– I am very impressed by the king, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. – Many people his age live withdrawn and relaxing lives. He has a sense of duty that I think many people in Norway know means something to us. news meets the Prime Minister at Slottsplassen. He comes straight from the Minister of State at the Palace. It is the government’s weekly meeting with the king, where laws are adopted and signed. Last year, King Harald chaired the Cabinet 35 times. One of the king’s most important tasks is to lead the cabinet. Government meetings are held at the Palace every Friday at 11 a.m., and both the king and the crown prince, who often also attend, are dressed in uniform. This photo was taken last December. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB – He lives what he says In addition, 2023 was filled with a number of other tasks: In total, King Harald carried out 431 work assignments last year. This is shown by news’s review of King Harald’s official calendar, as well as figures from the Palace. The election language “All for Norway” was filled with deeds and work for the kingdom also in the king’s 87th year. – It says something that he lives what he says. It’s one thing to say that you sit with the mission all your life, but you could imagine that you saw less of the king over time, says Støre. – But my impression is that he uses both small and large occasions and is close to people throughout the country. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news This is how King Harald’s working year was last year: In the official calendar, the king is listed with 270 entries in 2023. This includes, among other things, travels and visits around in Norway, official trips abroad, audiences at the Palace, ministers, receptions and solemn audiences. He led the cabinet 35 times, three of which were extraordinary cabinet. According to the Palace, he made 53 visits – it could be, for example, a visit to the municipality or a visit to a company. In December, the king received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj at the Palace. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB King Harald had over 110 audiences and regular audiences. Everything from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to “ordinary people” were in audience with the king last year. In addition, the king received 32 foreign ambassadors in a solemn audience, while 13 ambassadors were in a farewell audience. The king was at work abroad in Denmark and Sweden. He was on 21 trips and assignments in Norway outside Oslo. King Harald greeted many of those who were in Vevelstad church during the royal couple’s county tour in Nordland last summer. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news The assignments in the public calendar were distributed over 120 different dates, which means that King Harald carried out official assignments on average every three days throughout the year. In addition, there are a number of tasks that are not on the official calendar, such as internal meetings, interviews, preparations, briefs and so on. When we include them, the king had a total of 431 missions last year. King Harald holds both audiences and conducts much of his daily work in the office at the Palace. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news – These figures give a picture of an 87-year-old king who is an executive king, says Harald Stanghelle, author of the book “The King tells” and commentator in Aftenposten. – He is not only king in name, but also in benefit. This is a solemn audience and a farewell audience Before an ambassador can start work in Norway, there is one thing he must do: Deliver his credentials – a letter of introduction – to the king. The letter states who he or she is, and a confirmation that this person has been assigned to represent their country in Norway. Only after the letter has been handed in can the person concerned act as ambassador in Norway. It is this meeting between the king and the ambassador that is called a solemn audience. It is a solemn session, and King Harald is dressed in uniform when he receives the ambassadors for such an audience. In 2023, 32 new ambassadors arrived to hand over their credentials to King Harald. The ambassadors can also come to a so-called farewell audience when their mission has ended. Being kept up to date on the situation in Norway and in the world As the figures show, audiences – meetings – form a large part of King Harald’s duties. Both the chief of defence, the foreign minister and the prime minister are among those who are regularly in audience with the king throughout the year. The country’s head of state and commander-in-chief are kept informed on an ongoing basis. King Harald and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre often meet in both audiences and cabinet meetings. Here they are in the stands during the men’s cup final at Ullevål Stadium last year. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – As foreign minister, I used to share what I had done the previous week, and what I was going to do in the next, as an illustration of what Norway stood for, says Støre. – Now as prime minister, we talk about the international situation – the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, trends and how it affects us. And I also share what is happening domestically in Norway. According to Støre, what the government is doing to reduce price increases, the interest rate situation and whether Norwegians will have a better economy are among the topics the prime minister can brief the king about. This is an audience An audience with the king is simply a meeting with the king. Often the meetings take place in the king’s office, and it is often arranged that they should last a quarter of an hour. In audience, King Harald welcomes everyone from heads of state to the little boy of six who sent a fan letter to the king. The word audience comes from the Latin word for “to hear”. Getting an audience means the same as getting a chance to be heard, according to Kongehuset.no. Unlike in formal audience, when the king is dressed in uniform, he is dressed in a suit and tie in audiences. Travels, meetings and visits King Harald turns 87 today. The day is celebrated privately, according to communications manager Guri Varpe at the Palace. King Harald was still in action during the state visit from Tanzania last week. Photo: Cornelius Poppe / NTB For the next time, Crown Prince Haakon is listed as Crown Prince Regent, a “royal substitute”, in the official programme. During the period when the crown prince is regent, the king is on a private stay abroad, Varpe tells news. Just before his birthday, King Harald received the President of Tanzania on a state visit to Norway – a visit that began in an unusual way. It was just one of the missions the king’s calendar has been filled with so far this year. King Harald in cheerful conversation with Tanzania’s Foreign Minister January Makamba during the gala dinner at the Palace in connection with the state visit from Tanzania. King Harald was the host when President Samia Suluhu Hassan (on the king’s other side) and a large delegation visited Norway last week. Photo: Annika Byrde / POOL / NTB New survey: 64 per cent think the king should not abdicate Traveling around and meeting people where they live is the most important thing the royal couple does, King Harald has said. The royal couple also have travel plans this year. New Norwegian municipalities will receive a royal visit. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news The king’s calendar is constantly filled with tasks this year as well. – I maintain what I have said all along; that I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life. This is how King Harald answered when he was asked last month if he has considered giving up the throne after his third cousin in Denmark, Queen Margrethe, did so. Now the king gets solid support from the people. In a new poll conducted by Norstat for news, 64 percent want King Harald to continue for life and not abdicate. 22 percent believe it is time for him to “give up” and pass the throne on to Crown Prince Haakon. The king’s third wife, Danish Queen Margrethe, surprised many when she announced in her New Year’s speech that she would abdicate a fortnight later. King Harald has no plans to do the same, he says. Photo: Lise Aaserud / NTB Harald Stanghelle is surprised that not more Norwegians now believe that the king should abdicate. – The reason for that is what happened in Denmark, when Queen Margrethe surprisingly abdicated the throne. It opened up the possibility that it could be possible, says Stanghelle. He points out the parallels between Norway and Denmark: Before Queen Margrethe passed the throne on to her son, both Norway and Denmark had two aging monarchs who said they would never abdicate. – Then one does it anyway. Suddenly it became an opportunity, it became close for us as well. So I’m surprised that not more people say yes to the fact that King Harald should abdicate now. The king can accept that, says Stanghelle. King Harald read the speech from the throne during the ceremonial opening of the 168th Storting last autumn. In recent years, Crown Prince Haakon has participated in an increasing number of missions together with the king. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
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King Harald had 431 missions for the monarchy last year – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
