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Face to face with the past for a quartet of royals

Queen Sonja came face to face with her past as she toured a brand new art event in Oslo.

The Queen of Norway visited an exhibition showcasing some of her most famous outfits which are included in a display about the role of clothes in forming the royal image. Her gowns are shown alongside some belonging to Queen Maud of Norway.

The focus on fashion is part of the new National Museum in Oslo which is being officially opened with a strong show of royal support. The new museum, developed on a former railway lot in the Norwegian capital, will be inaugurated on June 11 2022 by King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The evening before the official opening, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark joined the Queen and Crown Prince and Princess of Norway at a gala dinner at the museum to mark the start of a new chapter in its history.

Sara Svanemyr, Det kongelige hoff.

The National Museum of Norway holds the country’s largest collection of art, design and architecture. It traces its history back to 1837 when the country’s first public art space was opened, called the National Museum. In 2003, a merger of a series of major cultural institutions, including the National Gallery, led to the formation of a new National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design which was later established as a foundation. Its aims include making art accessible to all.

The new National Museum will be the first time that objects from all the founding institutions will be brought together under one roof. Over 6,500 items are on show in 86 rooms across two giant floors. One of the rooms contains outfits worn by Queen Sonja and Queen Maud, emphasising their official role.

To mark the opening, over 150 guests were invited to the gala dinner at the new museum with a tour of some of the exhibitions taking place before the meal. Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, spoke at the dinner.

Crown Princess Mary had earlier joined Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mary at a business event during a day of engagements for her in Norway.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.