The Royal Norwegian Court has confirmed to Royal Central that His Majesty King Harald and Her Majesty Queen Sonja will spend the Easter holidays at Prinsehytta, according to tradition.
Traditionally, the royal couple travels to the Norwegian mountains on the Friday before Palm Sunday. The cabin called “Prinsehytta” (English: The Prince’s Cabin) is usually used by The King and Queen during the Easter festivities. His Majesty also uses the cabin on his annual hunting-holiday during the autumn. The cabin is relatively primitive and is sheltered from public and media. Here, the Royal Family use their time to go skiing and to relax.
This is also one of the rare times in the year that the royal family uses the private royal train-coupons, often called ‘just for the King’s train’. They will travel from Oslo Central Station by train to Vinstra Station in Gudbrandsdalen. The journey takes approximately three and a half hours. From here, The King and Queen travel by car up the mountain. From there, there are all-terrain carriers from the Norwegian army who transport Their Majesties to the cabin.
Queen Sonja, together with King Harald on their anniversary trip in 2017. Photo: Oskar Aanmoen.
It has been several years since Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, together with their children, travelled with The King and Queen to Sikkildalen. The Crown Prince Couple bought two areas in Uvdal in 2007, and the following year their private cottage was built here. During the years, the Crown Prince Family have spent their Easter holidays at their cottage in Ulvdal.
In 2014, King Harald and Queen Sonja broke away from the annual tradition and travelled on a secret holiday abroad to Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.
The beautiful cabin located in Sikkilsdalen was designed by Hjalmar Welhaven, and the building was completed in 1902. It was then given to the Swedish prince’s Gustaf Adolf, Wilhelm and Erik. Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf later gave the cabin to then Crown Prince Olav of Norway in 1924.
