| From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.europe,
clari.news.interest.people,clari.news.group
Subject: Norway's King Olav still "unstable" following stroke
Keywords: international, non-usa government, government, people,
human interest, seniors, special interest
Date: 4 Jun 90 13:50:03 GMT
Location: norway
ACategory: international
Slugword: king
OSLO, Norway (UPI) -- Norway's King Olav V, at 86 the world's
oldest reigning monarch, was in an unstable condition Monday following
a weekend stroke that paralyzed the left part of his body. "The
situation is still uncertain," his doctors said in a statement.
Members of the Norwegian royal family rushed home from Britain
where they had been celebrating the 50th birthday of deposed King
Constantine of Greece, to join Crown Prince Harald in a bedside vigil.
King Olav was admitted to a hospital last Tuesday with an inflamed
pericardium -- the sac that surrounds the heart. On Friday, doctors
said the inflammation had receded but late Saturday a bulletin was
issued saying Olav's condition had deteriorated. Later a medical
bulletin said a blood vessel had clogged in the king's brain resulting
in paralysis to his left side. Monday, doctors said the paralysis had
receded, allowing the king to move his left leg slightly. The monarch
was fully conscious and able to converse, the doctors said.
Crown Prince Harald, 53, who is first line to the Norwegian throne,
has been at his father's bedside since his condition worsened on
Saturday. Harald has assumed powers as regent during the illness, a
task he previously performed during the king's absence on travels.
Olav was born near Sandringham in England on July 2, 1903. His
father was the younger son of Denmark's late King Christian X, and his
mother, Princess Maud, was the daughter of King Edward VII of Britain.
Olav ascended the throne of Norway in September 1957 after the death of
his father, King Haakon VII. Haakon, born a Danish prince, was invited
to create a separate Norwegian monarchy when Norway and Sweden
dissolved their union in 1905.
An avid sportsman endearingly called the "sailing sovereign," Olav
won a gold medal for his prowess as a yachtsman in a 6-meter boat in
the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He has been an official yachting umpire
during several Olympics. During World War II, the then-crown prince
and his family escaped advancing Nazis, hiding in barns and fields for
two months before traveling with King Haakon to Britain, where Norway's
resistance to German occupation was coordinated.
Crown Princess Martha, Olav's Swedish-born wife, died in 1954.
Immediately prior to his hospitalization Tuesday, Olav had spent
several days traveling throughout Norway commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the defeat of German forces in Norway. Norway's Prime
Minister Jan P. Syse was to have gone to Poland on an official visit
Sunday, but has postponed the visit until the king's condition became
clear.
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| From: [email protected] (Stein J�rgen Rypern)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: King Olav dead
Date: 18 Jan 91 08:55:57 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Stein J�rgen Rypern)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
King Olav V of Norway died last night from some kind of heart trouble,
87 years old. I guess you all will have heard this in the news a long
time before you read it here, but still ...
It is a strange day here in Norway. How can a man get so sad when an
old man dies, a stranger you really don't know ? Perhaps it is because
Olav was no stranger to most of us. We have all seen him at the balcony
of the castle in Oslo, waving to the childrens parade on our national
day, may 17th. He must have visited just about every little village in
this country, talking with old aga pensioners, little children with
flowers and giving medals to old war heros.
I can remember the pictures we all have seen of him : From the second
world war ; hiding under the "royal birch" (I think it was a birch,
anyway) with his father King Haakon, while the Germans were bombingthe
city of Molde. From that triumphant day in 1945 when he returned ahead
of the rest of the royal family to a liberated country, declining to
ride in an enclosed car, even though that there might have been german
or norwegian fanatics still armed in town. And later, during the oil
crisis in '73, when Olav took the tram/subway out to holmenkollen to go
skiing, saving gas like the rest of us. There must be houndreds of
these pictures which many of us will remember today.
At the train this morning : Norwegians usually are very reserved, and
avoid eye contact with strangers - but today it was extreme. Most
people studiously avoided looking at their fellow passengers, and
pretended not to notice the sudden outbreak of cold, with noses and
eyes running all over the place. It struck me as I watched two
immigrants/forreign workers or whatever they were, crying openly, that
we norwegians have diffiulties in expressing our feelings in public.
As I passed the castle today, on my way to the university, there were a
lot of people just standing there, not doing anything, just standing
there. It is a strange day.
I just remembered that my late mother used to cry every new years eve,
as Olav held his new years adress to his people. If she could be moved
to tears just by the national anthem (or was it god save the king first
?), and the sight of that old man, why can't I cry a bit over the king
of Norway, Olav the fifth.
From the old norse writings of Haavamaal, in a free translation :
"Cattle die, kinsman die,
You yourself must likewise die,
but one thing which never dies,
is the verdict upon each man dead"
Rest in peace, Olav, your verdict will come from the many norwegians
which will suddently remember something you said or did, as they go
abouth their daily business today, with that strange cold which can
strike so suddenly when you need it.
/Stein, Oslo, Norway, Jan 18th 1991
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Don't mail me to ask questions or say anything, the student accounts are
going down for spring cleaning today, and I won't be able to read mail
untill end of month/Middle of next month.
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From: [email protected] (Holm-Kjetil Holmsen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Harald V's speach.
Date: 18 Jan 91 18:23:44 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Holm-Kjetil Holmsen)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
As you all know by now, king Olav V is dead. His son, Harald, is now
the king. He will be called Harald V, and has taken the same motto as
his father and grandfather: "All for Norway".
The following is a translation of the speech king Harald made shortly
after midnight:
Dear countrymen.
His majesty king Olav V has passed away. A great loss and a deep
sorrow has fallen upon us. In this grave moment it gives me and my
family strenght to know that all people in Norway share the grief of my
dear father's passing.
The 21'st of September 1957 he took over from king Haakon VII the high
call the Constitution placed upon him. It was a large and demanding
task to succeed my dear grandfather. We know that king Olav, as the
king of Norway, sought to fullfill the duties that was laid upon him as
best as he could. Also for him, the motto "All for Norway" was a
guideline for his doings.
He cherished to visit the different parts of our county, and with joy
and proudnes he represented our fatherland on many journeys to other
counties. It was a great pleasure and satisfaction for him to see how
high his work for this country was appreciated by the people he had
lived together with from his childhood.
With the passing of king Olav, we will find comfort in the rich
memories we have of him, both from the good days and the bad days of
our history.
He felt a strong responsibility to the task he was put to. I also feel
this way. The examples of king Olav and king Haakon will always be a
model for me. With Gods help, I hope that my wife and I together will
succeed in solving our tasks for the best of the people and the
country.
I have in the cabinet meeting today placed the oath the Constitution
demands, to rule the Kingdom of Norway according to its constitution
and law. I know that many other tasks follow and I ask you all for
support and trust in my doings. This will give me the strength to work
to the benefit of our dear Norway. God save our fatherland.
The King is dead. Long live the King
Holm-Kjetil Holmsen, Cand. Scient student email: [email protected]
Dept. of Informatics
Univerity of Oslo
NORWAY
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From: [email protected] (David Cowhig)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: King Olav
Date: 19 Jan 91 18:45:09 GMT
Organization: N3DMC, Silver Spring, Maryland
I was moved by Ian Gerrard's article about King Olav.
I have met Norwegians travelling in Europe who told me that they send a
postcard to the King when they travel. They didn't know him personally,
they just wanted to do it.
When I was working on my Norwegian one summer as I worked on a farm in
the Norwegian countryside, a farmer told me how the local people hid a
battery operated radio under a stream in the hills and would go there
from time to time to listen to King Olav's radio broadcasts during the
German occupation. Having a radio receiver for listening to those
broadcasts was punishable by death.
The feeling of the people for their King was remarkable. I read in a
Norwegian history book that during the German invasion the Norwegian
government wanted to surrender but King Haakon refused. The great
affection for King Haakon the former Danish crown prince seems to have
been transferred to King Olav (of course Olav earned a lot of affection
on his own).
I remember the inscription on the statue to Karl-Johann by the Castle
(I think) in Oslo: Folkets kjaerlihet er min bel0p. "The love of the
people is my pay". This might not be a bad epitah for King Olav.
David Cowhig
Alexandria, VA
[email protected]
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From: [email protected] (Bj�rn Larsen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: King Olav
Date: 19 Jan 91 14:54:42 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (USENET News System)
Organization: University of Oslo, Norway
> Having just read the news of King Olav's death here on the net, I am
>reminded of a story a Norwegian man once told me about two tourists in a cab
>somewhere in the countryside near Oslo. At some point the taxi stopped as an
>old man crossed the road in front of it. The driver saluted and the man
>returned the salute and waved. When the passengers asked who the man was, the
>driver simply said 'that was the King.'
... The passengers get startled, and one of them asks the driver why the
King don't have any bodyguards. The driver turns around, smiles, and
answers: "Are you kidding? There are four million of us."
(Just to complete the anecdote)
- bjorn
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From: [email protected] (TROND HANSEN)
Newsgroups: clari.news.interest.history,clari.news.europe,
clari.news.gov.international
Subject: Norway mourns dead king; security worries over funeral
Date: 18 Jan 91 22:36:15 GMT
OSLO, Norway (UPI) -- Church bells rang over Norway Friday in
mourning for the late King Olav V, while officials worried about
security problems during his funeral.
King Olav, 87, who died Thursday at his holiday home on the
outskirts of Oslo, will lie in state in the chapel of Oslo's Royal
Palace until his funeral Jan. 30. The date was agreed upon after
consultations with the deceased monarch's son, King Harald V, who has
assumed the duties of head of state, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
The funeral is to be held in Oslo Cathedral, and the burial is to
be in the crypt of the medieval Akershus Castle on Oslo's waterfront.
But Foreign Ministry Director General Kjell Colding said the
concentration of prominent guests expected to the state funeral raised
fears of terrorist attacks, and several heads of state might choose to
stay away.
"With the present situation in the (Persian) Gulf it would not be
unreasonable for some of those who would normally come to be otherwise
engaged," Colding told United Press International. King Olav was a
close friend and second cousin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.
Colding said the threat of worldwide Iraqi-backed terrorism posed
an extra challenge to security arrangements for the funeral. "It is
clear that the forthcoming funeral will face Norway's police with a
number of new and difficult tasks," Colding said. He said he was
convinced guests as well as the Norwegian public would show
understanding for any extraordinary security measures thought
necessary.
A spokesman for the Justice Ministry said the country's police have
"sufficient resources to take care of bodyguarding and other security
duties during the funeral later this month." "Security has been
planned in detail," he added.
In Washington, President Bush sent a letter of condolence to Norway
Friday on the death of King Olav, the White House said. Bush
dispatched the letter from him and his wife, Barbara, to King Harald
and Queen Sonja of Nowary, saying that "King Olav was a symbol of
Norway's spirit and verve, and that his graciousness and energy would
be missed." The king lived in the United States during World War II as
a guest of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
While preparations for the funeral got under way, the Norwegian
royal family gathered in Oslo. King Harald went to Fornebu airport
to greet his wife, Queen Sonja, who returned by private plane from
France, where she had been attending a language refresher course. The
new queen has a university degree in French.
Their daughter, Martha Louise, returned by scheduled flight from
London, and was met by her brother, Haakon Magnus, who is now crown
prince and heir to the throne. The princess is attending a riding
school near Oxford, England.
King Harald will go to Parliament Monday to swear allegiance to the
Constitution, as required by law, Colding said.
|
| From: [email protected] (TROND HANSEN)
Newsgroups: clari.news.interest.people,clari.news.gov.international,
clari.news.europe
Subject: Norway bids farewell to king amidst tightest security
Date: 30 Jan 91 14:07:18 GMT
OSLO, Norway (UPI) -- Norway bid an emotional farewell Wednesday to
King Olav V in a funeral ceremony attended by royalty and government
leaders from throughout the world and under the tighest security
blanket in the county's history. Heads of state, royalty and guests
from more than 100 countries marched in a solemn procession, watched by
a crowd of 100,000 Norwegians, from the Royal Palace to the ceremony at
Oslo Cathedral.
Vice President Dan Quayle was unable to reach Oslo in time for the
funeral and his wife, Marilyn, attended in his place. Quayle, who
remained in Washington for President Bush's State of the Union mesage
Tuesday night, was to attend a palace reception Wednesday afternoon.
Olav, the world's oldest reigning monarch, died Jan. 17 of heart
failure at 87. He was a great-grandchild of Britain's Queen Victoria
and had been king since 1957.
Norwegian soldiers lined Oslo's main thoroughfare, Karl Johan's Gate,
as the procession slowly made its way from the palace to the cathedral.
Olav's coffin, draped in the red and gold royal banner, lay on a gun
carriage drawn by a military field vehicle manned by soldiers from the
Royal Guards Regiment. The coffin was decorated with a single wreath
from the late king's son and daughter-in-law, King Harald V and Queen
Sonia, and his grandchildren, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus and Princess
Maertha Louise.
Harald and his family marched immediately behind the coffin, which
was flanked by the late king's principal aides. Behind the royal
family followed Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Carl Gustav of Sweden,
Prince Charles of Britain, King Baudoin of Belgium, Queen Beatrix of
Holland, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince
Hans Adam of Liechtenstein, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan and Crown
Prince Vajiralongkorn of Thailand.
The royals were followed by the president of the Norwegian
Parliament, Jo Benkow, the president of supreme court, Erling Sandene,
and government leaders, headed by Prime Minister Gro Haarlem
Brundtland. Among other foreign dignitaries in the procession were
Soviet Vice President Gennady Yanayev and Presidents Richard von
Weiszaecker of Germany, Mauno Koivisto of Finland, Vigdis
Finnbogadottir of Iceland, Mary Robinson of Ireland, Mario Soares of
Portugal and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia.
More than 100,000 Norwegians watched the procession in deep
silence. Schools and most shops and offices throughout the country were
closed and all public employees were given three hours off while the
funeral lasted. After the procession filed into the cathedral, three
strokes from the main church bell introduced one minute of silence
throughout Norway.
In her eulogy, Prime Minister Brundtland praised Olav's devotion to
duty and underlined the high regard in which his four million subjects
held him. Her voice broke with emotion when she added: "Children say it
so simply: he was the kindest king in the world."
The primate of Norway's Lutheran state church, Oslo Bishop Andreas
Aarflot, said the king had become one with his people through his love
for them. "Thus he lived up to his motto: My all for Norway," the
bishop said.
The small, austere 17th century cathedral was decorated with
hundreds of flowers and candles, and hymns and solemn classical music
opened and ended the funeral service. From the cathedral the coffin
moved to Oslo's medieval Akershus fortress overlooking the harbor. It
was accompanied by a guard of honor and a small procession of the
king's closest relatives.
After a private ceremony in the fortress chapel, the coffin was
placed in the royal mausoleum in the crypt beneath the chapel. A light
snow fell over the city as the funeral ceremony drew towards its end.
Armed police followed the proceedings, closely on the alert for any
sign of terrorist activity in light of the Persian Gulf war that had
raised fears of an attack against some of the prominent guests present.
The only incident, however, was when a police horse reared and threw
its woman rider to the ground. The horse collapsed on top of her and
she was hospitalized in what doctors said was "serious" condition.
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