Happy Constitution Day!

Their Majesties The King and Queen and the Crown Prince Family came out on the balcony just before 10:30, as the Children's Parade headed up Oslo's main street, Karl Johan.

Schools celebrating major anniversaries lead the Oslo children’s parade. This year children from St. Sunniva (150 years) will march at the front, follwed by Ris (100 years) and Oslo Montessori (25 years).

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess and their family started the day at Skaugum Estate, where they greeted the Asker municipality children’s parade from 8:15 am.

About 60 000 children will take part in the parade, and the Royal Guard Norwegian Military Marching Band will bring up the rear.

For more photographs please follow the link titled "The Royal Family 2015".

Traditon

It was King Haakon and Queen Maud who introduced the custom of greeting the children’s parade from the Palace Balcony in 1906. The custom has been upheld ever since. The only exceptions were in 1910, when the Royal Family was in England for the funeral of Queen Maud’s father, King Edward VII, and during World War II from 1940 to 1944.

Today the terms May 17th and children’s parade are virtually synonymous, but this has not always been the case. To read more about why and how Norway celebrates May 17th, please click on the link to the right.