As King Harald delivered his speech at Luther College in Iowa on Thursday, it became clear that the Royal couple’s 10-day visit to the U.S. is not just about representation, but a reunion with the King’s "second homeland" as well.
Hundreds of people showed up to greet the King and Queen at Luther College on Thursday, where they received the Spirit of Luther Award. The King spoke highly of the American people's support after July 22nd, but also about his times in the U.S. as a young boy during World War II, and coming to America for the first time. He also spoke about the close relationship between the U.S. and Norway through history, and that the countries still hold many of the same values.
"It’s good to be back," King Harald first told Norwegian reporters when he arrived. The King has always had a close bond to the U.S., and might be the only monarch to have lived in the White House for part of his upbringing, Aftenposten reports. He stayed there with his mother and sisters for a period of time during the Second World War, and has made many visits to the U.S. since.
While in Minneapolis, King Harald and Queen Sonja will also have a chance to connect with Norwegian students studying abroad, an experience they are familiar with from Crown Prince Haakon’s studies in the U.S. The couple will attend a student worship service with the Norwegian Seamen’s Church, along with more than 200 other Norwegian students from Minnesota, North and South Dakota.
"What are you most excited about?" Reporters asked the King. "To re-visit familiar areas and places, and to meet with Norwegian-Americans," King Harald stated.
And there will be plenty of time for that. The ten-day trip also includes a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the St. Olaf College in Northfield, and to Augsburg College in Minneapolis before they head to New York on Tuesday. Once in New York , the couple will attend a lunch under the direction of the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (NACC), and an exhibition at the Scandinavia House; Luminous Modernism: Scandinavian Art Comes to America, 1912.
Other Scandinavian Royals will join King Harald and Queen Sonja at the Scandinavia House, including the King and Queen of Sweden, the President of Iceland, the President of Finland, and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark. On the Friday everybody will attend a ceremony at Ground Zero, and in the evening the Royal Couple will be Honorary Guests at the American Scandinavian Foundation’s Centennial Ball.
The King and Queen will return to Oslo after a worship service at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in New York on Saturday, October 22.
(Press release/Aftenposten)
Written by Julie Ryland
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