Every year the King, as Head of State, and the Queen of Norway invite members of the Diplomatic Corps stationed in the Kingdom to either a luncheon or a banquet. If it is a banquet the dress code is white-tie which means that the Royal ladies (at least) bring out some of the splendid jewels in their collection. For the first time since 2019 the choice had fallen on a banquet at the Royal Palace.
155 guests, who in addition to the Diplomatic Emissaries with spouses include members of the Government and the Mayor of Oslo Marianne Borgen, had been invited to attend the banquet at the Royal Palace. Even the Russian Ambassador had been invited, in spite of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. This raised some eyebrows in certain quarters but since diplomatic ties are still in place between Norway and Russia it is seen as a diplomatic courtesy to include the Russian Ambassador on the guest list too. Before the banquet commenced the Royal Family welcomed all their guests in an adjacent room to the Ball Room. The guests then proceeded through the grand Ball Room into the Grand Dining Room where a table had been laid.
Once the guests had found their seats according to the carefully considered seating plan the Royal procession made its way via the same route as the guests had taken. The Head of the Royal Household walked first closely followed by the King and Queen. His Majesty was dressed in white-tie as this was a gala occasion. He wore the Sash and Breast Star of the Order of St Olav and the Neck-tie and Breast Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in addition to a large number of miniature medals.
The Queen looked wonderful in a two-part evening gown where the full skirt was in a turquoise fabric and the top in silver. Turquoise jewels, like the ones worn by her sister-in-law Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner, had been a perfect combination with this outfit. Her Majesty, however, not having any grand turquoise jewels at her disposal wore Diamonds and Pearls. Sparkling in her hair was the copy of Queen Maud’s Diamond and Pearl tiara. Sadly the original tiara, which had been a wedding gift to Queen Maud from her parents, was stolen during a heist of a jeweller in London that had been entrusted with the cleaning of some of the jewels from the Norwegian Royal collection. Other jewels included Queen Maud’s Gift brooch from the Drapers’ Company in Diamonds and Pearls, Small Pearl Drop earrings, a Pearl choker and a bracelet consisting of three rows of Pearls. Pending from a Bow in the national colours of red, blue and white was King Harald V’s Portrait in a Diamond Frame. The Queen also wore the Sash and Breast Star of the highest Norwegian Order; that of St. Olav.
Behind the King and Queen came the Crown Prince who escorted his aunt Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner. His Royal Highness was, like his father, dressed in white-tie and wearing the same Orders as the King. Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner wore a white evening gown and her dainty Ruby aigrette in her hair. Aigrettes are rather seldomly seen worn these days, but they used to be rather fashionable. The Princess combined this with a simple Diamond rivière, a pair of earrings with a Pearl pendant and a small Diamond Bow brooch which was pinned to the Sash of the Order of St Olav. She also wore the Breast Star of this Order in addition to the three Portraits in Diamond frames of the monarchs she has served throughout her life: her grandfather King Haakon VII, her father King Olav V and her brother King Harald V. Also pinned to her gown was a rack of miniature medals, most of them being commemorative and the foremost with a ribbon in red white and blue was the Royal House Centennial Medal.
The menu consisted of three courses with the main course being fish.
Menu:
Laksetartar, tangchips og tomatbuljong
(Salmon Tartar, with Seaweed Crisps and Tomato Broth)
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Skalldyrspølse, potetlompe, gresskar og syltet løk
(Shellfish Sausage with Potato Flatbread, Pumpkin and Pickled Onion)
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Skrei
(Cod)
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Sjokoladeterte med bjørnebær og is
(Chocolate tart with Blackberries and Ice Cream)
Guest List (not complete):
- HM the King, Harald V
- HM the Queen, Sonja
- HRH the Crown Prince, Haakon
- HH Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner
- HE the Kingdom of Thailand’s Ambassador to Norway, Vimolbajra Ruksakiati
- HE the Portuguese Ambassador to Norway, Pedro Pessoa e Costa
- HE the Republic of Kosovo’s Ambassador to Norway, Dr Nita Luci
- HE the Republic of Macedonian’s Ambassador to Norway, Driton Kuqi
- HE the Republic of Estonia’s Ambassador to Norway, Lauri Bambus
- HE the Russian Ambassador to Norway, Teimuraz Ramishvili
- Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, Minister of Finance & Mrs Vedum
- Anniken Huitfeldt, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Bjørn Arild Gram, Minister of Defense
- Terje Aasland, Minister of Petroleum and Energy
- Emilie Enger Mehl, Minister of Justice and Development
- Jon Ivar Nygard, Minister of Transport
- Marte Mjøs Persen, Minister of Labor and Inclusion
- Sandra Borch, Minister of Agriculture and Food
- Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister of International Development and Minister of Nordic Cooperation
- Marianne Borgen, Mayor of Oslo
Orders worn by guests at the Banquet (not complete):
Vimolbajra Ruksakiati, Thailand’s Ambassador to Norway was seen wearing the Sash and Breast Star of the Order of the White Elephant, the Bow and the Breast Star of the Order of the Crown and the Bow of what looks like the King Rama X Coronation Medal.
Pedro Pessoa e Costa, Portugal’s Ambassador to Norway was seen wearing the Sash and Breast Star of the Portuguese Order of Merit (Grand Cross, 2015). The Ambassador was stationed in Angola before being reassigned to the Embassy in Oslo. His Excellency also wore a Neck-tie that has not been possible to identify so far. According to the website of the President of Portugal the Ambassador has also been made the Grand Official of the Order of Civil Merit (Spain, 2015), Commander of the Order of Faithful Service (Romania, 2015) and the Grand Cross of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Panamá, 2020). However, the Neck-tie ribbon is of a dark (black) colour, so it cannot be any of the listed Orders.
REGAL EVENTS 