The Queen Maud Statue

Your Majesty,
Your Royal Highness,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The close ties between the British and Norwegian royal families date back to Your Majesty’s grandfather King George V and his sister Maud, my grandmother.

She was born on 26 November 1869 as Princess Maud of Wales and was the daughter of the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Princess Maud was a high-spirited child, a quality that earned her the nickname Harry. She took part in almost all the yearly family visits to Denmark, and it was during one of these visits that she met her future husband, Prince Carl of Denmark. They were married at Buckingham Palace in 1896, and in 1903 their son Alexander was born.

One hundred years ago, Norway regained full independence through the peaceful dissolution of the union with Sweden, and on 18 November 1905 Prince Carl accepted his election as King of Norway. He took the name Haakon VII and his son was given the name Olav. The young king and queen arrived in their new country with their two-year-old son in November 1905.

Queen Maud never lost her love of Britain, and she spent long periods every year at her beloved Appleton House. However, she quickly adapted to her new country and her duties as queen. She supported charitable causes, particularly those associated with children and animals, and encourage musicians and artists. She learned to ski and designed an English garden at the summer residence Bygdøy Kongsgård outside Oslo. Queen Maud’s last public appearance in the United Kingdom was at the coronation of her nephew, King George VI, in May 1937 at Westminster Abbey. She died at Appleton House on 20 November 1938. Her body was returned to Norway, and she is buried in the royal mausoleum at the Castle of Akershus in Oslo. Personally, I do not have any clear memories of my grandmother as I was less than two years old when she passed away.

The ties between our two families have remained close, also after the death of Queen Maud. During World War II our two countries were close allies, and my grandfather, King Haakon VII, headed the Norwegian Government-in-exile here in London from 1940 to 1945. My grandfather often talked about his years in London and about how much this house – at 10 Palace Green – meant to him, and my father and my own family have always felt very much at home in the UK and in London.

Therefore, 10 Palace Green is a very appropriate location for this statue of Queen Maud. This is the second sculpture of my grandmother by the artist Ada Madsen. The first one was erected 46 years ago in the park surrounding the Royal Palace in Oslo.

Your Majesty,
I hope this statue will serve as a symbol of the close relations between our two families and of the enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and Norway.

It gives me great pleasure to unveil the statue of my grandmother, Queen Maud.