Royal festivities for Finland’s centenary celebrations have begun

FinlandHelsinki, Finland 20170601. King of Norway Harald V and Queen Sonja, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and wife Jenni Haukio, President of Iceland Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson and wife Eliza Jean Reid and King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia greet the crowds from the balcony of Presidential castle during the visit of the Nordic heads of state in Helsinki on Thursday 1 June 2017. Nordic heads of state are visiting Finland to celebrate the centenary of Finland's independence. The actual date of the 100th independence day is on the 6th of December 2017. Foto: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva / NTB scanpix

Royal festivities for Finland’s centenary celebrations have begun

Several Nordic heads of state are gathered in Helsinki on the occasion of Finland’s celebrations of 100 years as an independent state, which
began on Thursday.

 

From Norway, King Harald and Queen Sonja are attending the event, while Denmark is represented by Queen Margrethe, and Sweden by King Carl Gustaf, and Queen Silvia. Iceland is represented by President Gudni Johannesson and his wife, Eliza Reid.

The Nordic heads of state were welcomed outside the Finnish presidential palace by President Sauli Nimistö and his wife, Jenni Haukio, before ascending to the palace’s balcony to greet a crowd of around 3,000 people who’d come to watch the event.

Marked until December

While there was sunshine, and good weather during the welcoming in front of the palace, a sharp turn for the worse arrived as the heads of state went out on the balcony.

The 100th anniversary will be marked by further events from now until the national day on December the 6th, the day Finland became independent in 1917.

 

© NTB Scanpix /Norway Today