On Thursday afternoon, His Majesty King Harald and Her Majesty Queen Sonja watched His Majesty the King’s Guard perform in the Palace Square from the Palace Balcony at Royal Palace in Oslo. Over a thousand people had met up to see the show which lasted for 30 minutes.
The Royal Life Guard marched together with the music corps from Akershus Fortress through the centre of Oslo. Then, they marched along Karl Johans Street, past the parliament and up to the Royal Palace. The guards next lined up in front of the palace.
The King and Queen then came out on the balcony to great cheers. They took their time waving to the attendees, and many kindergarten children had attended with self-made flags that they waved to the royals, despite a terrible rain. One unlucky guardian had such bad luck that he lost his hat at the start of the show, but continued on just as well if it hadn’t happened.
His Majesty the King’s Guard is the Norwegian King’s lifeguard and the largest department in the Royal Norwegian Army. The Royal Guard is also a part of the city defence of Oslo and is prepared to support the police in crises. After the bombing of the government quarter in 2011, more than 700 guards were in armed action to support the police in the protection of the Government Quarter and other important buildings in Oslo.
The changing of the guard in front of the Royal Palace by the Royal Guard takes place daily at 13:00 hours. In the summer, the changing of the guard is also often expanded with music in the form of parades, and sometimes even with a drill show. The places that the royal guards have a permanent guard service is at the Royal Palace, Skaugum, Bygdø royal estate when in use, Akershus Fortress and Huseby military camp.
Next year, the Norwegian military tattoo will be held in Oslo, so the Royal Life Guard has a busy time ahead. They are also expected to participate in conjunction with Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s confirmation next Saturday, as a large number of European royals are expected to attend.
