Norway celebrates King Harald’s 25th anniversary as monarch

HELSINKI – Norway is celebrating King Harald’s 25th anniversary as monarch of the Scandinavian country with concerts, candlelight processions, children’s winter events and a gala performance at the University of Oslo.

A service in the Royal Chapel included the royal family, government officials, family friends and royal visitors from Sweden and Denmark. Twenty-one-gun salutes were sounded nationwide in honour of the 78-year-old king and his wife Queen Sonja.

Many of Sunday’s events are being broadcast by Norwegian TV NRK, and the public is able to congratulate the royal couple online or sign a register at the Royal Palace, open until midnight Sunday.

Harald became king when his father Olav died on Jan. 17, 1991. The Norwegian king has a ceremonial role and is not part of the government.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles