Last stop Berlin – after Munich and Hamburg, Norway’s Crown Prince goes to the federal capital. There the royal meets Germany’s political leaders. His wife Mette-Marit is also there.
Berlin has a royal visit – Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon is stopping in the federal capital on the fourth and final day of his trip to Germany. Norway’s heir to the throne has been traveling through Germany since Monday, touring the largest cities in the Federal Republic. The 50-year-old royal had previously visited Munich and Hamburg.
Wife and Crown Princess Mette-Marit joins them in Berlin. The couple is one of the most popular royals in Europe and represents a young, modern and nature-loving Norway. The 50-year-old will accompany Haakon on his appointments in Berlin. Haakon arrived in Berlin by train from Hamburg early on Wednesday evening.
Commemoration of November 9th
The aim of Haakon’s visit to Germany is to strengthen the close relations between Norway and the Federal Republic. The core topics in Munich and Hamburg were initially economy, energy, shipping, defense and culture. Haakon is traveling accompanied by a business delegation and members of the Norwegian cabinet.
Today the royal couple attends a November 9th memorial service at the Berlin Wall Memorial. The 34th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 is being commemorated with numerous events in Berlin and Brandenburg.
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner welcomed Haakon and Mette-Marit’s participation in the memorial event. “The day the Wall fell will always remain a day of ambivalence,” said Wegner in a statement. “We remember with joy on November 9th, 1989 the end of the Wall regime that divided Berlin and Germany. But at the same time we remember the dead, those injured in body and soul and the Germans who were at the hands of the SED state for decades have been prevented from developing their opportunities and their freedom.”
Meeting with Steinmeier and Scholz
The royal couple will also meet Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace and will then be received by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Chancellery.
The fact that Mette-Marit only joined her husband at the end of the trip to Germany could be due to her health. In 2018 she was diagnosed with the chronic lung disease pulmonary fibrosis, because of which she often has to take less time. She was last on sick leave for a few weeks in late summer.
In Munich, Haakon already dealt with the topics of armaments and literature. In addition to a visit to the arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, he attended a German-Norwegian literary event. Literature is his wife Mette-Marit’s hobbyhorse and passion. Most recently, together with Haakon, she promoted the works of Norwegian authors at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair. In Hamburg, the Crown Prince took part, among other things, in an economic conference at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Source: Stern
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