Royal photos of 2013: Norway

The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway both turned 40 in 2013 and released an album of portraits to mark the occasion.  Princess Mette-Marit also gave an exclusive interview to Norwegian Elle magazine and became their cover girl for the event as well.

The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway with their family in one of the photographs taken to mark their fortieth birthdays in the summer of 2013

There was a service in the park on the Crown Princess' actual birthday, August 19th, but the big party had already taken place on July 20th when her husband turned forty.  And to mark the occasion, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus parachuted into the festival at the start of two days of festivities.  The sight of a parachuting prince back on terra firma is one of the photos of the royal year.

A king in waiting drops in for a party - Haakon Magnus of Norway after his parachute drop into his 40th birthday party

The king and queen of Norway carried out several visits abroad and their tour of Turkey, in November 2013, was a particular success.  It was designed to encourage business between the two countries as well as focus on the arts world of both Turkey and Norway and included visits to some of the country's most famous sights.  But it was the image of the king and queen addressing a throng of reporters at the end of the visit that really stood out.

No more questions, thank you -King Harald of Norway chats with the media at the end of his visit to Turkey while Queen Sonia looks on

Earlier in the year, the king had spent time visiting those affected by floods which had hit the some of the central parts of Norway in May 2013.  In September, King Harald spent time with people rebuilding their homes and their lives following the floods.

King Harald meets homeowners in Kvam in Gudbrandsalen in the central part of Norway - they had been affected by floods in May 2013

And Crown Princss Mette-Marit took to charting her family's life in pictures and words on Twitter.  She shared lots of updates about the arrival of puppies for the family dog, Milly.  And it allowed her to share thoughts on a wide range of topics through the year. But it was her photo of her daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, on the way to a royal engagement in the summer that really stood out, showing her little girl full of happiness and confidence on the way to a day out with mum and dad.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway on her way to an engagement in a twitpic shared by her mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, in the summer of 2013