When today in the Palace Park will be open sculpture Queen Sonja, created by Kirsten cockin (Kirsten Kokkin), it would mean that all three women related to the monarchy, which arose in 1905 and takes its place around one of the most famous buildings in the country:
Queen Maud with her English detachment. Crown Princess Mar with its warm elegance. And Queen Sonia?
She’s dressed like a tourist going to the mountains. Sitting on a large stone. Examines his Kingdom. She is where can almost a little to be myself. It is she who was the daughter of a bourgeois merchant, but the result is quite dramatic events was, in the end, the Queen. And which, having reached 80 years, conquered Norway.
Despite the blue blood Mod and Martha: the story of Queen Sonja, which is quite unique. Three of these women she writes the most important Saga. It represents a monumental change in the Norwegian monarchy. As a pioneer and architect of the new role of the Norwegian Queen.
Sonia or nobody
The fact that it happened, it was not something taken for granted.
As for the attention of the public to the Royal marriage, today’s memory is restricted to two offspring of the Royal couple and their choice of spouses “not in the same sandbox”. And certainly whispered and gossiped about what they “wrong”. Including in the highest circles in the capital.
However, it is just a breeze if compared with the storm that had to endure Sonia, Haraldsen (Sonja Haraldsen). She was not only undesirable, it “almost hated” as she put it.
And not only: the love of the crown Prince to the daughter of a merchant from Vinderen (Vinderen) caused the constitutional drama in which two young men grinds the heavy millstones such as king and the duty of the government and the Constitution.
Young Norwegian dynasty survived its biggest crisis in time of peace, when crown Prince Harald refused the marriage more or less in account with the Princess of the blood, how it’s called. Because he at that time he found Sonya. With sympathy-inducing stubbornness he insisted that either Sonia or nobody.
“Norwegians are not quite ready…”
King Olav fought against this marriage, “Norwegians are not quite ready for it,” quoted the current king, his father in a biography written by Pen Egil Hegg (Hegg Per Egil).
The government of Borana in disarray, felt the same way. And when “the problem “miss, Haraldsen” in 1967 became an official thing put on the table the government, the vast majority — including the Prime Minister — was against or was having strong doubts. The Pen of the biographer Borten (Per Borten) cites documentary evidence that the Minister of justice Elizabeth Sweigard Selmer (Elisabeth Schweigaard Selmer) was the head of those who were against, while defense Minister, Otto Grieg, the Tiedemann (Otto Grieg Tidemand) defended the right of the crown Prince to choose a sweetheart for himself.
Sweigard Selmer was principled and wanted to save the monarchy, which, she thought, moving towards its collapse, if the crown Prince marries a girl of humble origin. Grig Tiedemann looked at it more pragmatically and humanly.
Besides, miss, Haraldsen he was familiar.
Now, fifty years later, it all seems absurd, when you read the protocols of government negotiations, when the Minister of defence, after “investigation” about our current Queen, reports that the young woman is beautiful, charming and well educated, to the same modest behavior. In addition, she allegedly was a smart girl and would have a positive impact on crown Prince Harald (Harald Berntsen: Staurberaren, pp. 289-292).
At stake is the form of government
But despite these delights:
The government did not dare to take responsibility and to give a clear answer to the monarch, and the father, who asked the Council. All over the wording, largely exonerating government responsibility: “it is not necessary to dissuade from marriage.”
“… such a marriage will lead to the abolition of the monarchy in our country”, commented Dagbladet and cited sources in the political elite of the state.
“If they get married… the days of the monarchy are numbered”, — said the Minister from the Party centre Dagfinn Warwick (Dagfinn Vårvik), when the government discussed this matter.
Such was the constitutional drama. The characters feel history breathing down their necks. They simply feel what’s at stake — the Norwegian form of government. And act in accordance with it. None of them think he’s not thinking about a young couple that waited and waited for nine years.
In a speech crown Prince Harald was dedicated to his mother-in-law at the wedding dinner, he thanked Haraldsen, Dagny (Dagny Haraldsen) because she “believed that because of my feelings for Your daughter, I finally manage to get her, and that I’m not ruining her life.”
“Yes, it was very dramatic,” commented the current king, then the situation in an interview in A-magasinet in may of this year.
Like a shadow
What makes the strongest impression during a visit to the beautiful office Queen Sonja is the big picture, the signature under which “Example 1”. Painted Ernvall Liv (Liv Ørnwall). On the canvas we see a huge hall with monumental staircase with red carpet. Unknown-dressed in a white women trying to find a place. One of them almost completely invisible, almost like a shadow.
“I, here in the Palace. So I felt. Didn’t know where to go, in a huge house I felt pretty small… I’ve been here many times felt like a shadow, — said Queen Sonja. once and added, ‘I felt quite depressed”.
Because the woman, recently married, met here with the isolated and self-contained male environment. Friendly outwardly, but inside everything was different. “There were only men-military” — if you use one of the wordings of the Queen of Sony, says a lot about.
King Olav didn’t understand why his newly minted daughter-in-law needed an office. In order to get your own office, it took her 22 years. And he assured her that, at least, in a Military society Oslo, she will not be glad. In Parliament, the President didn’t want Queen Sonja were present at the meeting of Parliament, when her husband, becoming king spoke from the throne speech.
We could continue citing similar examples to do with her official Norway, which, in the end, was forced to recognize this marriage, but that are not thought to provide miss, Haraldsen the place belonged to her in the most natural way.
“I have experienced this in their own skin, in your own heart, how it’s horrible when you don’t take and accuse that you destroy the Royal family,” the Queen said in the biography written by Ingar Slettom Colloton (Ingar Sletten Kolloen).
Needless to say, all this left a mark on Queen Sonja. Just could not impose.
She shaped the role of the Queen
When Norway gained the Queen in 1991, it was after a break of 53 years (the grandmother of Harald V, the wife of king Haakon VII, Queen Maud died in 1938, and the mother of Harald V, crown Princess Martha, died in 1953, before her husband Olav V came to the throne — approx. ed.). And “ski trail” for Queen Sonja nobody was making. She had to look for the road itself, together with king Harald. One day the Queen does not become, but in order to you took the people, so he started admiring you, time, more is needed.
And all this happened in the family, which is always the center of attention of the nation. With such bright light that every little mistake grows to unprecedented proportions.
It’s very serious, and in fact it is the work of a lifetime. Step by step, task by task, year after year Queen Sonja carved the Queen’s role in the anachronistic form of government in our time with you. It supports what makes a king — and complements this. Sometimes this little role contrasts with the role that plays the king.
Royal role as Queen Sonja not just some colorless and submissive. She’s independent and active, warm and interested. The question here is about how to understand itself. Their own role. And their own time.
The game has changed
So the most famous jubilee year, at the age of 80 years, together signed the project of repair of the monarchy. Not in order to restore the decaying building, but, above all, to reform the stark Institute and state form of communication.
“I think it was not so bad, when in this house there was a perfectly ordinary man,” said Queen Sonja in conversation with A-magasinet two months ago.
In any case, the fact that it appeared like Sonia, it was fine. With her energy, by her presence. The struggle of the pioneer, the pioneer, for that “benefit,” as she calls it.
Well, a step or two behind the king, but is an independent person, the Queen. Having its place in the system, which had not seen a more or less ordinary person.
So changed the rules of the game in monarchy. And pioneer Sonia became a role model for the other remaining European Royal houses. Today, there is not a single Queen with blue blood, of course, not counting the two Queens as exceptions.
The Savior of the monarchy
“It’s starting to become like life,” — that line from Pausa (OLE Paus — Paus Ole, Norwegian singer, musician, writer and actor born. in 1947 — approx. ed.) the Royal couple chose for his speech in tandem during the 80th anniversary celebration. And that is absolutely correct.
The fate of Queen Sonja was to become a female pioneer in a time that also was largely pioneer. It didn’t want to see in the role of Queen, but she showed that in the condition and shape this role and to fill it with content. Because regardless of whether someone is a monarchist or Republican, the history of Queen Sonja and what she has done and is doing, is fascinating and a matter of respect, bordering on admiration.
“We must not forget!… She was an incredible support,” said king Harald, when in an interview this spring, the correspondent A-magasinet asked whether saved the Norwegian monarchy that miss, Haraldsen at the time answered “Yes” on the proposal to enter into the Royal family.
Fifty years ago an official delegation of Norway believed that all the Norwegian form of government would be at stake if these two get married. Perhaps they were right, but in a different way than I thought. Because all I found was the opposite:
She became a Savior of the monarchy.
So Queen Sonja on the day of his 80th birthday — perhaps slightly against his will — appears to us like a real winner of a tale. Because it’s a fairytale. And such tales of us here in the Kingdom, like me. If only I had a happy ending. As this tale from the Norwegian reality.
