So long Sweden and howdy Oslo. William and Kate are wrapping up the first part of their Scandinavian tour and heading to Norway. They arrive there on the morning of February 1st for a two day visit that will include a royal gala dinner, a visit to a famous ski resort and a focus on culture. Lovely. They are following in plenty of regal footsteps as Norway's royals have swapped visits with the House of Windsor on plenty of occasions since Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952. The Cambridges aren't on a State Visit but don't worry, there are plenty of those to look back on already. Here's a glance at the past royal trips between Norway and the UK.....
The Queen first headed to Norway on a State Visit in 1955. It was the third State Visit of her reign and the first made within Europe and it was very much a fmily affair. Elizabeth II was welcomed by King Haakon VII who was her great uncle by marriage (that's before we get into all the convoluted blood ties between Europe's royals) while his only son, Olav, had asked the Queen's dad, George VI, to be best man at his wedding in 1929. All very cosy. The visit lasted from June 24th to June 26th and the participants found time to pose for the rather nice family photo above.
It would be one of the last State Visits that Haakon hosted. Following his death in 1957, he was succeeded by his only child who became King Olav V. The Queen welcomed her cousin to the UK in 1962 for a State Visit that ran from October 16th to 19th. Three years earlier he had been her guest at Windsor (almost a home from home for Olav who was born Prince Alexander of Denmark at Sandringham) where she invested him as a member of the Order of the Garter, as seen above.
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Three years later, the Queen was on hand to host Olav's son, King Harald V, as he made a State Visit to the UK accompanied by Queen Sonja. Harald was a guest of HM from July 5th to July 8th 1994 and all the family fun was there as this new era in regal trips got under way.
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In 2001, it was the Queen's turn to go a travelling to Oslo once more. Her third State Visit to Norway began on May 30th 2001 and ended on June 1st. Harald and Sonja were, of course, hosts and looked just as pleased to see their cousins as always.
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The Queen made another State Visit to Norway in 1988 when she was hosted by King Olav from May 5th to May 8th. She would welcome her father's great friend on a return trip one more time - Olav made a State Visit to the UK from April 12th to April 15th 1988 where he added all the charisma by taking the traditional carriage ride at the start wearing the fabulous sunnies you see above. The hugely popular King of Norway died in January 1991.
Three years later, the Queen was on hand to host Olav's son, King Harald V, as he made a State Visit to the UK accompanied by Queen Sonja. Harald was a guest of HM from July 5th to July 8th 1994 and all the family fun was there as this new era in regal trips got under way.
Let's give an honourable mention to another trip made in 2005. It wasn't a State Visit. This was an official visit made to mark the centenary of Norway's independence and 100 years since Haakon VII became its king. There were carriages and tiaras as well as several rather moving tributes to Haakon and his wife, Maud of Wales.
Add to that all the wedding visits that have been made in the past few years (Norway's royals were out in force for William and Kate's nuptials in 2011) plus joint attendance at major international events including commemorations for World War Two and the links between the families are super strong.
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