Tuesday 8 February 2011
Norwegian Enthronement
In January 1991, Norway was mourning its King. On the 17th January, King Olav V, the oldest of the European monarchs, died in the winter residence of the Royal Family, after some painful months, after thirty-three years of reign. Canon blasts and bell ringing announced the death of the much-loved King Olav, the second King of Norway after his father, King Haakon VII, born Prince Carl of Denmark and elected as the first king of the new independent country; the canons also announced the new reign which began in the same moment of the King’s death, the reign of the third King of Norway, Harald V, until then Crown Prince Harald. Just hours after the announcement of his father’s death, the new King presided over a Cabinet meeting in the Royal Palace of Oslo, where a court mourning of four months was decided, and after which the new sovereign gave a speech to the nation. King Olav’s body arrived to the Palace less than two days after and then began the lying-in-state, during which the Norwegians were able to pay their last respect’s to the deceased sovereign, grandfather of the nation.
On the 21st January, the new King was enthroned. The cortege of several cars left the Royal Palace of Oslo towards the Storting, where the King entered in full uniform of Army General, wearing the Order of St. Olav and the Order of Merit, accompanied by Queen Sonja, in a long black dress, with mourning veil. The King stood under the canopy, in the centre of the back wall, in front of the magnificent throne with the Norwegian coat of arms in red. The President of the Chamber presented the King the formula that he should read so that the enthronement would be accomplished, and the King swore the oath, before pronouncing a brief speech, in which he said:
Dutch Enthronement
The day began early at 8 in the morning, when one hundred canon blasts woke up Amsterdam. Less than two hours later, Queen Juliana, Princess Beatrix and the other members of the Royal Family joined the official guests of the abdication ceremony in one of the rooms of the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, which included the Presidents of the First and Second Chamber, the Prime-Minister and several members of the Cabinet. Queen Juliana sat in the middle of the enormous table, facing the cameras, having by her right Prince Bernhard and by her left Princess Beatrix, who had on her left Prince Claus. Queen Juliana, after a brief speech, asked that the act of abdication be read, so that she could sign it afterwards. Soon after 10 in the morning Queen Juliana signed the act of abdication, followed by Princess Beatrix. On that moment, Beatrix became Queen of the Netherlands, Juliana became Princess of the Netherlands. It was a solemn and yet very moving moment. One hour later, the Royal Family appeared in the balcony of the Royal Palace of Amsterdam to the cheers of thousands of people massed in front of the Palace. Juliana spoke to the microphones: “I have just renounced the throne. I present you Beatrix, your new queen.” Queen Beatrix, very moved, answered her mother in a brief speech:
Spanish Enthronement
Juan Carlos was born in 1938, the first son but second child of the Prince and Princess of the Asturias, grandson of exiled King Alfonso XIII of Spain. In 1962 he married the Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark, daughter of King Paul I and Queen Fredericka of the Hellenes, with whom he had three children: Infantas Elena and Cristina and Infante Felipe, born in 1968, just one year before Juan Carlos’ designation as Prince of Spain and heir of Franco. Two days after the dictator’s death began a long but inevitable and desired transition towards democracy, after the 40 dark years of Franco’s dictatorship. King Juan Carlos arrived with his wife Queen Sofia to the Cortes, where the 560 deputies, the Diplomatic Corps, members of the Royal Family and Franco’s family, and some few heads of state, which for being so few seemed to refuse their support to the new King, awaited him.
Swedish Enthronement
Just one year and nine months after, it was time for Sweden to cry its monarch. On the 15th September 1973, King Gustav VI Adolf died, having acceded in 1950 on the death of his own father, King Gustav V. Gustav VI Adolf’s son, named after him, had been killed in 1946, and his son Prince Carl Gustav had, in 1973, been crown prince for 23 years. The King of Sweden had maintained a court quite full of protocol and tradition, having inclusively refused the marriage of his son Prince Bertil, second in the line of succession in a country in which women could not accede the throne, to Lilian Craig, a simple commoner. On the 15th September 1973, Sweden has a new king: Carl XVI Gustav. The enthronement ceremony, yet very solemn but more discreet than in the years of King Gustav VI Adolf’s reign, took place on the 19th September, in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace of Stockholm. In another room of the Royal Palace, the King presided over the Cabinet meeting, and after having announced what his title would be, signed the enthronement documents, listening afterwards to a brief speech by Prime Minister Mr. Olaf Palme.
Danish Enthronement
Queen Margrethe II was then joined in the balcony by her husband, Prince Henrik, on the balcony of Christianborg, just before returning in landau to the Palace of Amalienborg, residence of the Royal Family in Copenhagen. Again Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik appeared of the balcony, now accompanied by the new heir to the throne, Prince Frederick, and the little Prince Joachim. This was the most simple of all the enthronements to come, with no grand choreographed ceremonies, a proclamation and not an enthronement, if we want to be accurate. The funeral of the deceased sovereign took place in grandeur 10 days after the enthronement ceremony, with several European sovereigns paying tribute to the than longest-reigning European king, second monarch after the Prince of Liechtenstein.
Royal Enthronements
On the 12th November 1964, Grand-Duchess Charlotte signed her abdication, having reigned for 45 years, through the dark years of World War II, and having nominated her son Jean for “Lieutenant Representant” in 1961, during a discreet ceremony at the Grand-Ducal Palace. On her very regal looking, in bejewelled splendour, wearing the most impressive of the tiaras of the Grand-Ducal Family, Her Royal Highness signed the abdication declaration, through which she renounced the Crown of Luxembourg in favour of her son, the Hereditary Grand-Duke Jean.
Royal Wedding 4
Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip leaving Westminster Abbey after their wedding in 1947
Royal Wedding 3
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) on their wedding day in 1923
Royal Wedding 2
King George V - then the Duke of York - standing beside his bride Queen Mary - formerly Princess Mary of Teck - after their wedding in 1893
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