King Harald and Queen Sonja

[Lucien]

TM will celebrate their 70th birthday in 2007,King Harald in February,Queen Sonja in July.King Haralds birthday will be celebrated extensively with members of other RF in attendance at a Ball at the Royal Palace,Oslo on feb.24th.

For Queen Sonja's 70th in july a fjord cruise is planned on the Royal Yacht "Norge",and again many RF in attendance.Possibly the "Dannebrog" ,the danish Royal Yacht,will "help out" to accommodate the guests.Both Queen Sonja and Queen Margrethe II are very close friends,enjoying an annual holiday together since decades,just the "girls".

Meanwhile:

http://alexandersolberg.com/index.php/114853

Courtesy Alexander Calapini-Solberg.

[Lucien]

TM will host a Gala-Dinner at the Royal Palace,Oslo tonight for the members of the Storting (Parliament).

[Lucien]

Royal Palace,Oslo,last night:

http://www1.vg.no/bildespesial/show/spesial.php?id=3600

http://www.siste.no/bildeserier/article2360116.ece

[Lucien]

TM attended the banquet for the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce 100th anniversary last wednesday november 15th,London.


Yesterday november 16th,King Harald received the degree of Doctor of Civil Law at Oxford University.

[Lucien]

HM King Harald will celebrate his 70th birthday on feb.21st,elaborate celebrations are planned:

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1602428.ece

Meanwhile the entire Norwegian RF is holidaying in the Caribean and are expected back in Oslo on january 25th.:

http://www.kongehuset.no/

[Lucien]

HM King Harald will celebrate his 70th birthday on feb.21st,elaborate celebrations are planned:

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1602428.ece

Meanwhile the entire Norwegian RF is holidaying in the Caribean and are expected back in Oslo on january 25th.:

http://www.kongehuset.no/

All nordic Heads of State are invited to the birthday celebrations of King Harald (Denmark's RF,Sweden's RF,Iceland and Finland) as well as all RF's of Europe.
From the Netherlands TRH The Prince of Orange,Princess Máxima,Prince Friso (godson of the King),Princess Mabel,Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien
will attend.

[Lucien]

Program of the 70th birthday celebrations of Norges King next week:

http://www.kongehuset.no/default.asp?lang=eng

[Lucien]

Program of the 70th birthday celebrations of Norges King next week:

http://www.kongehuset.no/default.asp?lang=eng

The guestlist:

Sweden
TM King Gustav XVI Adolf and Queen Silvia
HRH Crown Princess Victoria
HRH Princess Madeleine
HRH Princess Desirée,Frihererinne Silverskjöld and FriherreNiclas Silversklöld
HRH Princess Christina,Mrs.Magnuson and Tord Magnuson
HH Princess Kristine Bernadotte

Denmark
HRH Prince Henrik
TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary
HRH Prince Joachim
HE Countess Ruth of Rosenborg
Count Axel and Countess Jutta of Rosenborg
Count Birger and Countess Lyn of Rosenborg
Count Carl Johan of Rosenborg and Mette Otzen
Countess Desireé of Rosenborg and Peter E.Rindom

Spain
TM King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia
TRH The Dukes of Palma de Mallorca

Belgium
TM King Albert and Queen Paola
TRH The Duke and Duchess of Brabant
TR&IH Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz

Luxembourg
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Monaco
HSH Prince Albert

Netherlands
TRH The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima
TRH Prince Friso and Princess Mabel
TRH Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien

Great Britain
TRH The Count and Countess of Wessex
HRH The Princess Royal and Rear Admiral Timothy Lawrence
TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Other Royal guests.

TM King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie
HRH Princess Alexia and Mr.Carlos Morales
HH Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson Friedrich of Pfeil and Klein Elguth
Lady Elisabeth Shakerley
Madeleine Kogevinas
Sofie Ullens de Schooten

Iceland
HE the President of Iceland and Dorrit Moussaieff

Finland
HE the President of Finland and Pentti Arajärvi

[Lucien]

King Harald,a life in pictures:

http://www.side2.no/kjendis/article902245.ece

[Lucien]

King Harald,a life in pictures:

http://www.side2.no/kjendis/article902245.ece

And another series by Aftenposten.

http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/bildeserieviser/?id=1505412&start=1

The gift from Norway's Parliament.

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1646685.ece

[Lucien]

New stamp on occasion of HM birthday.

http://www.posten.no/Portal/NyheterPresse/Pressemeldinger/190207pmkkongefrimerke.htm

German tv-channel ARD will air a special program on King Harald,wednesday february 21st at 21,45PM CET,

"Harald of Norway,the Viking King turns 70"

New design for the Royal website:

http://www.kongehuset.no/

German tv-channel ZDF will have live coverage from Oslo tomorrow morning starting at 11.00AM (CET) till 13.00PM and from 15.00PM till 16.15PM CET.
(10.00 GMT,04.00EST) and (14.00GMT,08.00EST)

http://www.zdf.de/

[Lucien]

http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1070728309&str...


The King

http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1142242283&str...

http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1125649865&str...

The sailor.The King participated in the sailing events of the 1964,1968 and 1972 Olympics,but never won gold,but in 1987 he won the World championship sailing,and to this day HM is "nuts' when it comes to sailing.

After treatment for cancer in 2003 and heart surgery in 2005 the King took to the seas soon after to recover.Now,on his 70th he states;"I'm so lucky to be healthy and still be able to work even tho I'm taken it easyer then I used to".

http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1090836016&str...

http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1075422746&str...

easy does it...
http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1073066572&str...

The Royal Yacht "Norge"
http://www.seegerpress-online.de/seegerpress-cgi/topixx?op=preview&ID=1077231749&str...

Harald is a sport,quiet,modest,to the point and granddad-like with an incredible sense of humour according to those in the know."He has an unbelieveble amount of patience playing games with his grandchildren" according to Crown Princess Mette-Marit in the recently published biograpgy of the King.Patience is his guide in life,from the days of the 9 year wait untill he got permission from King Olav to marry his Sonja,not that Olav opposed the choice of Sonja as a person,but because he felt Europe wasn't ready to accept a "commoner" as one of it's Royals.But then Beatrix and Margrethe paved the way in '66 and '67 and Olav finally gave his consent in 1968.

And he had to be patient as a boy,as Princess Astrid recalls in a recent interview;"Harald was given an electric train on Christmas 1947,resulting in King Haakon,Prince Olav and "uncle" Axel crawling over the floor each with their own idea of how the tracks should run,and sending Harald off with a comic book"...

King Harald is known for his spontaneous invitations as reports surface on a regular basis that he has invited groups of children from day-care centers to his home,giving them a fantastic day at the Palace,he really has a way with kids.

More then halve of the Norwegians agree with the King that he doesn't want to go and enjoy his pension,he's "committed" for life,as the King recently stated he will go on till his last breath.

note:more then halve not meaning the others "dislike him",contrary,after his health problems the last years they only wish him a quiet life enjoying his pension,overall,Harald is not only respected,but genuinely loved.

[Lucien]

Trefoldighetskirken,Oslo this morning:

http://www1.vg.no/bildespesial/show/spesial.php?id=5195


http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=21-02-2007%20Oslo

Courtesy PPE/Albert Nieboer/Edwin Veloo.

[Lucien]

Trefoldighetskirken,Oslo this morning:

http://www1.vg.no/bildespesial/show/spesial.php?id=5195


http://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=21-02-2007%20Oslo

Courtesy PPE/Albert Nieboer/Edwin Veloo.

In a very moving ceremony a visibly emotional King Harald unveiled the statue of his mother Princess Märtha in the grounds of the Royal Palace this afternoon.
King Harald was only 17 when he lost his mother and rarely mentions that,to painful and sad.

http://www.side2.no/kjendis/article908103.ece

many pictures when you scroll down.


The statue stands in front of a temporary background formed by a 100 ton ice sculpture,a work by norwegian artists.

Picures courtesy PPE,above.

Tonight there is a dinner hosted by the Norwegian government at Akershus Castle.


With the birthday celebrations of the King just beginning,the Norwegian Court today already disclosed details for Queen Sonja's 70th birthday on the fourth of july.
TM,along with tout Royal Europe will embark in Stavanger on the Royal Yacht "Norge" and two other ships for a 5 day cruise along the norwegian coast destination the Royal estate of Mägero on july 8th.

[Lucien]

Clip 1

Royal Palace,Oslo this afternoon,unveiling ceremony statue Princess Martha.

http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/229111

Clip 2

http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/229114

Courtesy NRK.