Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra joined King Haakon VIII of Norway as her hosted the annual Gala Dinner for Members of the Norwegian Parliament (Stortingsmiddag) at the Royal Palace of Oslo on October 22nd., for the first time since his Accession to the Norwegian Throne.
King Haakon VIII of Norway was joined by Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra as they the processed through the Speilsalen, Small Dining Room, Small Ballroom, and the Great Ballroom into the Banqueting Hall, for the Stortingsmiddag Banquet.
Officials and the King gave speeches before dinner:
President of the Storting
Honorable representatives
Dear everyoneSo it’s me standing here, not my father.
I miss him tonight, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
This was his arena.He was, as we know, funny – with apt comments and good timing. And not infrequently; dad jokes.
Here at the Palace, he found an outlet for all of this with you. He always looked forward to this evening, and greatly appreciated the tradition of inviting the Storting here to the Palace.
We also miss Princess Astrid, my dear aunt, who attended this dinner countless times. She was there, supportive and curious until the very end – with or without her dog Wilma on her lap. Mostly with.
And as you, who sat next to her at this dinner, know, she was quite delightfully straightforward and said what she thought.
King Haakon wore White Tie with the Sash & Star of the Order of St. Olav and the Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.
Queen Sonja wore Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara, Pearl Necklace and Earrings, Drapers’ Company Brooch and the Sash & Star of the Order of St. Olav with King Harald’s Family Order
Princess Ingrid Alexandra wore the Norwegian Amethyst Tiara, and Crown Princess Märtha’s Silver Wedding Earrings with the Order of St. Olav and the Royal Family Order of King Harald
King Haakon’s full speech:
President of the Storting
Honorable representatives
Dear everyoneSo it’s me standing here, not my father.
I miss him tonight, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
This was his arena.He was, as we know, funny – with apt comments and good timing. And not infrequently; dad jokes.
Here at the Palace, he found an outlet for all of this with you. He always looked forward to this evening, and greatly appreciated the tradition of inviting the Storting here to the Palace.
We also miss Princess Astrid, my dear aunt, who attended this dinner countless times. She was there, supportive and curious until the very end – with or without her dog Wilma on her lap. Mostly with.
And as you, who sat next to her at this dinner, know, she was quite delightfully straightforward and said what she thought.
As you probably understand, it’s not easy to become king overnight. Then having 35 years of experience as a middle manager in a medium-sized public enterprise comes in handy.
And it’s important to have good people around you – and I’m lucky in that, because I have the Queen on my team. It gives me security and support.
She would have loved to be here with us tonight, but needs to be in recovery after her successful lung surgery this summer. The first year after such a comprehensive procedure is quite fragile – something she has felt in recent weeks, but we are all very grateful that things are moving forward. Because they are, fortunately. She has asked me to send her regards, and to thank her for all the warm care.
But I also have other good teammates with me. My father would probably have said that we compete in three classes.
We have tonight’s super veteran, Queen Sonja.
Then we have the junior and debutant, the Crown Princess.
And then you have me. In my prime.I’ve had a fantastic coach in any case. Now it’s just a matter of managing my energy well. This is a long distance race, and I’m aiming for consistent speed and good endurance.
It is a great pleasure for us to welcome you to the Palace. Ever since 1906, when my great-grandfather, King Haakon VII, started the tradition, the Storting and the Royal House have met annually on this evening, with a few exceptions.
120 years and three kings before me have contributed to building the good relationship between the Storting and the Royal House in our constitutional monarchy.
I hope you have settled in well, and that the moose is to your liking – again this year shot by King Harald’s excellent hunting team in Sikkilsdalen.
We have been through a special time together – both as a family and as a country. We are deeply grateful for the thoughtfulness and compassion that has come from all over Norway – including from you, the members of parliament and the government.
It has made a great impression on us to see how people from north to south have expressed grief and gratitude after the passing of King Harald. The experience of collective care strengthens us, and gives us a strong sense of community in our grief.
That helps.
Throughout these weeks, we have also experienced the value of rituals and ceremonies – actions that remind us of who we are, of what binds us together, and strengthens the national community.
One of the most symbolic moments was the swearing-in ceremony in the Storting.
This tradition is about how we have agreed to govern our country – from the founding fathers at Eidsvoll in 1814, the rise of parliamentarism in the 1880s, the dissolution of the union in 1905 and until today.
Over this long period of time, the Storting has changed.
The Royal House has changed.
But this remains the same: the Storting and the Royal House belong together.We belong together in that the King is given his responsibility by the Storting – by the people.
The ceremony of the oath-taking powerfully reinforces this.Norwegian democracy is a solid protection against illiberal forces. Our form of government has proven to create robust frameworks for disagreement. Disagreement is not always easy to live with. It can create anger, bitterness and distance between us.
It is important to have institutions and processes that allow for different views, so that we maintain respect for each other and for the system.
So we can be confident that we belong together.The Storting brings with it this duality, this democratic culture. You may disagree strongly politically, but at the same time you are our foremost bearers and guardians of democracy.
All of this becomes more important in turbulent times. And we’ve talked a lot about total defense this year.
Even the Storting has been on an exercise. For preparedness to work, we have to practice, so it’s very good that the Storting is also practicing. Simply an example to follow. But such exercises, even though they are necessary, can be a bit heavy. These are serious things we are talking about here.
So what can we do to make it a little more pleasant? To make it a good end to the day? Where can we go to achieve that effect?
And the answer is, of course – President of the Storting – Drammen.
Because if there’s one thing the president and I agree on, it’s that it’s pleasant in Drammen. It’s a good place to be.
As you probably understand, it’s a bit strange to be standing here without important family members present. It’s extra good to have Queen Sonja with us.
Queen Mette-Marit and I are fortunate to be able to build on the solid foundation that you and my father have created over 35 years. We now look forward to following in your footsteps throughout the country and meeting people where they live.
We feel great gratitude for everything you and yours have given – and respect for the responsibility that is now ours. And we are very happy that you will continue to contribute in your official work as well. It is an important support for us.
I also have to thank the Crown Princess and the Prince who show up when it’s needed most. For example, at a football match in the USA this summer. Not just once, but twice.
Finally, I would like to thank and remember my father, King Harald. There are three things in particular from him that I hope we can all take with us:
All people are of equal value.
We must take good care of each other.
Try to be yourself.And then there’s one more thing, as a little bonus:
Never let an opportunity to deliver a dry joke pass you by.I’m not sure if that’s good advice, but it’s at least nice advice.
President of the Storting!
I wish each representative good luck with all the important tasks that will be carried out for the good of the country and people.I propose a toast to the Storting and the fatherland!
