Welcomed the King and Queen of Denmark

This is the first official state visit to Norway for King Frederik and Queen Mary. The guests arrived at Honnørbryggen close to Oslo City Hall at 11:00 this morning, and were welcomed by Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja. The visit marks the historical ties and the close neighborly relationship between Norway and Denmark, as well as between the two royal families.

21 shots were fired from Akershus Fortress as the Danish royal couple departed from Dannebrog. A "cheer roll" was also performed as the longboats from Dannebrog and Kongeskipet Norge passed by the Norwegian royal ship. Photo: Ole Berg Rusten, NTB

Both the Norwegian and the Danish national anthems were played, after which Kong Frederik conducted an inspection of the Guard of Honour. His Majesty King Harald then introduced him to Norwegian officials.

Before leaving for the Royal Palace for official photographs and an exchange of gifts, Their Majesties had a chance to greet some of those who had come to welcome them at Honnørbryggen, including Norwegian schoolchildren and members of the Danish community in Norway.

King Frederik and Queen Mary were warmly welcomed by King Harald and Queen Sonja. Photo: Ole Berg Rusten, NTB

After the welcome ceremony at Honnørbryggen, Their Majesties, along with the Norwegian Crown Prince and Crown Princess, traveled through Karl Johans gate to the Palace in historic cars, including A1 – a Buick Roadmaster from 1939. It's the same car that transported King Haakon, Crown Princess Märtha, and their children from Honnørbryggen to the Royal Palace on June 7, 1945.

During the welcoming ceremony, the national anthems of the countries were performed. Photo: Albert Nieboer / Netherlands OUT / Point de Vue OUT

Official photographs were taken in the Bird Room, which was followed by an exchange of gifts in the Mirror Hall. 

Wreath-laying ceremony

It is a tradition for visiting heads of state to lay a wreath at the national monument at Akershus Fortress, and the King and Queen of Denmark paid tribute to Norwegians who lost their lives in the Second World War. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit accompanied the King and Queen of Denmark to the wreath-laying ceremony.

King Frederik of Denmark lays a wreath at the National Monument at Akershus Fortress. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB

From Akershus Fortress, King Frederik and Queen Mary continued on to the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, where they had a meeting with The President of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani. 

Collaboration for a green transition

The Crown Prince Couple and the Danish royal couple visited Oslo Science City and MiNaLab on Tuesday afternoon. The Micro- and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MiNaLab) is a shared research infrastructure for microsystems and nanotechnology, jointly operated by the University of Oslo and SINTEF, Norway's largest research institute.

They heard about Norwegian and Danish collaboration in research on technology and green transition, as well as the importance of researching microchips, sensors, and new materials. Microchips are crucial for the green shift and hold significant strategic importance for Europe, playing a key role in areas such as aviation, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels.

With the researchers at Oslo Science City and MiNaLab. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB

Gala dinner

On Wednesday, the state visit continues with activities including an architectural tour along Oslo's waterfront and a trip to Østmarka National Park in collaboration with the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT).