Norway’s future king and queen both turn 50 this year and a series of celebrations have been planned around the country to highlight the occasions.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit plan to jointly celebrate with a series of visits around Norway themed to different aspects of Norwegian life.
According to the Norwegian Royal Court, “The five journeys will together be a story about different parts of our society – about both old and new Norway, about who we are and about what has shaped us as a people. In August, the Crown Prince and Princess will invite guests from all over the country to a birthday celebration.”
The five journeys are as follows: Stord, to celebrate industry and its impact on Norwegian life, in February; Setesdal and Telemark, to celebrate traditional crafting practices, in March; Finnmark, to celebrate the Sami heritage in Norway, in April; Træna, to celebrate the effect the ocean has played on life in Norway, in May; and Oslo, to celebrate the urban community, in June.
These five country-wide celebrations will culminate in a joint birthday party for the Crown Prince and Princess at the Royal Palace, billed as a “backyard party.”
For their joint birthday party, the Norwegian Royal Court said, “Together with people from all over the country, the Crown Prince and Princess want to use the opportunity to celebrate the Norway we have together helped to create over these 50 years. The Crown Prince and Princess’ wedding anniversary, 25 August, has been chosen as the day for the joint celebration.”
Crown Prince Haakon turns 50 on 20 July while Crown Princess Mette-Marit celebrates her birthday on 19 August. They have been married since 2001.
Their country-wide birthday celebrations follows similar trends set by Queen Mathilde earlier this year with her county walks in support of mental health to mark her 50th birthday; and Crown Princess Victoria’s province walks in Sweden to mark her 40th birthday in 2017.
