King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark hosted his uncle, King Haakon VII of Norway, on his third and last State Visit to Denmark on this day in 1948. Born Prince Carl of Denmark, King Haakon previously visited his parents on a State Visit in 1906 and then his brother and sister-in-law on a State Visit in 1913, while the State Visit in 1948 was the first of the King Frederik’s Reign.
King Haakon VII of Norway was welcomed by his nephew, King Frederik IX, and Queen Ingrid of Denmark with a splendid Welcome Ceremony followed by a Procession through Copenhagen, which ended with an Appearance on the Balcony of Amalienborg Palace.
While there are no images from the State Banquet at Christiansborg Palace, there was an image of the Gala Performance at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, for which King Haakon sat with King Frederik and Queen Ingrid (wearing the Danish Ruby Parure) in the Royal Box.
Other members of the Danish Royal Family included King Haakon’s sister, Princess Dagmar (in her Diamond Floral Tiara), Hereditary Prince Knud and Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde (wearing Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara), Prince Axel and Princess Margaretha of Sweden and Denmark (in her Floral Tiara), and Prince and Princess Viggo.
The Danish and Norwegian Royal Families have been close for over a century, and this State Visit was followed by the Danish State Visit to Norway in 1960, as well as the Danish State Visit to Norway in 1973, followed by King Olav’s State Visit to Denmark. King Harald and Queen Sonja made their first State Visit to Denmark in 1991, before hosting Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik on their State Visit to Norway the following year. Since then, while the families have made several visits for private events, grand celebrations, and official visits, there was only the Norwegian Independence Centenary Gala in Copenhagen in 2005, but so far no State Visits between Denmark and Norway to date.
A regal event indeed! If all State Visits these days were only half as glittering as this I would be more than content 🙂 Looking at the wonderful photo from the magnificent Gala Performance it looks like Prince Viggo got the wearing of the Norwegian Order of St Olav wrong. Being used to wearing the Sash of the Order of the Elephant, which is worn from the left shoulder to the right hip, he seems to have worn the Sash of the Norwegian Order the same way. It should instead of course be worn from the right shoulder to the left hip. I have not been able to see any photos from the State Banquet held for King Haakon at this State Visit either, but I am sure that it was again a truly regal and glittering affair.