by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

On December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896, the Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize at the Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway. Each recipient, known as a laureate, receives an 18-carat green gold medal plated with 24-carat gold, a diploma, and a monetary award. In attendance are the Norwegian Monarch, his/her spouse, members of the Norwegian royal family, officials of the Norwegian government, representatives of the Storting (the Norwegian legislature), and an invited audience. Later the same day, the Norwegian Nobel Committee hosts a banquet in honor of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) also attended by the Norwegian royal family.

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Who was Alfred Nobel?

Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman, known for inventing dynamite. His invention of dynamite in 1866 was developed with the idea of using it for mining, not for war. However, just four years later, dynamite was used by the Prussians and the French in the Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871). In 1891, Nobel commented about his dynamite factories, “Perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses: on the day that two army corps can mutually annihilate each other in a second, all civilized nations will surely recoil with horror and disband their troops.” Alfred Nobel died in 1896, so he was not alive during World War I to see how wrong his idea was.

In 1876, Austro-Bohemian Countess Bertha von Suttner became Nobel’s secretary. She left the position after a short time to marry but corresponded with Nobel until he died in 1896. During the 1880s, von Suttner began developing pacifist ideas, ideas her friend Nobel was also considering due to the effects of more powerful weapons. In 1889, von Suttner became a leading figure in the peace movement when her pacifist novel, Die Waffen Nieder! (Lay Down Your Arms!) was published. It is believed that von Suttner had a major influence on Nobel’s decision to include a peace prize among the prizes provided in his will. Bertha von Suttner was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 “for her audacity to oppose the horrors of war.”

On December 10, 1896, 63-year-old Alfred Nobel died in his villa in San Remo, Italy, from a cerebral hemorrhage. In his will, Nobel left instructions that his fortune be used to create a series of prizes for those who develop the “greatest benefit on mankind” in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature, and peace. Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets to establish the five Nobel Prizes. A sixth prize for Economic Sciences, endowed by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, was first presented in 1969.

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The Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai displays her medal and diploma during the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2014

• The Official Website of The Nobel Peace Prize

Alfred Nobel’s will states that the Peace Prize shall be given “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Nobel’s will further state that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate will be selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member committee appointed by the Storting (the Norwegian legislature). Sweden administers the other Nobel Prizes. Why the Swedish Alfred Nobel decided that Norway should administer the Peace Prize is unclear. When Nobel died in 1896, Norway and Sweden were still the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway with Sweden in charge of foreign policy. There is speculation that Nobel may have considered Norway better suited to awarding the Peace Prize because it did not have the same militaristic traditions as Sweden.

Each year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invites eligible people to submit nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation those eligible to submit nominations are:

• Members of national assemblies and governments and members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
• Members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice at the Hague
• Members of Institut de Droit International
• Academics at the professor or associate professor level in history, social sciences, philosophy, law, and theology, university rectors, university directors (or their equivalents), and directors of peace research and international affairs institutes
• Previous recipients, including board members of organizations that have received the prize
• Present and past members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
• Former permanent advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Institute

Unlike the Nobel Prizes, the Peace Prize is occasionally awarded to an organization.

• Wikipedia: List of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates

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Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies and Events

The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony takes place at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway on December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the Norwegian monarch and the Norwegian royal family.

Several ceremonies occur on December 10 which Norwegian royal family members may attend.

Save the Children Peace Prize Party in 2015. Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her son Prince Sverre Magnus are on the right

• Save the Children Peace Prize Party
• December 10 at 11:00 AM
• Location: Nobel Peace Center

The Save the Children Peace Prize Party is a show made by and for children with representatives of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) as guests of honor. Children from 5th, 6th, and 7th grade are in the audience.

2023 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Crown Prince Haakon sit in the four chairs in the aisle.

• Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony
• December 10 at 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
• Location: Oslo City Hall

The ceremony starts with musical performances, followed by the speech of the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) receive their diploma and gold medal from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of the Norwegian monarch and the Norwegian royal family, and then they give their Nobel Lectures.

• Torchlight Procession
• December 10 at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Location: Oslo Central Station to the Grand Hotel

The torchlight procession, organized by the Norwegian Peace Council, starts at Oslo Central Station and ends in front of the Grand Hotel, where the Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) greet the parade from the Grand Balcony of the Nobel Suite.

2009 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama wave from the Grand Balcony of the Nobel Suite at the Grand Hotel.

Left to Right: Crown Prince Haakon, Queen Sonja, Ali Rahmani, Kiana Rahmani, King Harald V, Crown Princess Mette Marit, and Taghi Rahmani arrive at the Nobel Banquet on December 10, 2023. The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was imprisoned and was represented by her 17-year-old twin children and her husband, who live in exile in Paris. Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and the fight for human rights and freedom for all.

• The Nobel Banquet
• December 10 at 7:30
• Location: Grand Hotel

More than 200 guests attend the Nobel Banquet at The Grand Hotel in Oslo. Seated with the laureate(s) are the Norwegian monarch and his/her spouse the President of the Storting, the Prime Minister, and members of the Nobel Committee. Other guests usually include the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess and his/her spouse, government ministers, members of the Storting, and representatives of public institutions, non-profit organizations, and cultural and commercial life.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Bertha von Suttner. (2022). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_von_Suttner
• Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2004). svensk kjemiker, ingeniør, oppfinner og filantrop. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel
• Nobels Fredspris. (2021). Wikipedia. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobels_fredspris
• Press Program for the Nobel Peace Prize Events 2023 – Nobel Peace Prize. (2023). Www.nobelpeaceprize.org. https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-releases/press-program-for-the-nobel-peace-prize-events-2023
• Royen, Ulrika. (2021). The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets – NobelPrize.org. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremony/the-nobel-prize-award-ceremonies-and-banquets/
• ‌Royen, Ulrika. (2024). The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2024 – NobelPrize.org. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremony/the-nobel-peace-prize-award-ceremony-2024/
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Alfred Nobel. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Nobel Peace Prize. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize

 

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

In Norway, May 17 is Constitution Day and the National Day of Norway. The celebrations focus on Norway as an independent state governed by the rule of law with democratic rights for all. Unlike other countries’ National Days, Norway’s National Day is not celebrated with military parades, but with local children’s parades in which music bands and school children march together.

History

The Constitution of Norway was adopted on May 16, 1814, and signed on May 17, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll, Norway. The constitution declared Norway an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark-Norway‘s defeat in the Napoleonic Wars. The attempt failed and Norway was part of the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway until 1905.

The first celebration of May 17th took place in Trondheim in 1815, one year after the Constitution was drafted and adopted. The French-born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte who was elected Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810 by the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament, ruled over Norway and Sweden from 1818 to 1844 as King Karl III Johan of Norway and King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden. He regarded the May 17th celebrations and Norway’s independent Constitution as revolutionary acts against Sweden. In 1828, celebrations of Constitution Day were prohibited. However, his son and successor King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway had a different opinion. Starting in 1845, the year after he became King, Oscar I attended the May 17th celebrations, and greeted the parade from the royal estate, now called the Royal Palace of Oslo.

In Norway, holidays and festivals were often celebrated by parades with banners, music, and singing. Peter Qvam, a school headmaster, came up with the idea of holding a children’s parade, Barnetog (children’s train). In 1869, the first Barnetog was held on May 17th with about 1,200 boys participating. Girls began participating in 1889.

What Happens?

Bunads

It is common for Norwegians to wear bunads on May 17th. The term bunad refers to clothes designed in the early 20th century, loosely based on traditional costumes. Bunads are often worn at folk dances, weddings, baptisms, confirmations, Christmas, and graduations.

Children’s Parades

Children’s parades, Barnetog in Norwegian which translates to children’s train, are organized in  Norwegian communities and many communities where Norwegians live abroad. In Norway, each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools. The children are dressed festively and carry small Norwegian flags. The children’s parades vary in size from tens of people in small villages to several tens of thousands of participants in Oslo, Norway’s capital.

The children’s parades follow certain routes in towns and are organized so that the children walk by class behind their school banner. Many classes also have their own homemade banners. The parade ends with children and adults gathering in a large space where speeches are given. After the speeches, many people join the parade on the march back to the starting point. Some communities also have separate citizens’ trains or people’s trains where everyone can participate.

In Oslo, about 70,000 children and adults and 1,700 bands march in the children’s parade. The Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces leads the Oslo children’s parade. The parade passes the Royal Palace where the royal family wave from the palace balcony.

The Royal Family on the Balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo

Left to Right: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja, and King Harald V wave Norwegian flags from the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo, on May 17, 2021

Each May 17, the Norwegian royal family gathers on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo to greet the Oslo children’s parade. King Haakon VII and Queen Maud began the tradition in 1906 and subsequent monarchs have continued the tradition. There have been two exceptions. Queen Maud’s father King Edward VII of the United Kingdom died on May 6, 1910, and the Norwegian royal family was in mourning and attending the funeral in the United Kingdom. Norway was under German Occupation during World War II from 1940 – 1945. During the occupation, Norwegians were forbidden to celebrate May 17th, participate in parades, or use the colors of the Norwegian flag on clothes.

Crowds gather in front of the Royal Palace during the Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations on May 17, 2014 in Oslo, Norway

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

• Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2005, May 19). Norges nasjonaldag. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/17._mai_(grunnlovsdag)
• Celebrating May 17th. (2020, May 17). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=78630&sek=27262
• Constitution Day (Norway). (2022). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Day_(Norway)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

A Bit of History

The Kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of many small kingdoms. During the Kalmar Union from 1397 until 1523, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch until Danish rule was overthrown in a rebellion led by nobleman Gustav Vasa, who became King Gustav I of Sweden. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden.

In 1905, when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs and the British connections of his wife Princess Maud, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Before accepting, Prince Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard regarding retaining a monarchy. Following a referendum with a 79% majority in favor, Prince Carl was formally offered, and then accepted the throne and reigned as King Haakon VII of Norway until he died in 1957.

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Accession

When the Norwegian Sovereign dies, the accession is automatic. The last Norwegian accession took place on January 17, 1991, when King Olav V died and his son immediately succeeded him as King Harald V. The Constitution of Norway requires the new Norwegian Sovereign to swear an oath before the Storting, the Norwegian legislature. If the Storting is not in session, the new  Sovereign swears the oath before the Council of State and again before the Storting once it is in session.

On January 21, 1991, King Harald V swore an oath during a formal ceremony in the Storting. President of the Storting Jo Benkow read the announcement of King Olav V’s death before King Harald V swore the oath: “I solemnly swear to reign in the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and laws, so help me Almighty God.”

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History of Coronations

The first coronation in Norway occurred in 1163 or 1164, in Bergen, then the capital of Norway, at Christ Church (Old Cathedral).  Christ Church was razed to the ground In 1531, by Eske Bille, a Danish diplomat and statesman, and commander of the Bergenhus Fortress.  Bille was famous for demolishing the churches in Bergen and became known by the nickname “Church Breaker”. Churches and other buildings in Bergen had to be removed to enable a better defense of Bergen and its port. When King Haakon V came to the throne in 1299, Norway’s capital was moved from Bergen to Oslo, which is still Norway’s capital. After 1299, some coronations were held in Oslo but most took place at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

During the Kalmar Union (1397 to 1523), when a single monarch ruled Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the monarchs were crowned in all three monarchies. After the Kalmar Union was dissolved, Norway remained unified with Denmark under the King of Denmark until 1814. Throughout the Danish Union, the Kings of Denmark-Norway had one ceremony in Denmark in which the King placed the crown upon his own head and was anointed. During the Swedish Union (1814 – 1905), the 1814 Constitution of Norway required the monarch of Norway to be crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway.

The first King of Sweden-Norway, King Karl II of Norway who was also King Carl XIII of Sweden, never visited Norway and was never crowned. When King Karl III Johan of Norway/King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden ascended the throne in 1818, the coronation at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim continued in accordance with the 1814 Constitution of Norway with him and his successors.

When the Swedish union was abolished in 1905, and Prince Carl of Denmark was elected King of Norway and reigned as King Haakon VII, he and his wife Queen Maud (born Princess Maud of Wales, the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) were crowned at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, in accordance with the 1814 Constitution of Norway. So far, this was the last coronation held in Norway.

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A Change

In 1908, just two years after the coronation of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud, the Storting, the Norwegian legislature, repealed the provision in the Constitution of Norway requiring a coronation with only two Storting members voting against the repeal. Many Norwegians felt that a coronation was undemocratic and archaic. Norwegian law does not expressly ban coronations but the Norwegian monarchs since the 1908 repeal have opted for a different ceremony, a benediction.

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History of the Benediction

When King Olav V came to the throne in 1957, upon the death of his father King Haakon VII, he desired to have a religious ceremony as he embarked on his roles as King of Norway and the Head of the Church of Norway. Olav proposed a ritual known in Norwegian as Signing til kongsgjerning – Blessing the King for His Reign – a benediction rite. There was and still is no constitutional prohibition against arranging a ceremony for a new monarch of Norway, even a coronation if any future monarch of Norway desires to have one.

King Olav played an active role in developing the Benediction, also called the Consecration. However, Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen and his Government showed little enthusiasm for the Benediction. The Government decided that only three members of the Storting’s Presidium, a committee of six members chaired by the President of the Storting, three members of the Government, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should attend the Benediction. However, Arne Fjellbu, Bishop of Nidaros sent a letter to all members of the Storting informing them that seating would be reserved for all those who wished to attend. Within a short time, most of the Storting members had accepted the invitation.

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King Olav V’s Benediction – June 22, 1958

King Olav V’s wife and first cousin, born Princess Märtha of Sweden, sadly died of cancer on April 5, 1954, so Olav came to the throne without a Queen Consort, and he never remarried. For his Benediction, Olav chose the date June 22, 1958, exactly 52 years after the coronation of his parents in the same cathedral, Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. The ceremony was carried live by radio throughout Norway.

Arne Fjellbu, Bishop of Nidaros and Johannes Smemo, Bishop of Oslo, who gave the sermon, officiated at the Benediction. The new ceremony retained some of the religious elements of earlier rites and eliminated elements considered to be undemocratic. There is no law preventing a coronation from occurring so any future monarch of Norway can choose to have one. During the ceremony, the Norwegian royal regalia was displayed but not worn.

King Olav V sat on the 1818 coronation throne in Nidaros Cathedral. Following the sermon, Olav knelt before the high altar. Bishop Fjellbu laid his hand on the king’s head and recited a special prayer of consecration and blessing which formed the climax of the ritual:

Eternal, Almighty God, Heavenly Father, we thank thee whose grace in need has always gone over our land in woeful and good times to this day. Hear, today, our king’s and our prayer. We pray thee, send thy grace to King Olav the Fifth, assist him by thy Spirit and give him wisdom and peace from thee that his reign be a benefit and a blessing on Norway’s land and people. Deceitful and burdensome days will come; may truth and goodness from thee be his power and gladness. Eternal, powerful God, bless our king, be thou always his Lord and his King and grant his House all good days in time and eternity. Amen.

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Benediction of King Harald V and Queen Sonja – June 23, 1991

King Olav V died on January 17, 1991, and his son King Harald V succeeded him. King Harald V and his wife Queen Sonja, a commoner,  born Sonja Haraldsen, expressed their desire to both participate in a Benediction ceremony like King Olav V’s. On June 23, 1991, their Benediction ceremony was held at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, officiated by Finn Wagle, Bishop of Nidaros and Andreas Aarflot, Bishop of Oslo.

The royal regalia was displayed during the ceremony but not worn. The King’s Crown and the Queen’s Crown were placed on either side of the high altar. The bishops met King Harald V and Queen Sonja as they entered the cathedral. Bishop Wagle greeted King Harald: “May the Lord bless your going in and your coming out now and for evermore.” King Harald V and Queen Sonja proceeded up the aisle and sat in the 1818 coronation thrones.

After scripture readings and the sermon, King Harald V knelt before the high altar. Bishop Wagle put his right hand on his head and said the consecration prayer which included: “Consecrate King Harald V, strengthen and lead him in his work as King of Norway. Let his service to the people and the Church be a blessing.”

Queen Sonja then came forward and knelt beside King Harald. Bishop Wagle lay his right hand on her head and said: “Let her work be in support of the King’s deed. Help her use abilities and forces for the joy and benefit of Norway’s country and people.”

Bishop Wagle then said a prayer over the kneeling King and Queen and turned and knelt at the high altar as the Royal Anthem, the Kongesangen, was sung:

God bless our good king!
Bless him with strength and courage
bless home and castle!
Guide him with your Spirit,
Forge with your strong Hand
Holy bonds of allegiance
Around people and king!

Loudly pledge men of Norway
Each in his calling, his station,
Loyalty to his king.
Loyal in life and death,
Courageous in war and distress,
Always our Norway obeyed
God and its king.

Bishop Wagle said a final blessing over the kneeling King and Queen: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you. Amen.” The Lord Chamberlain then came forward as the King and Queen rose, and conducted them back to their coronation thrones.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Accession of the New Monarch in 1991. (2016). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=131423&sek=27262
• Consecration. (2011). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=35248&sek=35247
• The Consecration of King Harald and Queen Sonja. (2013). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=28733&sek=27278
• The Consecration of King Olav V. (2007). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=35246&sek=35244
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Coronations in Norway. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Monarchy of Norway. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

The State Opening of the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, is held in early October after the Storting has been constituted. On the first working day of October, the Storting meets to elect its vice presidents and secretaries. When that is completed, the President of the Storting declares the Storting to be legally constituted.

According to Article 74 of the 1814 Constitution, the Norwegian monarch or his/her acting regent formally opens the Storting with a speech outlining the Government’s plans for the coming year. The monarch also addresses issues which he/she particularly desires to call the attention of the Storting.

The State Opening of the Storting is one of the few occasions when members of the Storting,  known in Norwegian as stortingsrepresentants (Storting Representatives), the entire Government, and members of the Norwegian royal family are gathered in an official ceremony. All three branches of the state – the legislative, the executive, and the judicial – attend the State Opening. Civilian and military officials, members of the Royal Court, and invited guests also attend.

What happens?

The Norwegian royal family travels the short distance by car from the Royal Palace of Oslo to the Stortinget, the parliament building. Usually the monarch’s spouse and the heir to the throne, the Crown Prince or Crown Princess, also attends the opening of the Storting. Norway’s line of succession to the throne is based upon absolute primogeniture where males and females have equal succession rights.

Military forces and the King’s Guard line Karl Johans gate, Oslo’s main street, between the Royal Palace and the Storinget. The streets of Oslo are decorated with Norwegian flags and lined with thousands of spectators.

When the Norwegian monarch, his/her spouse, and the Crown Prince or Crown Princess arrive at the Stortinget, they are welcomed by seven Storting Representatives at the main entrance at Løvebakken, the driveway in front of the Stortinget. The seven Storting Representatives accompany them for the duration of their stay at the Storinget.

Queen Sonja, King Harald V, and Crown Prince Haakon (on the right) attend the State Opening of the Storting on October 2, 2010

The Storting Chamber is rearranged for the State Opening of the Storting. The throne is positioned where the President of the Storting and the speaker’s rostrum normally stand. A table for the Storting’s President and Secretary is placed in the semicircle in front of the seats of the Storting Representatives.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg hands the Speech from the Throne to King Harald V during the State Opening of the Storting on October 2, 2018

The monarch is handed the Speech from the Throne by the Prime Minister. The speech, written by the Government, contains the plans for the Government’s policies in the coming year.

King Harald V reads the Speech from the Throne on October 2, 2010

All stand while the monarch reads the Speech from the Throne.

Next, one of the members of the Government, usually the youngest minister in the Government, reads the State of the Realm Address, a review of the government’s policy over the past year, mentioning what was achieved and important proposals that have been put forward.

The State Opening of the Storting ends with the National Anthem, “Ja, vi elsker dette landet” (“Yes, we love this country”).

The Constitution states that no deliberations or debate may take place in the presence of the monarch. This means the Storting session may not continue until the monarch has left the Stortinget. Only after the monarch leaves the Stortinget may the Storting decide to submit the Speech from the Throne and the State of the Realm Address for deliberation, and then adjourn.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2006). Trontalen (Norge). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trontalen_(Norge)
• Opening of the Storting. (2024). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=30059&sek=30058
• The 163rd Storting is open. (2018). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=165516&sek=27262
• The State Opening of the Storting. (2024). Stortinget; Stortinget. https://www.stortinget.no/en/In-English/About-the-Storting/Start-of-parliamentary-session/the-formal-state-opening-of-the-storting/