The 158th Storting opened
His Majesty King Harald officially opened the Norwegian Storting (Parliament) today. The 2013-2014 session of the Storting is the 158th since its inception, and the proceedings follow a fixed ceremony laid down in the Constitution.
Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince were also in attendance.
The Speech from the Trone
During the ceremony, the Prime Minister hands the Speech from the Throne to the King, which the King then delivers. The speech presents the main features of the Government’s policies for the coming year. The Speech from the Throne is written by representatives of the Government, not by the King.
The Speech from the Throne is followed by the Report on the State of the Realm. Traditionnaly read by the youngest member of the Government, the report presents a summary of what the Government has achieved during the past year.
Article 74 of the Constitution
The ceremony is stipulated in Article 74 of the Constitution:
As soon as the Storting is constituted, the King, or whoever he appoints for the purpose, shall open its proceedings with a Speech, in which he shall inform it of the state of the Realm and of the issues to which he particularly desires to call the attention of the Storting. No deliberations may take place in the presence of the King.
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Stortingets åpning 2013
His Majesty King Harald officially opens the 158th Norwegian Storting (Photo: NTB scanpix)Photo 1 of 2 -
Stortingets åpning 2013
His Majesty King Harald officially opens the 158th Norwegian Storting (Photo: NTB scanpix)Photo 2 of 2
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Welcoming the Restauration to the US
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon, along with a couple of thousand attendees, welcomed the sloop Restauration to New York, exactly 200 years after the vessel carrying Norwegian emigrants arrived in the United States. In 1825, they crossed the Atlantic in search of a new and better life. This voyage is regarded as the beginning of organised emigration from Norway.
Met with Governor Walz in Minnesota
Minnesota is one of the states in the United States where a large proportion of the population has Norwegian ancestry. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon is therefore also visiting this state and its largest metropolitan area, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, during his trip to the United States to mark the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration to the US.