Last October 17th 2016, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway gathered around their children and grandchildren. All the members of the royal family joined their Majesties to pose in front of the camera in a room of the Royal Palace in Oslo for a series of historical clichés to mark the 80th birthday of both the sovereign and his wife.

These beautiful images were kept secret for exactly four months. They were only revealed last Friday, February 17th 2017, just four days before Harald V blew its 80 candles. Three of them have been published on the website of the Palais.

This royal shooting took place in several settings. King Harald V and Queen Sonja, dressed in a white set, were photographed alone, standing, and sitting side by side in gilded wooden chairs. The royal couple was also photographed with their two children Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise. Another image shows them this time with their four granddaughters and their grandsons: Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus - the children of Haakon and Mette-Marit - and Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora and Emma Tallulah- the daughters of Märtha-Louise and Ari Behn. Finally, a beautiful family photo gathered around them their children and grandchildren, to which were joined their daughter-in-law the Princess Mette-Marit and the eldest son of her, Marius Borg Hoiby.


In this gallery of portraits, a photo is missing. The one where King Harald V and his two successors to the Norwegian crown would be seen: his son Crown Prince Haakon and his granddaughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The trio has been immortalized over the years. But perhaps this photograph has been realized and not yet revealed. It will be seen this Tuesday, February 21, 2017, J. day of the king's birthday. To be continued…
Photo credits: Paris Match/ Kongehuset.no

On Friday, Norway launch the festivities of the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King Harald V of Norway. Far from the very formal ceremonies, it was celebrated in the snow and good humor by the royal family. The previous nights, a dinner was hosted at the Crown Prince Couple residence of Skaugum

A quarter of century that King Harald V, now aged 78, wanted to celebrate the January 17 a little formal way. He invited his subjects to a day of winter sports activities for children organized in front of the Royal Palace, Oslo. Skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, biathlon and other snow sports were on the program. And far from staying warm at the palace or watching from the balcony, the royal family attended wearing anoraks, trousers and ski boots, caps or cap fixed on the head. Aged 78 years as her husband, Queen Sonja was part of the game in her own ski, as well as the 2 children Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Martha-Louise with their spouse Crown Princess Mette-Marit(for the Crown Prince) and Ari Behn(for Princess Martha-Louise), grand children Marius Hoiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn. Prince Sverre Magnus lit the first touch for the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer.

Parallel to the winter activities at the Palace Square was the stage show and a big screen at University Square. There was a lot of activity, both from the stage and in the many tents that ringed the square. Here the children could both draw and create their own money - and maybe settle down for a story time in one of the other tents. There were also wall with photos of the castle's large function room, so anyone who wanted to get a picture of himself "in the banquet hall."

During the festivities His Majesty awarded members of the Norwegian Royal family, Foreign Royal Heads, Royal Court employee, HM King's Military Staff, Royal Police Escort, former Court officials and women and key officials who assist HM the King and the Royal Family in the exercise of their functions.

In addition to these outdoor celebration, this anniversary was marked by a religious service celebrated in the royal chapel of the palace, firing 21 gun, a concert broadcast on Norwegian television and finally a private dinner for the King's family, other Scandinavian Royal and relatives, and their foreign guest. Have indeed participated in this anniversary were King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his wife Queen Silvia and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who came without her husband the Prince Consort Henrik who takes advantage of his "retirement".

Photo Credits: Paris Match, Kongehuset.no, Kongehuset.dk, Kungahuset.se