Dutch State Visit to Norway

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway are hosting King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands on their State Visit to Norway from November 9 to 11, to celebrate and build diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties particularly in bilateral and international cooperation, climate change, energy transition and sustainability. Learn about the previous Dutch State Visits to Norway!

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In the morning, King Harald, Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit received King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima in an Official Welcome Ceremony in the Palace Square, which was followed by King Willem-Alexander laying a wreath at Akershus fortress. Later, the Royal Family hosted an official luncheon in honour of the King and Queen at the Royal Palace, followed by an exchange of gifts. Crown Prince Haakon was taken ill and had to pull out of the visit.

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In the afternoon, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited the Storting in Oslo, followed by a visit with King Harald and Queen Sonja to the Fram Museum, dedicated to polar expeditions, where they met young people and students from Norway and the Netherlands for a conversation about the development and future prospects in the Arctic, especially speaking about the impact of climate change on life in the Arctic.

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In the evening, King Harald (in the Order of the Netherlands Lion) and Queen Sonja (wearing the Norwegian Emerald Tiara abd Parure and the Order of the Netherlands Lion) hosted a Banquet in honour of King Willem-Alexander (in the Order of St. Olav)  and Queen Máxima (wearing the Dutch Sapphire Tiara, Sapphire Earrings, her Diamond Swirl Brooch with a Tanzanite Pendant and the Order of St. Olav) at the Royal Palace of Oslo, which was also attended by Crown Princess Mette-Marit (wearing the Diamond Daisy Bandeau, Diamond Flower Earrings, Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s Order of Victoria & Albert Bracelet, and the Order of Orange-Nassau), and Princess Martha Louise (in the Amethyst Necklace Tiara  and the Order of the Crown). Both Kings made speeches.

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On the second day, King Harald and Queen Sonja joined King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima for seminar on freedom of expression and countering online hate speech in the Deichman Bjørvika Library, which received the prize for the best public library in the world. The King and Queen then had a meeting with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, followed by a Lunch hosted by the Norwegian Government at Akershus Fortress, where they were joined by King Harald, Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. King Willem-Alexander gave a short speech.

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In the afternoon, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a Reception for the Dutch Community in Norway. Later, Crown Princess Mette-Marit joined King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima for a meeting on defense cooperation between the Netherlands and Norway on the naval vessel Zr.Ms. Rotterdam, which regularly participates in training courses in Norwegian waters and today moors in the port of Oslo.

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In the evening, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a Return Concert for King Harald and Queen Sonja in the new building of the MUNCH museum, with a Concert by cellist Harriët Krijgh.

On the final day of the State Visit, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were joined by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit in Trondheim Harbour to visit the Powerhouse Brattørkaia, an ‘energy plus’ building that generates more solar energy over its lifespan than the construction, operation and demolition cost combined. Crown Prince Haakon gave a speech about ocean management before a visit to a laboratory of the Norwegian Center for Plankton Technology where seaweed cultivation is researched.

Subsequently, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited Maritime Robotics to look at the work of maritime research equipment, both autonomous vessels and maritime drones, before a Lunch with the Mayor of Trondheim at the Stiftsgården, the Royal Residence in Trondheim. Later, there was a visit to the Technical University of Trondheim, the North Sea as a platform for energy transition is central to a panel discussion, with a focus on hydrogen and wind energy, before the state visit concluded with a visit to Nidaros Cathedral, that included a performance by Sami singers at the altar.

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9 thoughts on “Dutch State Visit to Norway

  1. Wonderful! This state visit did not disappoint! I loved the jewelry choices. The Queen Emma Sapphire Tiara that Queen Maxima wore to the banquet is one of my all-time favorite tiaras and her dress was beautiful. The three Norwegian ladies looked great too, especially Princess Martha Louise. It was nice to see her substituting for her sick brother. I think they should consider giving her a bigger role in the family since there are so few of them and will be for some time to come. I love Queen Maxima’s emerald earring that she wore on the first day. Divine! And I love King Harald’s sense of humor. The joke about Holland and Haaland was priceless!

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