On October 2, 2020, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway chaired the opening of the 165th session of Norwegian Parliament (Storting). At the opening ceremony, Queen Sonja accompanied Crown Prince Haakon. For the first time in 30 years, the solemn and traditional opening of the Norwegian Parliament has been made by a crown prince and not the king of the nation. King Harald is on sick leave until Sunday, October 4th. This is the reason why King Harald did not open parliament this year.
The last time a Crown Prince opened the Norwegian Parliament was in 1990. Back then it was King Harald who opened the parliament as Crown Prince. His father, King Olav V, was then seriously ill and died only a few months later.
Handsome Haakon!
ReplyDeleteIndeed Cynthia he is.
DeleteQueen Sonja's black and burgundy ensemble is very nice. The pearl necklace stands out against the darker colors. Prince Haakon is very handsome in his military uniform with all the regalia.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Queen Sonja is elegant and beautiful as usual, and crownprince Haakon is handsome in his uniform. I miss King Harald though!
DeleteBe a gentleman and wait for your mother. Queen looks very glamorous, i like the velvet its timeless
ReplyDeleteI would think that protocol decrees just how many steps behind him she has to walk and it has nothing to do wit manners.
DeleteDo you really doubt that they know the protocol?!
DeleteIt's not that he didn't wait for her, she deliberately kept back to give him center stage. If you watch the video, he actually turned to her a couple of times, which I thought was very sweet. :)
DeleteI suspect Haakon walking ahead of his mother was due to the official protocol with Haakon acting as a temporary regent. They both look great -- and both were certainly thinking of Harald.
DeleteBecca
It's protocol. The wife/husband of the monarch will always stand a step or so behind the monarch on events like these, and in this case it's the Crown Prince who's the 'monarch' (Crown Prince regent). I think the corona situation explains why the distance is even bigger at this particular event.
DeleteThe Queen always walk a step behind the regent who is until monday her son Haakon. So they are following custom here.
DeleteProtocol most likely dictates Haakon goes first. The King normally goes first. Since Haakon is acting regent in place of his father, he proceeds Queen Sonja.
DeleteIt may be protocol, but it looks archaic. It would be nice to see a compromise where the 'old guard' would be satisfied that protocol was being upheld while a spouse, or in this case an older mother, was not made to look so inferior. After all, a monarch and spouse have more of a partnership now than they did when these protocols were put in place. I think it makes me a little sad to see, like a glimpse into the future when Queen Sonja could be without King Harold.
DeleteI think it depends on protocol and the fact that Haakon is acting as King Regent can be seen through a clear detail.
DeleteHe is sitting in the biggest chair , the King' s one, whereas her mother is sitting on a smaller chair by his side.
*in the bigger chair
Delete* by his side
Hi Anonymous, I can see what you mean. I would be fine if they modernized it, so the spouse or mother does not have to walk behind the monarch/ regent, but I don't think she looked inferior.
DeleteProtocol says that she has to walk behind him but it doesn't say that she has to walk that far behind him. That was her choice and it seems like she did it to show respect and let Haakon be the centre of attention.
As I said above, he actually turned around to her several times and also waited for her but it seems that she wanted to keep back.
I think it may also be her habit for this event, to show who the monarch is. Because it's important to remember that initially, after Harald became King, many parliamentarians did not actually want her to attend the event at all - strangely because she is the Queen! Anyhow, Harald insisted that she attend and it was basically a scandal. It might be one reason for her to stay in the background - to show that she is there as consort or in this case mother, not monarch.
But I agree that it could be modernized and I'm sure Haakon would personally be happy to.
It really is sad to see her without Harald.
The Crown Prince Regent is the currently Head of State, Queen Sonja is a Queen Consort - like it is in any Kingdom. Has nothing to do with the Queen's age.
Delete@Anonymous 4:30 Thank you for the history. I didn't know Parliament had felt that way about Sonja attending. I can see Haakon making an effort to modernize the monarchy while respecting tradition.
DeleteHe is a handsome man and impressive in his costume.
ReplyDeleteThe Queen: charming and dignified and very handsome in this beautiful burgundy velvet jacket.
Agree on both points.
DeleteHe has the making of a great King.
How is King Harold? Seems like such a lovely man. I hope he is okay. The Queen’s sombre outfit is smart and elegant
ReplyDeleteQueen Sonja’s hat and suit are simply gorgeous, and Haakon looks heart-stoppingly dashing in his perfectly-tailored uniform and splendid decorations. Norwegians must be very proud of their adorable queen and her handsome, conscientious son 🙂
ReplyDeleteHaakon is so handsome anyway, but especially so in his uniform.
ReplyDeleteChel
He looks so handsome, his uniform looks fabulous. Queen Sonja looks immaculately groomed. Her beautiful velvet jacket is superb. The strand of pearls added elegance, absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteBoth of them are superb!
ReplyDeleteHope the King is recovering well.
My best wishes for King Harald. I hope that he is recovering well , and that he will stay healthy for many years to come!
Delete@Catherine
DeleteYes, I hope he will have a swift recovery too and come back to his royal duties.
I like this family, their mutual bonds of affection and Norway so much!!
Queen Sonja is the most stylish of these senior royal ladies. This enseble is the latest good example of perfect style. And Haakon is really handsome. - Siri
ReplyDeleteFrom Joann: I thought I read somewhere that Queen Sonja was something of an expert on fashion design and even did some designing.. Maybe I have her mixed up with Queen Margrethe. But I think the Danish queen did costume design and Queen Sonja was in fashion. Anyway, some other poster may be able to clear this up.
DeleteFrom Joann: It turns out I was right. I checked Wikipedia and
Deletethere it states Queen Sonja received a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring. She also studied fashion design (along with accounting) at a finishing school in Switzerland.
Quelle prestance dans ce bel uniforme ; le prince Haakon est vraiment un bel homme. La reine est charmante dans ce velours bordeaux ; avec les perles, c’est très élégant !
ReplyDeleteQuelle prestance dans ce bel uniforme ; le prince Haakon est vraiment un bel homme. La reine est charmante dans ce velours bordeaux ; avec les perles, c’est très élégant !
ReplyDeleteDear ladies, it’s nice to read how we all enjoy a good looking man in stylish uniform!
ReplyDeleteAnd why not.
DeleteNice to give our hearts a little flutter from time to time.
Am I the only one who thinks he is coloring his hair? I can't think of a man in his late 40s without a single gray hair. Not that I object to men using hair coloring, just curious.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby was in his sixties when he started to get grey hair. Coloured hair or not, he can drop by my place whenever he wants. Just need a bit of advanced warning to send the other half out fishing :-))
DeleteMy father is 63 and he still has dark brown hair with a few gray hairs here and there. Hallelujah to good hair genes, I'm fortunate!
DeleteOh, that was so sweet and a thought I can completely relate to.
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