KING AND QUEEN OF NORWAY VISIT MINNESOTA 2011

King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway came to visit Minnesota Oct 11-18, and it was their
first visit since 1995. Minnesota has over 850,000 people who have at least
some Norwegian ancestry. Their first stop was in Decorah, Iowa to visit Luther
College which was marking its 150th anniversary and the Vesterheim Norwegian
American Museum marking its 130th anniversary. Next they visited St. Olaf
College in Northfield and then on to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. A church
service was held on Sunday at Augsburg College in Minneapolis followed by a
reception hosted by Governor Mark Dayton at the governor’s mansion featuring
Minnesotans who were honored by the Norwegian government. A royal dinner was
held that evening and Bjorn Hagen, my father’s long- time friend from the
Norwegian Glee Club, was privileged to attend. He was very excited and proud to
attend the dinner and it was a night he will always remember. The following
day, the Minnesota National Guard flew the royal couple to Duluth, where King
Harald re-dedicated Enger Park, which was originally dedicated by his father,
King Olaf V in 1939. On the final day of the visit, the couple unveiled an
exhibit at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, marking the 100th
anniversary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reaching the South Pole. The
King and Queen then flew to New York City, where they attended an
American-Scandinavian Foundation conference, attended by officials and royalty
from all five Nordic countries. I wanted to attend one of the functions while
the royal family was in town but it proved impossible to get a ticket. I
thought it wouldn’t be that difficult or I would’ve tried earlier to get
tickets. It became apparent that unless you knew someone or were someone of
great importance you wouldn’t get a ticket. There was very heavy protection
surrounding the royal couple while they were in the U. S. most likely because
of the Oslo bombing and massacre in July. It would’ve been an awesome
experience and although it didn’t happen for me, I am happy for all those who
were privileged to meet the King and Queen of Norway on their visit to Minnesota
in 2011.