King Harald celebrates 80th birthday with his grandchildren on winter holiday

King HaraldOslo.King Harald and Queen Sonja 80 years. Prince Sverre Magnus (L.), Queen Sonja, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, King Harald, Leah Isadora Behn (seated front), Emma Tallulah Behn and Maud Angelica Behn.Photo : Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

King Harald will spend his 80th birthday with his grandchildren and immediate family over the winter vacation.

Where the royal family are vacationing is unknown, though is understood to be not a castle. But NTB news reported that Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and the grandchildren, are with the royal couple on the king’s birthday.

Marius Borg Høiby is busy with his studies in California. Princess Märtha Louise’s estranged husband, the writer, singer, catwalk-entertainer, catalogue model, occasional war-correspondent, and all-round TV celebrity, Ari Behn, is not present.

The official celebrations for the king and queen’s 80th birthdays on February the 21st, and July the 4th, will take place on the 10th of May. On that occasion, the government will hold a gala dinner in the foyer of the Opera House in Oslo.

‘We hope for good weather, a good mood, and a taste of early summer’, said Prime Minister, Erna Solberg (Høyre), to Aftenposten at the weekend.

The castle will release a ‘greetings protocol’ on the occasion of the king’s birthday, which the public can sign between the hours of 14.00 and 16.00 on Tuesday. An electronic protocol will also be posted on the royal house’s website.

King Harald gave a long interview to NTB news last week, stating that he intends to keep his ‘Oath to the Constitution’ for his lifetime. He expressed that age does not weigh on him.

‘I always thought that those who were 80 were old aged, but I do not feel old aged myself. Age is just a number’, said the King.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today