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Norway

Healthy Queen Sonja back at work for charity event

There has been a lot of attention on Her Majesty Queen Sonja in recent weeks. It all began about two weeks ago when the Queen had to cancel her performance at an art opening because she had fallen ill. A short time later, it was confirmed that the Queen had an infection in the upper respiratory tract.

The Queen also had to cancel her participation last week at the very important and traditional gala dinner with the Norwegian elected representatives from the parliament. Fortunately, the Queen is well again. On Sunday evening, she was back at work but did not comment on the disease. The Queen participated in the annual charity television broadcast to the national TV channel NRK. Queen Sonja looked healthy, so there is a reason to believe that she is now fully healthy.

Each year a member of the Norwegian Royal Family becomes the high protector of state television channel NRK’s charity broadcast. This year, it was Her Majesty Queen Sonja.

This year’s charity broadcast collected money to create a better life for women in some of the world’s most vulnerable areas. Women all over the world are denied fundamental rights and opportunities and are hit hardest by poverty and injustice. They get fewer educational opportunities, have less chance of getting an income and are more often exposed to violence. Therefore, with this year’s TV broadcast, CARE will give women in some of the world’s poorest countries the opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their family.

NRK’s charity broadcast has been arranged one Sunday in October each year since 1974. The TV show from NRK is the world’s largest fundraising campaign and has accumulated over nine billion Norwegian crowns since its inception 45 years ago. Since its inception in 1974, each broadcast has received its own representative from the Royal House. The first of them was Queen Sonja who opened the very first broadcast in 1974.

The Royal Court calendar has not yet listed any more tasks for the Queen, so it will be exciting to see how soon we can see the Queen again. She is expected to be a host, together with King Harald, in just a few weeks, when Slovenia’s President travels to Norway on an official state visit.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.