Snow-princesses (25.02)

After dancing the night away, the royal entourage that came to Oslo to celebrate King Harald's 70th birthday went out for some fresh air.


King Harald and Queen Sonja sat just in front of the President of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and his whife Dorrit Moussaieff.






Princess Märtha Louise with husband Ari and their two "princesses".











Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Sverre Magnus in the snow.

Birthday Ball at The Royal Palace in Oslo (24.02)

The Crown Prince couple in gala for The King´s birthday ball.



HH Princess Märtha Louise is accompanied by HRH Princess Mathilde of Belgium.














1) CP Mette-Marit and CP Haakon 2) Pr Madeleine and Duke of Brabant 3) CP Haakon and CP Victoria dancing 4) Pr Märtha Louise and Ari dancing 5) King Harald and Queen Sonja at the ball 6) At the Royal Balcony for the firework 7) CP´s Mette-Marit´s mother and steph-father 8) CP Mette-Marit and King Carl Gustaf dancing.

More pictures in Aftenposten.

Official pictures from the Royal Ball

The Gala at The Royal Palace Saturday to celebrate HM´s 70th birthday gathered more royals in Oslo than ever before.

The heads of state present.
Standing:
Pentti Arajärvi, H.F.H. Fyrst Albert, H.M. Kong Carl Gustaf, H.M. Kongen, H.K.H. Storhertug Henri, H.K.H. Prinsgemal Henrik og H.E. President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.
Sitting:
H.E. President Tarja Halonen, H.M. Dronning Silvia, H.M. Dronningen, H.K.H. Storhertuginne Maria Teresa og Dorrit Moussaieff.

Next generation.
Standing:
H.K.H. Hertugen av Brabant, H.K.H. Kronprinsen, H.K.H. Kronprins Frederik, H.K.H. Prinsen av Oranje.
Sitting:
H.K.H. Prinsesse Mathilde, H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Victoria, H.K.H. Kronprinsessen, H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Mary og H.K.H. Prinsesse Maxima.

The whole "family".


First row (left):
H.K.H. Prinsesse Maxima, H.K.H. Prinsen av Oranje, H.K.H. Kronprinsse Mary, H.K.H. Kronprins Frederik, H.K.H. Prinsgemalen av Danmark, H.K.H. Storhertuginne Maria Teresa, H.K.H. Storhertug Henri, H.M. Dronningen, H.M. Kongen, H.M. Kong Carl Gustaf, H.M. Dronning Silvia, H.F.H. Fyrst Albert, H.K.H. Kronprinsen, H.K.H. Kronprinsessen, H.K.H. Hertugen av Brabant, H.K.H. Prinsesse Mathilde, H.E. Islands President, H.E. Republikken Finlands President.
Second:
H.E. Grevinne Ruth, H.H. Prinsesse Kristine Bernadotte, Madeleine Kogevinas, Johan Martin Ferner, Prinsesse Astrid, fru Ferner, Timothy Laurence, H.K.H. The Princess Royal, H.K.H. Hertugen av Wessex, Ari Behn, Prinsesse Märtha Louise, H.M. Kong Konstantin, H.M. Dronning Anne Marie, H.H. Prinsesse Désirée, friherrinne Silfverskiöld, Friherre Niclas Silfverskiöld, Dorrit Moussaieff, Penti Arajärvi.
Third:
H.K.H. Hertuginnen av Gloucester, H.K.H. Hertugen av Gloucester, H.K.H. Hertugen av Palma, H.K.H. Prinsesse Cristina, H.K.H. Prinsesse Mabel, H.K.H. Prins Friso, H.K.H. Prinsesse Lauritien, H.K.H. Prins Constantijn, H.K.H. Prinsesse Madeleine. H.K.H. Prins Joachim. H.K. K.H. Prinsesse Astrid, H.K. K.H. Erkehertug Lorenz, H.H. Prinsesse Christina, fru Magnuson, Tord Magnuson, H.K.H. Prinsesse Alexia, Don Carlos Morales Quintana, H.H. Prinsesse Alexandra, Grev Jefferson Friedrich von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth.
Fourth:
Grev Axel av Rosenborg, Grevinne Jutta av Rosenborg, Grev Birger av Rosenborg, Grevinne Lynne av Rosenborg, Grev Carl John av Rosenborg, Mette Otzen, Grevinne Désirée av Rosenborg, Peter E. Rindom, Lady Elizabeth Shakerley, Sofie Ullens de Schooten.

Crown Princess in the snow (24.02)

The birthday celebrations continued at Bygdøy Saturday morning, at the The National Museum. It was a very cold morning in Oslo.


Crown Princess Mette-Marit with Swedish Princess Madeleine.


Danish guests: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.


Hat fit for the weather!


A smiling "birthday child" - King Harald


Princess Märtha Louise accompanied Prince Joachim of Denmark.

Oslo Town Hall - Friday night (23.02)

Source: Knudsens Fotosenter

King Harald´s 70 year party continued in Oslo Town Hall Friday night with guests from most European Royal houses. The show was a gift from all the counties and local communities in Norway. Most actors were children and youngsters, and the toastmaster for the evening: Princess Märtha Louise - and as usual - very professional.




















King Harald - 70 this week - Queen Sonja - 70 in June this year - guests of honour tonight.

Royal banquet inside Akershus Fortress (21.02)

Norwegian birthday parties usually include lots of speeches, rather like elongated toasts. Here, Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian prime-minister and the host for the baquet, spoke warmly of King Harald's work as Norway's reigning monarch and how deeply he cares for all aspects of Norwegian society.


King Harald ended a long and chilly day of birthday celebrations with a royal banquet inside the historic Akershus Fortress that's perched above Oslo's inner harbour. The government hosted the party for 160 guests in the fortress and castle's Christian IV salon.

After several hours of toasting and dining on slices of akevitt-marinated moose meat and such seafood delicacies as lobster and, appropriately enough, king crab, the guest of honour stood to make some remarks of his own.

Turning 70, he said, really wasn't anything to brag about. "If you live long enough, it happens by itself," he said, to laughter from the guests.
















Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Märtha Louise














Crown Princess Mette-Marit, her brother-in-law Ari Behn and husband Crown Prince Haakon.

Source: Aftenposten/Scanpix

The King and the statue of his mother Crown Princess Martha (21.02)

1) The birthday-celebration started with a service in the morning. When the church service was over, the royals headed back to the palace and later trooped out to the palace grounds for another birthday ceremony. King Harald and Queen Sonja led the procession. Behind them is Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her son, Marius Borg Høiby.

2) King Harald, whose mother died in 1954, was visibly moved by the statue of the woman who didn't live long enough to become Norway's queen.

3) Crown Princess Mette-Marit (front left) waved at the crowd. Next to her is her son Marius and Crown Prince Haakon, followed by Princess Märtha Louise and her husband Ari Behn

Source: Aftenposten