the same number as in 2021. Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Daniel of Sweden and former Lord Chamberlain Gry Mølleskog all received the Grand Cross (in 2021 the latter was, by the way, awarded the Commander with star). Besides the class of Grand Cross, 4 people became Commanders of the Order of St. Olav, while 10 people became Knights 1st class. The Order of St. Olav is acording to the official website «a reward for distinguished services rendered to Norway and mankind».

34 people received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 2022, all classes combined, compared to 56 in 2021, 89 in 2020 and 57 in 2019. The Order of Merit «is conferred on foreign and Norwegian nationals as a reward for their outstanding service in the interest of Norway». As usual most of the recipients were dilomats – ambassadors or honorary consuls. Two of the exceptions were the current Lord Chamberlain Olav Heian-Engdal, and the Swedish vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström, who became a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

The Medal of St. Olav is conferred as «a reward for services in advancing knowledge of Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their descendants and their country of residence». In 2022 two people received the medal – managing director Anne Margrethe Hovland Pye, Great Britain, and shipowner Ragnar Meyer-Knutsen, USA – compared to none in 2021.

53 people received the King's Medal of Merit, compared to 47 people in 2021 and 46 in 2020. The medal is conferred as «a reward for service in the fields of art, science and industry and for outstanding public service».

Finally, the King's Commemorative Medal, which is conferred for particularly meritorious service to the king, was awarded to 9 people in 2022, compared to 32 people in 2021 and 9 people in 2020. 

Previous articles on the subject of the Norwegian Royal Court's annual report:

• 2021 (published 4 May 2022)
• 2016 (published 24 April 2017)
• 2014 (published 30 March 2015)
• 2013 (published 16 April 2014) 
• 2012 (published 17 April 2013)  
• 2011 (published 11 April 2012)  
• 2010 (published 12 April 2011)

Downloads of the annual reports for 2005 to 2022 can be found here.

Front cover: © 2022 Kimm Saatvedt/The Norwegian Royal Court.

The Norwegian Royal Court. Annual Report 2021

The Norwegian Royal Court's annual report for 2021 was published on 25 April 2022. It has been a while since last time I wrote about the release of the annual report. As I have commented on before, it is not always possible for me to write blog articles the same day (or the day after) something major or otherwise newsworthy has happened. There are so many other things I have to attend to as well. It is easier to review a genealogical periodical or a book as the time pressure is not that great. Anyway, commenting on an annual report 9 days after it has been published is not that bad, is it?

I have commented earlier that if it hadn't been for the perhaps less appealing accounts for the Civil List, the annual report is a good compensation for lack of the royal yearbooks which are not published anylonger. You get a good survey of the royal family's activities during the year in question.

In short, the Norwegian Royal Court's annual report gives details about the activities of the Norwegian Royal Family and the operation of the Norwegian Royal Court during the year, including the accounts for the Civil List and surveys of orders and medals being awarded during a given year. The report for 2021 counts 102 pages, is well illustrated (many great photos in fact) and has a nice design (by Neue Design Studio). 

The Lord Chamberlain, Gry Mølleskog, who will leave her position later this year, opens the report with a few words about the main events of 2021. Then we get a very detailed report on how the royal court is organised and their main activities last year. Other chapters include the Crown Prince couple's activities, the Royal Diary 2021, cultural heritage, the security project, the King and the Defense, the change of government, the state visit from the Netherlands, the events marking the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks in Norway in 2011, finances, and management, equality and environment, health and safety, royal orders and medals and royal trusts. The last page gives a list of explanations to various words and expressions one mets at the court, like the civil list and protocol.

From the press release one can read among others:

Annual Reports

[...]

The report is intended to provide better information about and increase understanding of the activities of the Royal House of Norway and the Royal Court. [...]

Annual report for 2021

Just as in society at large, the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to affect the activities of the Royal House of Norway and the Royal Court in 2021. Nonetheless, a high level of activity has been maintained. The Royal Family visited 8 counties and 31 municipalities in person and paid digital visits to 3 counties and 13 municipalities. There were 50 meetings of the King in Council of State held at the Royal Palace, and 27 formal audiences were given to receive ambassadors from other countries. In November, Their Majesties The King and Queen were the hosts for a State Visit by the King and Queen of the Netherlands, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince paid an official visit to the US. 

The security project

Activities under the project to enhance security at the Royal Palace and the other Royal residences were extensive in 2021, and major portions of the project were completed during the course of the year. The high level of activity has resulted in a planned budget deficit which is covered by previously set aside appropriations to the project. The project was commissioned in 2016 by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in response to a security analysis carried out by the National Police Directorate from 2012 to 2015, and is expected to be completed in 2022.

The security project has a budget framework of NOK 623.8 million. As the project has progressed, a number of factors have proven to be more complicated than in the original specifications set out in the preliminary project. As a result the project has been somewhat delayed and has required greater outlay than planned. These factors were related both to geological conditions and to the management of cultural heritage. Alongside this, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to problems with the delivery to Norway of the materials needed, a rise in prices and a lack of qualified craftspeople. In the first quarter of 2022, one of the project’s three primary suppliers filed for bankruptcy, which also entailed greater costs. The cost projections are higher, and funding in excess of the cost framework will be required.

Annual accounts

The planned deficit for the security project is NOK 129 144 266, which is covered by previously set aside appropriations. Per 31 December 2021, the project accounts show NOK 19.6 million in unused funds.

As anticipated by the Royal Court in its statement on the annual accounts submitted for 2020, there was a calculated deficit in the accounts for 2021. This deficit amounts to NOK 4 704 497. Due to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of measures could not be carried out during 2020, and these were completed in 2021. More than NOK 8 million have been used for renovation and maintenance projects in connection with the Royal residences and parks in 2021.

Operating costs for electricity were NOK 3.7 million higher than in 2020, which amounts to an increase of 111 %.

The annual report and accounts of the Royal Court for 2021 have been submitted to the Presidium of the Storting, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, and the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

In addition to the details given above, I should mention that the royal family had 635 engagements («oppdrag») in 2021. The similar number in 2019 was 723, while in 2020 the number naturally was much lower (381). I am not sure if the number contains the same in 2021 as in 2019, though. In the report for 2019 the expression «offisielle arrangementer» («official arrangements») is used, not «oppdrag».

As usual many orders and medals were awarded during 2021. The section for the recipients of the  Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav lists 17 people, compared to 13 the previous year. King Willem Alexander received the Grand Cross during his visit here, while the Lord Chamberlain Gry Mølleskog was among the three recipients of the Commander with star. 56 people received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, all classes combined, compared to 89 in 2020 and 57 in 2019.  The Order of Merit «is conferred on foreign and Norwegian nationals as a reward for their outstanding service in the interest of Norway». Most of the recipients were diplomats, and some of the orders were awarded to representatives of the Dutch Royal Court in connection with the official visit. No-one received the Medal of St. Olav in 2021, while 47 persons received the King's Medal of Merit, compared to 46 in 2020. The medal is conferred as «a reward for service in the fields of art, science and industry and for outstanding public service».

The King's Commemorative Medal, which is conferred for particularly meritorious service to the king, was in 2021 given to 32 people, compared to only 9 people in 2020.

Previous articles on the subject of the Norwegian Royal Court's annual report:

• 2016 (published 24 April 2017)
• 2014 (published 30 March 2015)
• 2013 (published 16 April 2014) 
• 2012 (published 17 April 2013)  
• 2011 (published 11 April 2012)  
• 2010 (published 12 April 2011)

Downloads of the annual reports for 2005 to 2021 can be found here.

Front cover: © 2021 Simen Løvberg Sund/The Norwegian Royal Court.

Royal June Summary

June 2018 is history. It has been a month full of royal events – among others a christening, a birth and several deaths. Normally I would have written blog articles about most of these events, if not all, but I just didn't find the time. What follows is a short summary of the most important events as I see them.

8 June: The christening of Princess Adrienne of Sweden, daughter of Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill, took place at Drottningholm Palace Chapel in the presence of King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Oscar, Prince Carl Philip. Princess Sofia, Prince Alexander, Prince Gabriel, Princess Madeleine, Christopher O'Neill, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler, Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld, Baroness Christina Louise De Geer and Baron Hans De Geer, Hélène Silfverschiöld and Fredrik Dieterle, Princess Christina, Mrs. Magnuson and Tord Magnuson, Gustaf Magnuson and Vicky Magnuson, Dagmar von Arbin, Marianne Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg, Bertil Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg and Jill Bernadotte, Countess of Wisborg.

Princess Estelle was named in the guest list that was released, but had apparently got sick and was therefore absent.

From the Queen's family: Thomas de Toledo Sommerlath, Walther L. Sommerlath and Ingrid Sommerlath, Patrick Sommerlath, Leopold Lundén Sommerlath, Anaïs Sommerlath, Chloé Sommerlath and Maline Sommerlath. From the O'Neill family: Eva Maria O'Neill, Annalisa O'Neill, Karen O'Neill, Tatjana d'Abo and Henry d'Abo, Anouska d'Abo, Countess Natascha Abensperg und Traun and Countess Milana Abensperg und Traun

From Germany HH Prince Andreas of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a first cousin of the king. In addition representatives of the official Sweden, court and staff as well as friends of Princess Madeleine and her husband were also present. Sponsors of Princess Adrienne were Anouska d'Abo, Coralie Charriol Paul, Nader Panahpour, Baron Gustav Thott, Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund andn Natalie Werner.

Archbishop Antje Jackelén officiated, assisted by Bishop and Chief Court Chaplain Johan Dalman and Court Chaplain and Rector of the Royal Court Parish Michael Bjerkhagen. Following the christening ceremony the guests were invited to a reception at Drottningholm Palace.

The arms of Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge: The four quarters of the arms show the lesser coat of arms of Sweden (field 1 and 4), the arms of Folkunga (field 2) and in field 3 the arms of Blekinge. The inescutcheon shows the arms of the House of Bernadotte. In addition the badge of the Order of the Seraphim.

9 June: Prince Georg-Constantin of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach died in a riding accident near Apethorpe Palace in Northamptonshire, 41 years old. Georg-Constantin was the only son of Prince Wilhelm, a first cousin of the head of the family, Prince Michael. Georg-Constantin was survived by his parents, his wife Olivia, née Page and sister Désirée, Countess von und zu Hoensbroech. The late prince was the designated heir to the headship and his death means that the house will eventually die out in the male line.

11 June would have been Prince Henrik's 84th birthday. In his memory Queen Margrethe founded a medal which was given to members of the royal family, members of the court and staff and others who played a role in connection with Prince Henrik's illness, death and funeral. Prince Henrik's Memorial Medal is in silver and with a crown. Obverse: Queen Margrethe's profile faced right and the inscription «MARGARETA II – REGINA DANIÆ». Reverse: Prince Henrik's crowned monogram and the inscription «11.6.1934 – 13.2.2018». The medal is carried in a red cross ribbon with a wide middle stripe in white between two small stripes in gold. Go here for photos of the medal.

17 June: Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia was seriously injuried while his wife Ouk Phalla was killed in a road accident in Preah Sihanouk province's Prey Nub district in Cambodia. Former Prime Minister Prince Ranariddh (b. 1944) is the half-brother of King Norodom Sihamoni (b. 1953) and son of Norodom Sihanouk (1922–2012). Ranariddh married Ouk Phalla, his second wife, in 2010. The cremation of Ouk Phalla took place on 20 June.

18 June: Zara and Mike Tindall became parents to a daughter, who was born at the Maternity Unit of the Stroud General Hospital in Glouchestershire. According to the press release, «The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike’s parents, Mr Philip and Mrs Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news.» Zara Tindall is the daughter of HRH The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) and Mark Phillips. Zara and Mike's first daughter, Mia Grace, was born in 2014. The baby girl, who is the fourth grandchild of The Princess Royal and the seventh great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was later named Lena Elizabeth.

19 June: HH Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, the eldest daughter of Hereditary Prince Knud (1900–1976) and Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde (1912–1995), died at 6.15 p.m. after a long illness, surrounded by her closest family, 83 years old. Princess Elisabeth, who for 45 years worked for the Danish Ministry of foreign affairs, was a first cousin of Queen Margrethe of Denmark and a second cousin of King Harald of Norway. Princess Elisabeth never married, but lived with filmmaker and director Claus Hermansen (1919–1997) for many years. Her younger brothers were Prince Ingolf (later Count of Rosenborg), b. 1940, and Prince Christian (later Count of Rosenborg) (1942–2013). They grew up at Sorgenfri Palace in Lyngby outside Copenhagen. Princess Elisabeth moved back to the palace in 2015. It has not been explicitly stated whether she died at home or in a local hospital.

The funeral service took place at Lyngby Church, where also her christening and confirmation took place, on 25 June. Queen Margrethe, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes were present, in addition to Count Ingolf and Countess Sussie of Rosenborg and Princess Elisabeth's niceses Josephine, Camilla and Feodora af Rosenborg (daughters of the late Count Christian of Rosenborg). See photos here. The urn with the ashes of the princess will be interred at Lyngby Cemetery next to the grave of Claus Hermansen.

20 June: It was announced that the christening of Prince Louis of Cambridge will take place on Monday 9 July 2018 in The Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London. Prince Louis will be christened by The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby.

25 June: Prince Friedrich-Karl of Waldeck and Pyrmont died, 85 years old. Prince Friedrich-Karl, a grandson of the last reigning prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Friedrich (1865–1893–1918–1946), was married to Ingeborg von Biela and had 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren.

The Norwegian Royal Court. Annual Report 2016

Last year I mentioned that the magazine Her og Nå had decided not to publish a yearbook about the events of the royal family like in previous years.  At the time of writing I hadn't come across any royal yearbooks by other publishers either. Later I found out  that Se og Hør had an inset in no. 50, 2016. It was only 24 pages long, though, and nothing compared to Her og Nå's Året rundt med Kongefamilien («The Year with the Royal Family») or the hardbacks titled Kongefamiliens årbok («The Royal Family's Yearbook») published in the late 1980s/early 1990s, besides the 2011 edition.

But at least we have the Norwegian Royal Court's annual report, which gives details about the activities of the Norwegian Royal Family and the operation of the Norwegian Royal Court during the year, including the accounts for the Civil List and surveys of orders and medals being awarded during a given year. The annual report for 2016 was published on Monday 24 April 2017 and is well illustrated. From the press release one can read:

Annual report 2016

The 25th anniversary of the accession to the Norwegian throne of Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja was the major focus of 2016. The celebration started with a large winter festival in the Palace Square on 17 January and concluded with a garden party hosted by the King and Queen in the Palace Park for 1 500 guests from throughout Norway. In June, the King and Queen carried out a silver jubilee tour along the coast from Tromsø to Kristiansand on the Royal Yacht, Norge. 

In addition to the jubilee celebrations, the Royal Family has had an extensive official programme. Altogether, the members of the Royal Family took part in 740 official events in Norway and abroad. They have paid visits to 48 municipalities, all of Norway’s counties, Svalbard, and eleven different countries.

In the course of the busy summer weeks, more than 45 000 visitors attended the activities conducted under the auspices of “Åpent Slott” (cultural outreach activities).
Annual accounts

The accounts for the Civil List showed a surplus of NOK 6 628 814. Expenses in connection with the various jubilee celebrations are covered by previous appropriations.

The accounts for the staff of Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess showed a deficit of NOK 1 459 461. This deficit will be covered by previous appropriations.

The accounts for “Åpent Slott” showed a surplus of NOK 619 162. This surplus will be added to the equity capital.

The annual report and accounts of the Royal Court for 2016 were submitted today to the Presidium of the Storting, the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, and the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

The annual reports from 2005 to 2016 are available at the official website. Not sure if the annual reports for 2002, 2003 and 2004 were ever published in an electronic format, but at least I have the paper editions.

As mentioned in the press release, King Harald celebrated 25 years on the throne last year, and the annual report tells about all the related activities, including the church service on 17 January 2016 in the Oslo Cathedral. We can also read that the official website Kongehuset.no had close to 1,6 million visitors during 2016, while the Facebook page received 939 500 likes and 30 500 comments. As many as 29 998 people toured the Royal Palace during the summer season, while 5 232 visited Oscarshall (up from 2 718 the year before).

As usual many orders and medals were awarded during 2016. The section for the recipients of the  Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav lists 18 people, compared to 26 the previous year. HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit was awarded the Grand Cross with chain, while Court Marshal Arne Omholt, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda and the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, received the Grand Cross, and in addition the Chief of His Majesty The King’s Military Staff, Nils Petter Granholt, received the Knight's Cross, First Class, just to mention a few.

104 people received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, compared to 105 in 2014 and 65 in 2015. Among the lucky recipients were the Norwegian Ambassador to Belgium, Ingrid Schulerud (wife of the Secretary General of NATO and former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg) and Astrid Versto, the Norwegian Ambassador to Croatia (and former Communication Director at the Norwegian Royal Court).

The Medal of St. Olav was awarded to two persons, John Foster Ellison and Perry J. Gulbrandsen. The former is the the Norwegian honorary general consul in Wellington, New Zealand. He also received the Order of St. Olav, Knight 1st Class, by the way. The latter is a retired jurist of Illinois, USA and is or was President of the Nordic Law Club. Obviously of Norwegian descent as well. Just to mention it, 5 people received the medal in 2015.

There were 90 recipients of the King's Medal of Merit during 2016, compared to 78 in 2015 and 138 in 2014. Among the recipients in 2016 was Sveiung Danielsen of Sandefjord. He received the medal for «his exceptional efforts of many years to keep and pass on important traditions of culture and craft». He served as a verger in Sandar Church in Sandefjord for many years as well. A well-deserved medal, I would say.

The King's Commemorative Medal was awarded to 41 people, up from 21 people in 2015.

Never an anniversary without a medal, and King Harald V's Jubilee Medal 1991–2016 was founded on 17 January 2016. Recipients were members of the Royal Family, numerous people of authority (past & present), members of the Royal Court, the King's Military Staff, royal guards who served as batmen (orderly),  the Royalty Protection Unit and  the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property's employees at the Royal Palace. 366 people all in all, if I have got it right.

For the record, the royal/royalty-related recipients were Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Princess Sverre Magnus, Marius Borg Høiby, Princess Märtha Louise, Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, Ari Behn, Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn, Emma Tallulah Behn, Erling S. Lorentzen, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Carl Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Finally a survey of my own articles on the subject in the past (no article in 2016, obviously):

• 2014 (published 30 March 2015)
• 2013 (published 16 April 2014) 
• 2012 (published 17 April 2013)  
• 2011 (published 11 April 2012)  
• 2010 (published 12 April 2011)

King Harald Vs Jubilee Medal 1991–2016

Photo: © Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen, Det kongelige hoff (The Royal Court).

In order to commemorate King Harald V's 25th anniversary as King of Norway on 17 January 2016 His Majesty founded a new medal named King Harald Vs Jubilee Medal 1991–2016. In the order of precedence among the Norwegian decorations the new medal has been listed as no. 38. The list shows that also King Haakon VII and King Olav V founded similar medals on their 25th anniversary.

The new medal has been awarded to members of the Norwegian Royal Family, the foreign royal guests attending the celebrations last weekend, current and former court and staff members, the King's aides-de-camp, then Royal Police Escort, members of the government and other current and former representatives of the official Norway who have assisted the king and the royal family in carrying out their work. Among the recipients were:

HM Queen Sonja
HRH Crown Prince Haakon
HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit
HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra
Prince Sverre Magnus
Marius Borg Høiby
Princess Märtha Louise
Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
Ari Behn
Maud Angelica Behn
Leah Isadora Behn
Emma Talullah Behn
Erling S. Lorentzen
HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
HM Queen Silvia of Sweden
President of the Storting Olemic Thommesen
Prime Minister Erna Solberg
President of the Supreme Court of Justice Tore Schei
President of Sametinget (Sami Parliament) Aili Keskitalo
Former prime ministers Gro Harlem Brundtland, Kjell Magne Bondevik, Thorbjørn Jagland, Jens Stoltenberg

Design

The medal is in silver, 30 mm mounted closed crown. It is carried in a crimson ribbon with a sewn spangle of silver with the text «1991–2016».

Obverse: Harald V's profile faced right encircled by the text «HARALD V NORGES KONGE ALT FOR NORGE» («HARALD V KING OF NORWAY ALL FOR NORWAY»).

Reverse: King Harald V's crowned monogram H5.

The medal has been engraved by Ingrid Austlid Rise and produced by Polath, Germany for Reide. Ingrid Austlid Rise is a goldsmith working for Det Norske Myntverket. Her biography can be found on Wikipedia (in Norwegian).

The Norwegian Royal Court. Annual Report 2014

The Norwegian Royal Court published its annual report for 2014 last Friday, 27 March 2015. The report gives an overview of the activities of the Royal Family and Royal Court and also includes the accounts for the Civil List and a survey of the orders and medals awarded by the King during 2014. The press release read:

"The annual report of the Royal Court for 2014 was submitted today to the Presidium of the Storting, the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, and the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

[...]

The Royal Family visited 69 municipalities and all of Norway’s counties in 2014. The King and Queen carried out a State Visit to Myanmar in December, while the Crown Prince and Crown Princess paid an official visit to Vietnam in March.

The accounts for the Civil List showed a surplus of NOK 6 846 443 compared to a deficit of NOK 6 701 468 in 2013. The accounts show that a major portion of the funding allocated is used to maintain and develop the Royal Palace, the other buildings at the disposal of the Royal Family and the cultural and historical treasures that these buildings house.

The accounts for the staff of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess showed a surplus of NOK 2 607 816. This surplus has been set aside for future procurements/operating reserves.

The accounts for “Åpent Slott” (cultural outreach activities) showed a surplus of NOK 93 570. This surplus has been transferred to equity capital.

“The positive result in the 2014 accounts demonstrates that the Royal Court has employed good financial management practice through the fiscal year. The results are also a reflection of the modernisation and rationalisation processes that have been implemented. There is a need to free up additional resources for maintenance, renovation tasks and investments that have been put on hold due to financial constraints,” says Lord Chamberlain Åge B. Grutle."

The annual report has as expected not created many headlines, compared to last year when the annual report for 2013 showed a deficit of NOK 6 701 468, which was to be covered by previous appropriations. It is good to note that the court again demonstrates good financial managament. I guess one could say that the lack of big headlines is a positive thing. And people should remember that the expenses to uphold the royal house and monarchy are seldomly a relevant argument in the debate about the form of government. A republic will in most instances not be a cheaper alternative.

As far as I know this is the 11th time the Royal Court has published an annual report, and what a thrill it is to read it. A great way of getting a survey of the activities and to reflect on the events of last year. The biggest event was of course the celebration of the the Norwegian Constitution's 200th anniversary. All in all the members of the royal family carried out 746 official engagements during 2014, a number which among others includes audiences, state visits and county visits. The royal diary shows that the King during 2014 attended 116 official events in Norway and abroad, while the number in 2013 was 94. The Crown Prince attended 117 events (down from 140 in 2013), while the Queen and the Crown Princess attended 78 and 68 events respectively (85 and 68 in 2013).

In my article of last year covering the annual report for 2013, I quoted the press release of 10 April 2014, which said: "During 2013, His Majesty The King attended 314 official events in Norway and abroad, while Her Majesty The Queen attended 98 official events, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince attended 200 official events and Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess attended 72 official events." Obviously one has to add the audiences, councils of state etc. in 2014 to get comparable numbers. I hope we will see higher numbers from the Crown Princess in the years to come.

Besides the royal diary and the accounts for the civil list the annual report also contains information about how the royal court is run, with details about among others The Treasurer's Office, The Communication Staff, The Royal Secretariat, the Department of Royal Estates and Culture and The Royal Household. One can also read about the royal trusts, health, safety and environment (HSE), royal orders and medals and finally various words and expressions are explained in a short dictionary.

From the annual report we learn that 25 persons received the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2013, compared to 22 in 2013 and 27 in 2012. Among the recipients were Princess Marie of Denmark,  President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia and President Joachim Gauck of Germany, who all received the Grand Cross and the Norwegian actress Lise Fjeldstad (Commander with star).

The Medal of St. Olav was awarded to two persons - the Canadian Russel and Alison Wiigs, who have done extensive work within the Norwegian and Scandinavian Community in Calgary for many years.

105 people received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, while there were 138 recipients of the King's Medal of Merit (down from 162 in 2013), among them the historian and author Johan Borgos. Finally The King's Commemorative Medal was awarded to 14 persons in 2014.

The annual report can be downloaded from here. For earlier annual reports, go here.

Finally a survey of my own articles on the subject in the past:

• 2013 (published 16 April 2014) 
• 2012 (published 17 April 2013)  
• 2011 (published 11 April 2012)  
• 2010 (published 12 April 2011)

December news summary

I have had another break from blogging, due to family events, Christmas preparations and genealogy work (read: The Norwegian Genealogical Society work). I will be very busy at work this and the next 2-3 weeks, but I still hope to post 2-3 more articles before the new year. There have been several news lately that I normally would have (or might have) covered, so I have decided to keep up the tradition by making a short summary:

1. Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway celebrated his 7th birthday on 3 December. He was born at Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital) at Gaustad, Oslo in 2005, and is third in line in succession to the Norwegian throne.
2. Princess Christina Mrs. Magnuson has become a grandmother for the first time after her youngest son Victor, b. 10 September 1980, and his partner  Frida Bergström, b. 18 February 1980, became parents to a boy on 11 December. The name is still not made known to the public.
3. 12 December 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Norwegian author and artist (and much, much more!) Thorbjørn Egner. The anniversary was celebrated all over the country with theatre performances and other arrangements. Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening - The Norwegian Genealogical Society - marked the occasion by publishing Egner's ancestry table at Slektshistoriewiki, the Norwegian genealogy wiki initiated by the said society. Hopefully the table will be expanded on later. The genealogy wiki is still in the starting phase (it was launched in the latter half of September 2012), but it is great fun to be involved. You can read more about the Egner anniversary at the website of the National Library (in Norwegian).
4. The Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced on 13 December the engagement between Prince Félix, the second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and Claire Lademacher, daughter of  Hartmut and Gabriele Lademacher. Claire was born at Filderstadt, Germany on 21 March 1985 and grew up in Usingen where her parents still reside. She is currently living in Rome, Italy where she is working on her PhD on the ethical aspects of organ donation consent. Claire's CV can be read here, while an article on the engagement by Wort.lu can be read here. Does anyone know the maiden name of Gabriele Lademacher, by the way? Any more details on Claire's ancestry at all?
5. Over in the United Kingdom on the same day, the bill to change the British succession law, the Succession to the Crown Bill, was finally introduced and had its first reading in the House of Commons. The explanatory notes can be read here. The bill aims among others to "make the succession  to the Crown not depend on gender" and the disqualification arising from marriage to a Roman Catholic will be removed. This means among others that several people who so far have ben excluded from the line of succession due to being married to a Roman Catholic will have their rights returned, including the late Princess Ragnhild Mrs. Lorentzen's daughter Ragnhild, b. 1968, who in 2003 married Aaron Long, an Irish-American Catholic. And this again means that the line of succession will be expanded rather than limited, which many have favoured. I can't really see the point of such a long line of succession, even if it is only of academic interest, and wonder if wouldn't have been better if the succession was limited to the descendants of King George V (or even King George VI or Queen Elizabeth II).
6. Prince Aimone of Savoy and Princess Olga of Savoy, née Princess of Greece, became parents to a daughter, Isabella, on 15 December (cf. Monarchia.it and Nobiliana.de). Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia is the son of the Duke of Aosta, one of two pretenders to the extinct Italian throne. The Duke and Duchess of Apulia also have the sons Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, b. 2009, and Amadeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, born in 2011.
7. On the evening of 15 December, HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway received the Golden Heart award in Berlin in recognition of her work on behalf of children and young people. Her speech (in German) can be read here.
8. The Norwegian daily Aftenposten published on 17 December an interview with Harald Hallberg, whose book Norske dekorasjoner ("Norwegian decorations") was recently released by Dreyer Bok. The book is said to be the first of its kind to give a complete survey of all the Norwegian decorations (orders and medals), and names among others all the recipients - 19.339 so far - of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. The price is set at NOK 399, the book has 463 pages with illustrations, while the ISBN is 978-82-93193-17-3.

Updated on Wednesday 19 December 2012 at 08:55 (minor language correction).

Norway: Medal of Merit scandal brought to a close

It has not been a good week for King Harald of Norway, currently abroad, and his court, following the headlines created by a controversial a Medal of Merit nomination.

According to the Royal Court Dr. Trond Ali Lindstad was nominated for the King’s Medal of Merit in silver "for his many years of dedicated effort to promote the integration of minorities as a medical doctor at Grønland and through his work at Urtehagen. The medal was awarded in recognition of this beneficial public service." The court had been warned about Lindstad's controversial statements that many view as anti-Semitic, but did not react until it became known that Oslo's Mayor Fabian Stang had refused to hand out the medal in a public ceremony planned to take place at the National Theatre on Tuesday this week. The ceremony was called off "for security reasons", and today it was announced that the medal was revoked with authority in the statutes' section 7.

Articles in Views and News of Norway:

• 13 November 2012: Palace caught in ‘scandal’ over medal 
• 14 November 2012: Medal fiasco ‘hurts king’s authority’ 
• 15 November 2012: Palace revokes medal to Linstad

The Royal Court's statement in full:

Medal of Merit rescinded
The King’s Medal of Merit conferred on Dr Trond Ali Linstad has been rescinded, in accordance with Section 7 of the Statutes for the Medal of Merit.
15.11.2012

Dr Linstad was nominated for the King’s Medal of Merit for his many years of dedicated effort to promote the integration of minorities as a medical doctor at Grønland and through his work at Urtehagen. The medal was awarded in recognition of this beneficial public service.

The King’s Medal of Merit is a personal award bestowed on an individual for particularly meritorious service over an extended period of time. The service to be recognised must be an integral part of activities that also in a wider context are compatible with the overall purpose of the medal. “In this particular case, the Royal Court had not obtained an adequate overview on which to base such a comprehensive assessment. This regrettable oversight is the responsibility of myself and the Royal Court,” says Lord Chamberlain and Chancellor of the Council of the Order of Merit, Mr Åge Grutle.

Respect for freedom of speech must of course be one of the premises on which the review of medal candidates is based. We are normally extremely careful not to judge a nominee’s public statements. However, in a new review of this case, we have taken note of written statements by the candidate that can be interpreted as promoting the stigmatisation of the Jewish people as a whole and which seem to reflect stereotypical anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. We have also taken note of statements that may be interpreted as stigmatizing homosexuals. Dr Linstad has to us maintained that his statements should not be interpreted in this manner. Nevertheless, the Royal Court has concluded that Dr Linstad’s statements as they are presented and understood, are not compatible with the objective of the King’s Medal of Merit. Therefore, the conferral of the King’s Medal of Merit on Dr Trond Ali Linstad has been rescinded.

“We strongly regret having placed Dr Linstad in this situation,” says Mr Grutle.

For the record it is the Office of the Governor which gives a recommendation for nomination after a person has been suggested as a candidate to receive the medal, while the Council of the Order of Merit makes the decision. Formally it is the king who has the last word, but as far as I understand it is not often he is personally involved in the process. Itgoes without saying that the council has not done its job properly, which has caused a great deal of embarrassment to the king and the court. Obviously the court had no choice but to rescind the medal, and personally I am pleased about the decision. I expect, though, that the storm will soon calm down and that the king's position in the long run will not be weakened by it.

Heder og ære - Honour and glory

The Norwegian Armed Forces has recently published the booklet Heder og ære. Nasjonale og internasjonale dekorasjoner brukt i Norge ("Honour and glory. National and international dekorations used in Norway"), which is a wonderfully illustrated survey of orders, medals and other decorations used in Norway. The booklet was published as an enclosure to the May 2012 issue of Forsvarets Forum, the monthly magazine of the Norwegian Armed Forces, but is a joint project with Forsvarets veterantjeneste (The Norwegian Armed Forces Veteran Affairs).

The booklet is divided into 6 groups (sections). The first group deals with orders and medals awarded/approved by HM The King, and includes everything from the War Cross with Sword and the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav to the Police Medal and the Armed Forces' service medal. The second group contains a survey of orders and medals awarded by foreign heads of state and include the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom), the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark), the Order of the Lion (Finland), the Order of the Falcon (Iceland), the Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Order of Leopold II (Belgium), the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain), the Legion of Merit (USA), Ordre National de Mérite (France), the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg) and the the Order of Oranje-Nassau (the Netherlands). I am not sure why just these decorations were included, though.

The third group shows decorations awarded by the UN, NATO, EU, OSCE and similar international organsiations/unions. The fourth group deals with various medals awarded by different military (and some civil) associations etc., for instance the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany Veterans' medal and HM The King's Guard's medal. The fifth group shows other foreign medals, while group VI deals with merit badges. In addition you can find information about the Armed Forces' medal for casualties (killed in action) and the Dag Hammarskiöld's memorial medal.

Included in the booklet is also information about the use and awarding of orders and medals, a selection of statutes of various orders and decorations as well as a useful dictionary. The booklet is written in Norwegian, but some of the decorations have an English summary as well.

See also the chapter about the Norwegian orders and medals at the official website of the Norwegian Royal Court.

About-turn! Norwegian Prime Minister changes his mind in Veterans' Day farce

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has admitted that the decision to leave King Harald V out of the Veterans' Day ceremonies last Sunday was a big blunder. The king will be in place next year:

“The division of labour we had this year was not good, therefore it’s clear that it will be different next year.”

Most commentators seem to believe Dagbladet's story that the king had wanted to take part in the ceremonies, but was talked into accepting the so-called "division of labour".

See Views and News from Norway's article Stoltenberg admits to medal error dated 11 May 2011.

The debate goes on: Stoltenberg denies snubbing the king

Views and News from Norway 10 May 2011:

Stoltenberg denies snubbing the king

The last paragraph of the article is interesting:

“What I want to say is that the way (the ceremonies) were handled was something the prime minister and I had agreed upon,” King Harald told NTB. “What I’ll do now is to invite the (medal) recipients to an audience at the palace.”

The quote stems from a short comment the king gave to the press during the state visit to Slovenia today. The king has decided to be loyal to the government's version - anything else would have not have been a very wise move. While the prime minister has categorically denied snubbing the king - what else could he have said - the opposition as well as the media have had a field day. One should of course have in mind that it is the tabloid Dagbladet who has made today's headlines, but regardless of this I find it really difficult to believe that the king voluntarily should have let his position be undermined this way. Handing over military decorations is the king's arena, as have been commented on by politicians and others today. The government's lack of judgment is evident. Hopefully it will come to a more sensible conclusion - to include the king, that is - next time around.

See also my blog article Veterans' Day without King Harald published earlier today.

Veterans' Day without King Harald

The 8th of May is called «Frigjøringsdagen» («Liberation Day») in Norway and is an official flag-flying day, commemorating the day when Norway was liberated from German occupation in 1945.

Last week the Norwegian Government decided to make the Liberation Day also a «Veterans’ Day» in recognition of the veterans’ contributions and war efforts from WW2 on. The intention is to commemorate the 8th of May also as a Veterans Day’ every year from now on.

On 8th of May this year there were arrangements several places in Norway where members of the Norwegian Government took part. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Minister of Defence Grete Faremo – the former’s grandfather, the officer Emil Stoltenberg, spent 2 years as a prisoner of war in among others Poland during WW2, while the latter’s father Osmund Faremo (1921–1999) was active in the Norwegian resistance movement Milorg and spent nearly 2 years in concentration camps in Germany and Austria as a «Nacht und Nebel» prisoner.

Minister of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs, Rigmor Aasrud attended commemorative events at Hamar, Elverum and Rena, Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ola Borthen Moe was in Trondheim, Minister of Transport and Communications Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa was in Stavanger and Minister of Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland in Kirkenes. In addition 3 state secretaries – Terje Moland Pedersen, Hans Kr. Amundsen and Roger Ingebrigtsen – attended events in Fredrikstad, Bardufoss/Heggelia and Tromsø.

In Oslo the Veterans’ Day was marked at Akershus Castle and Fortress with speeeches, laying of wreaths, a reception, a twirling display by His Majesty The King’s Guard and a medal ceremony as well as a church ceremony in Oslo domkirke (Oslo Cathedral).

Three Norwegian officers – Colonel Eirik Johan Kristoffersen, Captain Jørg Lian and Naval Commander Trond André Bolle (for the latter the award was made posthumously, as he was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan last year) – who have served in Afghanistan received the War Cross with sword. The Chief of Defence of Norway, General Harald Sunde, presented the decorations, assisted by Prime Minister Stoltenberg.

I missed the King’s presence at Akershus and wondered about the reason for his absence. He had no official engagements that day, and even if decisions on the War Cross are taken by the King in Council (i.e. the Government, with the king presiding over the Council of State) and not the King personally, if would be natural that he was present. He is known to care a lot about Veterans issues and takes his constitutional obligations as Commander-in-Chief seriously.

Dagbladet today claims to know, citing among others several unnamed sources in the Armed Forces, that King Harald had wanted to be present at Akershus and to hand over the decorations himself, but was denied this by the Prime Minister.

The court’s communications secretary Marianne Hagen has told Dagbladet that «the War Cross was this year presented by the Chief of Defence on the King’s behalf. This is something the king and the prime minister have agreed on». She refused to comment when Dagbladet asked if it was not natural for the king to be present under such a ceremony.

Obviously the communications secretary had no choice but to comment the way she did. An open war with the Government would not be acceptable. Still, if Dagbladet’s version of the story is correct, I find it difficult to interpret it any other way than a snub and an effort in undermining the king’s position and the monarchy itself. The Government obviously wanted to bask in the sun alone at such a popular event as the Veterans' Day is...

See also photos and press releases at Regjeringen.no (the Government's official website), Flickr and Forsvaret.no (the Armed Forces' website) as well as Views and News from Norway's article (9 May 2011), Liberation Day now Veterans' Day.

Updated on Tuesday 10 May 2011 at 16.15 (one expression changed).