Royal Christmas card from Norway: Not everyone is there this time either

The Norwegian royal family’s Christmas card was published on the 4th of Advent. It shows King Harald of Norway (87) and Queen Sonja (87) in the foreground. Both of them sit smiling in a palace room on golden chairs with red and gold upholstery. She is wearing an elegant red sheath dress, he is wearing a dark suit with a red tie.

Behind him are heir to the throne Haakon (51) and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit (51). He also chose a dark blue suit with a red tie for the Christmas photo, while the future queen wore a loose-fitting black and white dress. Their daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (20), stands next to them. She wore her long light brown hair in elegant waves with a dark patterned dress. These three also smile friendly at the photographer Stian Lysberg Solum.

So far, so normal. What is surprising about the photo, however, is that the son of the heir to the throne is missing without explanation. Last year Sverre Magnus from Norway (19) was on the card.

But somehow that also seems normal. . “Merry Christmas to everyone from the Royal Family. This year’s Christmas photo was taken at the Kongssetra at Voksenkollen in Oslo. Unfortunately the Crown Princess was unable to attend due to health reasons,” the post said. A corona infection bothered her at the time.

The year before, only the Crown Prince family greeted everyone with a Christmas photo. “It was a slightly different pre-Christmas period this year and the Crown Prince Family is grateful for all the kindness shown to the King during his hospital stay and is very happy that he is now home,” it said at the time about the absence Harald and Sonja.

and some even beamed hand in hand from the Christmas card.

Mette-Mari’s eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby (27), whom she brought into the marriage and who caused a major scandal this year, is never seen on the traditional greeting cards.