royal-confessions:

“I’ve seen replicas of princess Diana’s engagement ring in practically every store I’ve been in. Personally, I prefer the diamond/ruby engagement ring given to Crown Princess Märtha in 1929 when she got engaged to Crown Prince Olav of Norway; the ring which was then passed on to Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit I think it’s far more classy and beautiful. I’m actually looking for a ring like that and can’t for the life of me find it!“ – Submitted by Anonymous

norwegianroyalfamily:

November 17, 2018 | Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Crown Prince Haakon visited Polaria Aquarium after the baptism of “Kronprins Haakon". The center provides research-based knowledge about the Arctic.
The trip to Polaria went with a dog team. The Polaria adventure center has aquariums with seals, fish and sea creatures from arctic areas. Princess Ingrid Alexandra fed both catfish and seals.

Polaria is housed in a distinctive building that represents ice floes pushed ashore. It is just a five-minute walk from Tromsø city center.

Photo: Rune Stoltz Bertinussen

norwegianroyalfamily:

THEN AND NOW:

May 4, 2015 |
Princess Ingrid Alexandra, accompanied by her grandfather King Harald V, baptized the rescue craft MS Elias. © Terje Pedersen / NTB scanpix

November 17, 2018 | Princess Ingrid Alexandra,
accompanied by her father Crown Prince Haakon, baptized a new research
vessel, “Kronprins Haakon”. © Rune Stoltz Bertinussen / NTB scanpix

I LOVE how accepted Marius is by Sonja, Harald and Haakon. It must have been strange for him, his mother marrying a Prince and becoming Royalty but I love how they treat him as if he was one of their own and include him as much as they can. Its so lovely to see💕

duchessofostergotlands:

Same. It’s one of the reasons I started to love Harald and Sonja so much. I’m a step child myself. My step father is the best man in the world. I am so lucky to have him in my life. So I really appreciate people who make the effort with step family. It’s personally a big thing for me. 

norwegianroyalfamily:

“The bravery and courage Mette-Marit showed us, made a strong impression. We never considered denying Haakon the love we ourselves fought for for nearly nine years. And now Marius came into our lives. I went to the attic and found old toys.”

— Queen Sonja on accepting Mettte-Marit (and with her Marius) into the family

norwegianroyalfamily:

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been diagnosed with a chronic lung disease that could limit the exercise of her official program.

Crown Princess over time undergone extensive studies related to their health and there is evidence of an unusual variant of fibrosis in the lungs, according to the Crown Princess physician, Professor Kristian Bjøro at the National Hospital. It is not yet clear whether the lung disease is part of a more comprehensive autoimmune disease process, or whether there are other causes that underlie lung changes.

“For a number of years, I have had health challenges on a regular basis, and now we know more about what these are. The condition means that the working capacity will vary. The Crown Prince and I choose to inform about this now, partly because in future there will be a need to plan periods of time without official program. In connection with the treatment, and when the disease is more active, this will be necessary,” says the Crown Princess.

Professor Bjøro informs that lung changes have already been followed for several years, and the disease development in this period has been slow. Examination and treatment of it is taking place at the Rikshospitalet in Oslo, and with collaboration with doctors abroad.

“The Crown Princess will have to undergo further ‘investigation’ in the future and also treatment trials. With such state of the Crown Princess, it is common for us to cooperate with environments abroad,” says Bjøro.

He further states that the reason for the type of fibrosis the Crown Princess has been shown is known to a small extent, but there is broad agreement that it is not related to environmental or lifestyle factors as is the case with other more common types of pulmonary fibrosis.

The fact that the disease is detected in an early stage, is beneficial in terms of prognosis.

“Even if such a diagnosis will restrict my life, I am happy that the disease has been detected so early. My goal is still to work and participate in the official program as much as possible,” says the Crown Princess.

Source: The Royal Court

norwegianroyalfamily:

80 facts about Queen Sonja and King Harald publised in a book Sonja & Harald. En kjærlighetshistorie, which was released on the occasion of Their Majesties’ 80th birthdays.

translated for me by amazing @queens-in-a-castle

1. King Harald has stated that when he became King he was terrified.

2. When Harald was born, his father, King Olav, was present at the birth.

3. Both Stortinget and Hans Majestet Kongens Garde gave beer mugs in silver for his christening.

4. He loves to go fishing, and his interest for it came at an early age.

5. King Harald was only 3 years old when he learned how to swim.

6. At the age of 3 he tasted coffee for the first time, while he and his family fleed from Sweden via Finland to the US. He spit it out and said “and you guys like this stuff?”

7. As a kid Harald sowed some buttons on a piece of clothing, wrapped them up and gave them as a Christmas gift for president Roosevelt.

8. Crown Prince Harald represented Norway in the 1964, -68 and -72 Olympics.

9. He became the world champion in sailing with his men in 1987.

10. The King loves to watch TV, preferably Sports, but comidians are also one of his favourites.

11. He prefers traditional jazz, but loves all kinds of music.

12. The enviroment at Oxford, where he studied, was pretty radical.

13. He chose language over science when he was in the Army, which his father was not happy about.

14. While spending his Easter Breaks at Prinsehytta, the outhouse is the real deal.

15. Hot dogs will always be a favourite for the King.

16. Out of all the Norwegian cities, Bergen is the city the King and Queen have visited most times.

17. Sonja is 163 cm (5,4 feet) tall.

18. King Harald stopped smoking in 2003, which later stated was “disappointingly easy.”

19. The King doesn’t mind being in charge of the bbq.

20. According to Sonja, Harald is good with colours.

21. The Queen’s favourite flower is fresia, which was a part of her wedding bouqet.

22. She got her interest in art from her father and big brother.

23. As a child Sonja walked in the children’s parade and wondered how it looked like inside of the Palace.

24. At home, in her favourite chair, Queen Sonja has a pillow with the quote “it ain’t easy being a queen”.

25. Sonja has weekly walks on Bygdøy.

26. She’s the one behind the paintings at the roof on Kongsseteren.

27. Bygdøy kongsgård is the Queen’s favourite of all of their estates.

28. The Queen takes her camera with her everywhere.

29. Sonja graduated as a ski trainer, but failed the first time at plow turn, so she had to retake the exam.

30. Queen Sonja has 6 different bunads.

31. Sonja loves listening to music and her iPod is filled with folk music.

32. The Queen attended Rosenvilde in Bærum in 1962.

33. The King sends hundreds of Christmas cards a year, and writes them himself. [can I get one myself also please thank you]

34. Sonja was the first who had an iPod out of everyone at the Palace.

35. King Harald is always nervous before holding a speech.

36. Harald has stated that he easily gets touched.

37. King Harald makes sure to be updated on the people that he meets.

38. He thinks details are important, and always makes plans ahead of official engagements, such as which car he’s going to use, how long the breaks should be and who he should meet.

39. Harald prefers meeting general people while out at work.

40. King Harald’s rolemodel is his grandfather, King Haakon.

41. The Queen uses gloves with electricity to keep herself warm.

42. The King and Queen often take their grandkids to the theatre.

43. For dinner at the Palace, King Harald often serves his guests moose that he has hunted down himself.

44. Both Sonja and Harald were born on a Sunday.

45. The King and Queen has a graveyard for their dogs at Bygdøy kongsgård.

46. When they were on their honemoon, they used the names Tom and Eva Manstad.

47. Some years after she married Harald, Sonja cut her hair short for the first time, in London.

48. The Queen has always had a permanent seamstress, who makes both new outfits and remakes old outfits for her.

49. Before Christmas in 2016 Queen Sonja invited her grandkids for a workshop at the Palace.

50. King Harald has two dogs named Huldra and Gila.

51. Every year in November the King and Queen spend a week in London, where they buy Christmas gifts.

52. On Christmas Eve the Royal Family eats rice porridge with almond at noon, and for dinner they have lutefisk, cod, roasted pork and plum pudding.

53. The King would rather skip the lutefisk, while the Queen likes it if it’s not too fat and she can have aquavit on the side.

54. Queen Sonja packs dry clothes, a map, compass, seat pads camera and binoculars when she goes on hiking trips and in the mountains.

55. In 2005 Norsk Fjellfestival and Den Norske Turistforeningen ranked the Queen as “Årets fjellgeit.”

56. The Clothing section at Molstad in Oslo made most of Queen Sonja’s clothes in her first years as Norway’s Crown Princess.

57. Sonja has a red boxing bag, but she has never used it.

58. The Queen bought her first painting when she was 14.

59. When her grandchildren are visiting, Queen Sonja asks them to put away their phones.

60. In their apartment at the Palace the King and Queen have a toilet seat that is decorated by Queen Margrethe of Denmark.

61. The Queen made her debut as a painter at the age of 74.

62. One of Queen Sonja’s all time favourite designers is the late Erik Mortensen.

63. When they met Mette-Marit for the first time, they served pasta with tuna and olive.

64. Sonja loves Chanel purses.

65. Just like King Olav, Queen Sonja loves to vist Fortnum & Mason in London.

66. For many years now, the Queen has been a customer at Beth’s Beauty in Oslo.

67. The Queen has her own makeup room and hair saloon at the Palace.

68. One of the King’s and Queen’s favourite Norwegian artists is Wenche Myhre.

69. On her birthday, 4th of July, the Queen invites friends and family on a boat trip and smoakingparty to her cabin on Mågerø.

70. King Harald prefers to be the one who’s driving.

71. When it comes to cars, King Harald has a love for BMW’s 7-serie.

72. When the King is alone on official engagements, or with the Queen, they’re driving with the registration number A2. When the Queen is representing alone, the car has the registration number A7.

73. Marius calls King Harald and Queen Sonja beste-Harald and beste-Sonja.

74. The Queen is known for making small gestures when it comes to the choice of outfits, for example wearing gifts from the hosts.

75. King Harald’s New Years speeches are recorded beforehand. He held his first speech in December 1990, due to King Olav’s sickness.

76. Harald and Sonja have their private apartment on the third floor at the Palace, where they have an amazing view over Oslo.

77. Updated on fashion as she is, Queen Sonja is often seen in clothes from Holzweiler and Fleischer Couture, which ate both Norwegian brands.

78. The Queen has a huge jewellery box and she loves promoting modern, Norwegian jewellery art.

79. The King loves soccer, and his favourite team in English soccer is supposedly Tottenham Hotspur.

80. It still bothers the King that he and his team ended up on 10th place in the 1972 Olympics, where they supposedly were favourites.

norwegianroyalfamily:

September 3, 2018 || Her Majesty Queen Sonja invited minority women to a tea party at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway. It is the third time that Queen Sonja brings together women of multicultural backgrounds to chat over a cup of tea and the talk went lively around the table in the daily dining room.

“Most of you have in common that you have come here to Norway from different places – different backgrounds, with different challenges and circumstances. I’m looking forward to hearing more about this,” said Queen when she welcomed her guests to the table.

The guests had backgrounds from Eritrea, Somalia, Liberia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, India, Guatemala, Syria and Afghanistan. They actively participate in various projects that promote the integration of women.

There were five women from the Norwegian garden company project Grenseløse grønnsaker og herter (Limitless vegetables and herbs), five from the Mira Center and five members of the Norwegian Tourist Association’s department in Drammen with project for inclusive outdoor life. Each of the three projects were presented around the table.

The Queen’s commitment to minority women extends over a long period of time. She is interested in the women’s stories and how their everyday lives in Norway are. She has also emphasized the importance of minority women standing up and using her voice.

Source: The Royal Court

Hi, just curious: is there a reason royal blogs call the Norwegian crown prince children by both their first and middle names? I feel like I always see them referred to as Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus.

norwegianroyalfamily:

duchessofostergotlands:

Basically Alexandra and Magnus aren’t middle names, they’re given names just like Ingrid and Sverre. Norway has a different system of naming from other countries. They don’t really use middle names. A middle name is generally something that would be a surname but isn’t used as a surname. So for example Mette Marit’s son Marius has the middle name Borg which is his father’s surname. So those names are just additional given names. It’s the same with their aunt, Martha Louise. They could choose to drop their second given names if they want to but there’s no indication of that yet. 

I second that. However, Haakon was christened for Haakon Magnus but it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon, while nothing of sort was said for Ingrid, Sverre or Märtha. I think it’s interesting that Sverre Magnus actually goes by Magnus in the family and from what I’ve learned all other members go by their first names. I can’t say the same for Mette-Marit but I *feel* like she is refered as Mette or Mette-Marit and not Marit (based on the fact that that is her mother’s name).

I think that if/once (we don’t know the future) Ingrid becomes a crown princess or a queen, she will go by Ingrid only. That is my assumption bc she’s usually called just Ingrid. But we’ll have to wait and see.

the BRF and the UK in general is more title heavy than Norway, I imagine if a high ranking Royal man married a single mom of a young boy he might be granted a title (Earl most likely) at some point

duchessofostergotlands:

houseofbrat:

duchessofostergotlands:

No he wouldn’t. The royal family is about blood. Perhaps when he married they could grant him a title, maybe, but he wouldn’t be given anything. That’s just not how it works. The royal family have a lot of titles because they have a lot of people but they’re actually very strict about who can get what. 

Norway doesn’t have titles anymore beyond the immediate royal family. Nobility titles were done away with through legislation in the 19th century.

You’ve misunderstood the question. It relates to an earlier discussion about titles in Britain if Meghan had a child. No one is saying Marius will get a title, we’re talking about the imaginary British title. That’s why it’s tagged with British royal family and not Norwegian royal family

I understood the question quite well thank you. I stated what I had to say because Norway no longer has nobility like Sweden or Denmark. And it’s been that way for a long time

I said what I had to say earlier because using Norway in the question regardless of Marius’s status doesn’t make any sense. Marius cannot have a title not just because he’s not born from the royal line, but because Norway does not have nobility at all. There are no earls or duchesses in Norway. Nobility was abolished in the 19th century. King Harald cannot make Marius an earl even if he wanted to. It’s against the law. Literally. Huge difference compared to Sweden and Denmark where Carl Gustaf and Margrethe can bestow titles.

So, OF COUSE, the UK is more title heavy than Norway. The UK gives out honorary titles to those who are not even citizens, e.g. Angelina Jolie. The only people in Norway allowed to have titles are those born into the royal family. Sweden or Denmark would have made a more suitable mention in the question. 

the BRF and the UK in general is more title heavy than Norway, I imagine if a high ranking Royal man married a single mom of a young boy he might be granted a title (Earl most likely) at some point

duchessofostergotlands:

No he wouldn’t. The royal family is about blood. Perhaps when he married they could grant him a title, maybe, but he wouldn’t be given anything. That’s just not how it works. The royal family have a lot of titles because they have a lot of people but they’re actually very strict about who can get what. 

Norway doesn’t have titles anymore beyond the immediate royal family. Nobility titles were done away with through legislation in the 19th century.