On Monday, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway began their visit to the World Ski Championships in Austria. The King and Queen arrived at the World Cup on February 25th and will most likely attend the women’s 10-kilometre and the ladies team’s competition in ski jumping as a start.
The 41st World Ski Championships are currently being held from 20 February to 3 March 2019 in Seefeld in Tirol, Tyrol, Austria. It is the second time Seefeld in Tirol hosts the world championships, the event having been hosted there previously in 1985.
King Harald and Queen Sonja in a wintery Oslo. Photo: Oskar Aanmoen.
After following the Norwegian women as a start, the royals will also follow the men’s competitions in jumps, cross-country skiing and combined in the days that follow. The King and Queen will also take time to meet Norwegian athletes after the competitions.
Norway is the current leading nation in the games. They have won 5 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronze.
King Harald has been present at several ski World Championships abroad, attended the World Cup in Falun in 1974 and Val de Fiemme in 2003. In addition, the King and Queen were together in Falun in 1993 and in Ramsau in Austria in 1999.
William and Kate felt the Norwegian joy of winter sports when they visited Norway in 2018. Photo: Oskar Aanmoen / Royal Central.
When the World Cup has been organised in Norway, the Royal Family – often with the King and Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner – have followed the championship closely. This was the case during the World Championships in Oslo in 1982 and 2011 and in Trondheim in 1997.
King Harald has always been very interested in winter sports. The King, Queen and the rest of the family are very good skiers. During the Alpine Skiing World Cup in 1982, His Majesty was the chairman of the main committee. When the King tuned 80-years-old in 2017, his birthday was celebrated with ski- competitions in Norway. His Majesty and large parts of the Norwegian Royal Family then attended various skiing-events at Holmenkollen.
Like his father and grandfather, King Harald is an active user of cross-country skis. He has been skiing since he was able to walk, as most Norwegians also have done.
