Christmas at the Palace

Their Majesties The King and Queen, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Marius were in attendance.

For the members of the Royal Family the concert is an opportunity to bring the Norwegian people into their home for a pre-Christmas celebration filled with companionship, warmth and holiday cheer.

This is the second consecutive year that King Harald and Queen Sonja have opened the concert to the public. In 2011, the concert was organised in cooperation with The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’ Fund, and youth from the fund’s projects were guests at the performance. This year The King and Queen and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess invited some of the young people they have met during their travels throughout the country to the Palace.

Played in the Great Hall 

The concert is held in the Great Hall at the Palace, which provides a unique backdrop. The artists performed traditional Christmas carols as well as more contemporary songs. The guests were treated to renditions of “Vi tenner våre lykter” (We Light Our Lanterns), Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming, Let It Snow, Fairytale of New York and Silent Night, to name a few.

The artists who took part in the concert included Tuva Syvertsen, Solveig Slettahjell, Kurt Nilsen, Amina Sewali, Ida Jenshus, Amund Maarud and Johannes Weisser.

At one point during the concert Queen Sonja presented a jewel case to Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The Princess opened the jewel case...And what happened next will have to remain a surprise for viewers who plan to watch the concert on television this evening.

The concert concluded with the audience joining in the singing of “Deilig er Jorden” (Fairest Lord Jesus).