King Harald Concludes the County Tour with a Visit to Askvoll
Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
King Harald concluded his county tour of Vestland with a visit to Askvoll municipality. With this, the King has now made official visits to all municipalities in Vestland.
The third and final day of King Harald's county tour of Vestland took him to Askvoll municipality. The King gave a speech in the town hall square before local residents and was given a warm welcome.
With the visit to Askvoll, the King has now made official visits to every municipality in Vestland. Across Norway only four municipalities remain: Nissedal, Siljan, Rindal and Høylandet.
Excerpt from the King's speech in Askvoll:
"Dear all,
When I stand here and look out across the fjord, it is no wonder that people move back to Askvoll after years abroad, like the Loftheim family. I just had a pleasant meeting with the family over at Askvoll Sjømat og delikatesser. It is rather harder to understand that anyone can move away from here.
On our way in here we sailed past one of Vestland's most important sailing landmarks, the island of Alden, or 'The Norwegian Horse' as it is also called. We have sailed past it many times, but this is the first time it pointed the way to precisely you.
The Queen would have liked to be here with us, and she has asked me to send her warmest greetings. She also had a special story to share from one of the two times she has come ashore on the island:
The diary notes from 25 June 2005 read:
'Met two of the island's five permanent residents. One of them was a fisherman, and we were given fresh lobster on board the Royal Yacht, because this was the first time there had been a royal visit to Alden since the Middle Ages.'"
The King also said that Queen Sonja was "on her way home" following her admission to Rikshospitalet Hospital for atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
In connection with the visit, the King also answered questions from TV 2 about the future of the monarchy. He had the following comment about the younger members of the royal family:
"With my successors, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra too, you have nothing to fear."
Asked about the possibility of abolishing the monarchy, he replied good-humouredly:
"Then I will no longer be here, that much is at least certain."
The King also commented on the recent stories about Crown Princess Mette-Marit's earlier contact with Jeffrey Epstein. He said that he "found out about it when you found out about it", and stressed that the Crown Princess "has done nothing illegal". He also pointed out that she ended the contact "very early" and gave her "a little 'creds' for" that.
The King closed his speech by describing the county tour as an "unforgettable journey".