The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are starting their two-day Official Visit to Norway today, and in honour of the visit, we are taking a look at the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s first State Visit to Norway in 1955.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were received King Haakon VII of Norway, along with Crown Prince Olav, Prince Harald, Princess Astrid, and Princess Ragnhild, at Honnørbryggen in Oslo before travelling back to the Royal Palace of Oslo. There was a State Banquet held that evening, but no images were released.
The Queen (in the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara) and Duke were joined by King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav, Prince Harald, Princess Astrid (wearing Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara) and Princess Ragnhild (in the Vasa Tiara) for a Gala Performance at the National Theatre in Oslo on the second evening of the State Visit.
Other events included a lunch at Skaugum, the residence of the Crown Prince, visits to the Norwegian Folk Museum at Bygdo, the Vestre Gravlund (Western Cemetery) in Oslo, and a Garden Party at the British Embassy, with a Return Banquet on the Royal Yacht Britannia rounding out the State Visit.
Norwegian State Visit to Britain in 1951
British State Visit to Norway in 1955
Norwegian State Visit to Scotland in 1962
British State Visit to Norway in 1981
Norwegian State Visit to Britain in 1988
Norwegian State Visit to Britain in 1994
British State Visit to Norway in 2001
Norwegian Official Visit to Britain in 2005
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Vladimir Tiara
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
Belgian Sapphire Tiara
Burmese Ruby Tiara
Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara
Plunket Tiara
Five Aquamarine Tiara
Imperial State Crown
George IV State Diadem
Necklaces
Coronation Necklace and Earrings
The Cambridge Emerald Parure
Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace
King George VI Sapphire Suite
Queen’s Three-Strand Pearl Necklace
King George VI Festoon Necklace
Queen’s South African Diamonds
Queen’s City of London Fringe Necklace
Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
Greville Ruby Necklace
Queen’s Japanese Pearl Choker
Kent Amethyst Parure
Queen’s Emerald Tassel Suite
Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker
Greville Emerald Necklace
Queen’s Dubai Sapphire Suite
King Khalid Diamond Necklace
Pakistani Turquoise Necklace
Queen’s Jordanian Turquoise Suite
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Like their State Visit to Sweden the following year, the Queen and Duke were welcomed not just as fellow royals, but as close family by King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav, Prince Harald and Princess Astrid. King Haakon was the Queen’s great-uncle by marriage and the Norwegian Royal Family is the most closely related to the British Royal Family. After an official welcome, the group took a couple of close family pictures back at the Royal Palace of Oslo.
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While no pictures were released of the State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo, the Queen (in the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara), Duke, and members of the Norwegian Royal Family, including Princess Astrid (wearing Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara) and Princess Ragnhild (in the Vasa Tiara), were pictured attended a Gala Performance at the National Theatre in Oslo on the second night of the State Visit.
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Other events included a lunch at Skaugum (residence of the Crown Prince), visits to the Norwegian Folk Museum at Bygdo, the Vestre Gravlund (Western Cemetery) in Oslo, and a Garden Party at the British Embassy.
