While most of their European counterparts deliver their year-end speeches to their people, Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark give their speeches on New Year’s Eve. They both discussed the hard times their country’s faced in 2011, and urged optimism for 2012.
Click here to read the Queen's speech (in Danish)
Queen Margrethe talked about how many Danes are still struggling with the poor economy. She called for them to keep their heads held high.
“We have faced adversity before and we’ve seen before how we could get through a crisis by biting the teeth together, support each other and not give up,” she said.
“We can not leave it to others or to chance, how we should proceed. We need to make sure you get where we can find a starting point. This applies both mentally and concretely.”
“Also many of the young, the situation is worrisome. They can not really hold, because they can not find work or because they do not get the education that can improve their chances of finding employment. It can give confidence to recede, making it more difficult to get started, find a foothold and move on. This is serious, not just for the individual young person but the entire community. For it is the young who must lead our society forward, they are the ones that our future must be based.”
The Queen also talked about the troops in Afghanistan, whom she personally went to visit earlier this year. “We all know that they are doing a great and good effort, but with my own eyes to see how they live, to talk with them and gain an insight into their everyday lives is something I will never forget.”
Her Majesty then went on about her own family, and increasing number of grandchildren. This year saw Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have twins, and Princess Marie is due to have a second child next month.
“We are pleased and touched by everything that happens in our family. I could wish for all families that they could experience as much joy as we: to see their children grow up and develop, and their grandchildren thrive and spread joy.”
With that, Queen Margrethe ended her speech with the traditional, “God save Denmark”.
Over in Norway, King Harald V had the somber duty of healing the country still reeling from the terror attacks in Oslo and Utøya back on July 22nd.
Click here to read the entire speech (in Norwegian)
“Those directly affected should be processing strong emotions and a heavy loss in their own way and at their own time. In this slow adaptation to the rest of us to be fellow human beings,” he said.
“‘When all is no longer with and carry, it becomes harder for us,’ said one of the survivors of Utøya two months after the tragedy. Here is a challenge to each and every one of us. A challenge to show care and provide assurance. We must not forget the children. They might be sitting back with more and stronger impression than we realize.”
“2011 has been a dramatic year,” the King went on to say. “The tsunami that struck Japan took twenty thousand lives and caused widespread nuclear contamination. In the Horn of Africa and elsewhere have natural disasters hit the poorest and most vulnerable hardest. In our own wealthy European debt crisis threatens to close youth out of work – to an extent we thought belonged to the past. But there have also been many positive: the so-called Arab spring. Nobel Peace Prize award to female democracy activists in Africa and the Middle East. Let’s hope this is what will stand out as milestones in history when the long lines to be drawn.”
Harald went on to mention Norway’s fight against racism, and how a program that was started this year saw native Norwegians be invited to the homes of immigrants. Queen Sonja and Crown Princess Mette-Marit were invited to an Iranian family’s house for tea as a result of the program. “The conversation with his neighbor over a cup of coffee or tea will also help us to understand differences and appreciate the resources inherent in diversity. At the same time it gives us the opportunity to hone ourselves to each other. We must dare. When the call is an even more important way forward.”
King Harald then ended his speech by saying, “Every person has a great power in themselves – that can carry us through what we encounter in life. But we can not do it alone. And I’m not alone would be to cope with life’s greatest challenges.”
With that, His Majesty wished all Norwegians a happy new year.
Sources: Kongehuset.dk, Kongehuset.no
Dear Readers, I would like to take this time to wish you all a Happy New Year! 2011 was very eventful, both in the royal sphere and beyond. Let’s make 2012 a great year! – Megan
The Norwegian royal family are the latest to release Christmas photos this year. In the past, themes included playing outdoors and building a gingerbread house.
For 2011, this theme was simple. Queen Sonja read How The Snow Got Color by Dan Lindholm to her two grandchildren, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. The Princess, who will be 8 next month, listened intently while her 6 year old brother was more interested in the large Christmas tree behind them.
The Queen and Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore traditional Norwegian clothing for the photo shoot.
For Christmas this year, King Harald V and Sonja will join Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit at their home outside Oslo at Skaugum Palace.
The heir to the Norwegian throne stopped by the northern city of Tromsø Wednesday. Crown Prince Haakon was there to help mark the 100th anniversary of explorer Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen arriving at the South Pole.
Click here to see more pics
“Amundsen and Nansen were the true heroes of a free Norway in the years after it gained its independence in 1905,” Haakon said at the Stortorget Market Square.
“Amundsen’s achievements helped to form our national identity and to carve out Norway’s position as a polar nation. We have good reason to celebrate today.”
The Crown Prince had a jammed pack agenda for Wednesday, which included visiting the Gyllenborg school where the students presented to him the Nansen / Amundsen exhibition. Some of the school’s projects were shown at Tromsø’s City Hall.
Haakon then saw at Erling Bangsunds Square a photo exhibit which displayed the recent knowledge of the Arctic Ocean.
Then, the Norwegian heir attended a lecture by Tor Bomann-Larsen on Roald Amundsen and his achievements.
Next came the Polar Parade through Stortorget Market Square. After that, Haakon went to see a Amundsen vs. Nansen play at the Hålogaland Theatre.
In front of the Norwegian royals, three women jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Saturday.
Click here to see more photos at Daylife.com
King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit watched as Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Leymah Gbowee, also from Liberia, and Yemeni journalist and activist Tawakkul Karman, were given the prestigious prize.
Sirleaf and Gbowee won for their works on democracy in Africa while Karman won for her role in this year’s Arab Spring.
“You give concrete meaning to the Chinese proverb which says that ‘women hold up half the sky,’” said Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. “That was why, when giving its reasons for this year’s award, the Nobel committee stated that “we cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women acquire the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.’ We thank you for the hope you awaken in us all.”
Prior to the ceremony, the women met with the King and Queen.
Yesterday, the three laureates met with Norwegian children at an meeting organized by the Save the Children Foundation. Together with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the women talked to the children about making the world a better place.
Read more here
“When there is war and conflict, there are mothers and children who suffer most. When I see children affected by conflict and suffering, I am angry. But in the mind I am inspired to work harder for peace,” said Leymah Gbowee.
“It is difficult for children to live with years of conflict,” said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. “Some people lack clean drinking water, access to health care and the opportunity to get an education. Our focus has been to focus on children and provide education. But the most important was to get children to smile. And I am pleased to say that children now smiling again.”
Tawakkul Karman said simply, “The world must be built with love and respect. We must stop the hate.”
Besides receiving the medal, Nobel Peace winners also take home $1.5 million. These three women will split the prize money.
It’s a royal birthday in Norway today as the youngest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit celebrates his 6th birthday.
Prince Sverre Magnus began his first term at Jansløkka school this year, which is down the road from where he lives with his family. His sister, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, age 7, attends that school as did their half brother, Marius Borg Høiby.
In keeping with modernizing the monarchy, Sverre Magnus is styled simply as “His Highness” rather than His Royal Highness. He is not a member of the royal house, which is meant for the monarch and spouse, heir and spouse and the first child of the heir.
But the little Prince is still a member of the royal family and would be expected to carry out duties in the future.
The annual Queen Sonja School Award was given out Friday, and this year’s recipient was the Malakoff High School in the Oslo neighborhood of Moss. It was the first time a high school received the honor.
Click here to see image gallery
The institution won because it “developed a comprehensive training and support program for a diverse group of young people” and “[t]he school places great emphasis on the individual youth are protected from their premises … The effort to provide young people with a diverse multicultural background good future, continues throughout the school’s work program.”
Another reason why Malakoff won could be because 11 of its students were present during the Utøya massacre back in late July. One student died while two others were injured.
At the same time, Malakoff is located near the government buildings which were bombed on July 22nd. One student lost his mother then.
During the ceremony, Her Majesty Queen Sonja met with several of the students. She had this to say about her meeting: “It is an unimaginable tragedy that has been hard on us all. It seems that Malakoff has been very good to help and follow up on it students who are affected here. The students told me that they were satisfied with the way they have been taken care of.”
She went on to say, “It’s a terrible situation to be in, but all we have to continue in life. You have to build brick by brick, trying to do this in the best possible way.”
“It is obviously difficult for the individual, but I believe that the young people I met here today will do it,” said the Queen.
Sonja was given a tour of the high school, which had her see its library, technical and medical classes, and basic classrooms.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit revealed she did not complete her management studies at the Norwegian School of Management in Oslo. The news came from a two-part documentary about her which aired on Norwegian television over the weekend.
See more photos of Mette-Marit here
In the documentary, the Crown Princess claimed she was too busy to complete her master’s degree.
“The program has been so easy until now,” Mette-Marit said on the program. “I have trained myself not to be so good and that not everything had to be perfect, and I think that really is a bit good for me.”
Royal watcher Kjell Arne Totland has been speaking to the Norwegian media, saying he is not surprised the future Queen gave up on her studies.
“It was too difficult to combine studies with work as a Princess and a normal family life. I know that these studies has meant a lot to Mette-Marit and understand that she was upset because she has not been able to complete as planned. Maybe that was why she had to take a timeout in the fall?” Totland said, referring to the private world tour Mette-Marit took with her family in late 2010.
“It is after all a great respect of what she has accomplished and achieved in recent years,” Totland pointed out. “And who knows? Maybe she will take it up again later? I think it is great for Mette-Marit to be able to see the positive and come to the realization that no one can overcome all.”
As of now, there is no word if the Crown Princess would ever continue with her studies.
The Crown Prince of Norway was recently in Nepal this week, where he came as a goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Development Program. Along with UNDP administrator Helen Clark, Haakon was in the Himalayan country to check out its HIV/AIDS programs, how Nepal is treating sexual minorities, as well as other issues.
Check out more photos here at Daylife.com
On Monday, His Royal Highness visited the Cruise AIDS, a Nepalese organization connected to the Blue Diamond Society. It focuses on fighting for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights. Upon his arrival, Crown Prince Haakon was welcomed by a group of transgenders who put on a performance for him and Helen Clark.
While at Cruise AIDS, Haakon learned about how the NGO spreads AIDS awareness and met with Sunil Babu Pant, one of Nepal’s first openly gay politicians.
The next day, the Crown Prince and Ms. Clark met with representatives of the Centre for Constitutional Dialogue, which aims to promote indigenous rights in the country. The two also went to Nepalgunj to open a market for small businesses. Those participating in the market were trained by UNDP’s vocational programs, and many of them are women.
Also on Tuesday, Haakon and Clark went to the village of Kamdi where they opened a health clinic for mothers and children. Although Nepal has lowered its infant mortality rate in recent years, it is still quite high. However, both Haakon and Clark said they were impressed by the achievements Nepal has made with expectant mothers and young children.
Norway’s Crown Princely couple will release a Christmas CD on Monday, November 14th to help raise money for disadvantaged youths through their charity fund. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will not be singing on the album, but the project is all theirs.
Click here to see more photos of the couple and their family
“We are very pleased that these particular artists have taken the challenge from the Fund and will work with us to strengthen young people’s opportunities. We think the album project has been an exciting musical profile,” Haakon said in a statement.
It was the Crown Prince who approached Universal Music records about this idea.
The artists featured on the CD – called We Light Our Lanterns – include many of Norway’s young singers. They are: Ida Jenshus, Gunhild Sundli, Thomas Dybdahl, Moddi, Samsaya, Marit Larsen & Garness, Ingrid Olava, Katzenjammer, Stein Torleif Bjella and Vinni. These artists were approached because the Crown Princely couple felt Norwegian youth would respond to them positively.
“Working with youth is both one of the most important and some of the things we do,” said Mette Marit in a statement. “Many young people have the resources that are not captured, and for some it can be a major challenge. Through the fund, we want to ensure that young people are seen, so they can use their capabilities and contribute to the community. When we are better equipped to create the Norway we want for the future.”
One of the artists, Ida Jenshus, said this about the CD: “I think it is healthy and good to focus on those who have difficult in such a feast as Christmas. There are at least as many who dread this time, as those who rejoice. Those who fall outside the idyll. It’s good someone wants to make a difference and help. Too many are indifferent.”
The Queen of Norway debuts her artistic works at the Jacob Hansen House in Helsingborg Thursday. Attending the event was King Harald V, Crown Prince Haakon and Sweden’s Queen Silvia.
Click here for more photos at Dagbladet.no
The exhibit, “Under Great Pressure” features eight of Queen Sonja’s graphic designs. She teamed up with Kjell Nupen and Ørnulf Opdahl for this project, and created the eight designs based on the duo’s photographs of Svalbard. The Queen is among eighty artists who contributed to this project.
Her Majesty has long had an artsy side, even having a photography exhibit in 2009.
“I am proud,” said King Harald after studying his wife’s art.
Even son Crown Prince Haakon was impressed. “It is very fine work,” he said.
The purpose of this exhibition is to mark the 40th anniversary of the renowned graphic studio Ateljé Larsen. Sonja’s cooperation with Kjell Nupen and Ørnulf Opdahl is to set up an art scholarship in her name. That scholarship will be first distributed in the summer of next year.
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