The Council of State
The King presides over the Council of State, Friday at 11.00 hours. The meeting is held in the Council Chamber at the Royal Palace.
Decisions made by the Government as a single body are made in the Council of State. This is presided over by the King, and such decisions are said to be made by “the King in the Council of State”. All acts of legislation and other decisions in the Council of State must be sanctioned by the King and countersigned by the Prime Minister before they can take effect.
On some occasions, an extraordinary Council of State is called. This can be due to immediate changes in Government, a birth in the Royal Familiy or other special circumstances.
More than half of the members of the Council of State must be present for the Council to be quorate.
The heir to the throne
The heir to the throne may participate in the Council of State from the age of 18 - "although without vote or responsibility.” When the King is absent, for example due to illness or when travelling abroad, The Crown Prince presides over the Council in his capacity of Crown Prince Regent.
On the rare occasions when the King and the Crown Prince are both absent, the Council of State is held in the Prime Minister’s office. The King is informed of the decisions that have been taken at the subsequent Council of State at the Royal Palace.
The course of the meeting
As the time approaches 11.00 a.m., the Prime Minister and the ministers arrive at the Royal Palace. They gather in the Ministers’ Lounge before proceeding together to the Council Chamber. The King arrives last, usually accompanied by the Crown Prince, and greets each minister in turn.
The King and the Crown Prince sit at the head of the table. The Secretary to the Council of State takes a seat at the opposite end of the table, with The Laws of Norway placed before him or her. The Prime Minister sits to the King’s right, and the other ministers take their seats according to seniority and role. The King then asks each minister in turn whether he or she has a matter to present.
Art in the Council Chamber
The council table was made at the end of the 19th century and has been extended several times as the number of ministers increased. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Norway in 2020, the Palace’s cabinetmakers extended the table once again, allowing the Council of State to meet with safe distances between the ministers.
Above the table hangs a large chandelier, bearing the inscription “Med lov skal land bygges” in gilded letters. The words are taken from one of Norway’s oldest laws, written down around 1260, and states that the Law must be the foundation on which the country is built.
The walls are adorned with three large paintings depicting important historical events in Norway and the history of the Royal House.
The provisions concerning the King and the Council of State can be found in Chapter B of the Constitution.
