Photo: Wikipedia
King Haakon to visit Narvik and the Armed Forces in Finnmark
King Haakon will visit Narvik on Tuesday 13 October and then continue to the Armed Forces in Finnmark. These are the first official trips around the country for Norway's new king.
King Haakon will visit Narvik on Tuesday 13 October, and then travel on to visit the Armed Forces in Finnmark on 13 and 14 October. These are the first official trips around the country for Norway's new king, who came to the throne in August.
The choice of Narvik is no accident. In 1940 some of the hardest fighting on Norwegian soil took place here, and the town has once again become an important hub for Norwegian and allied preparedness. Narvik is the most important port for shipping mineral resources in Norway and Scandinavia, and the harbour is one of four Nordic ports able to receive allied reinforcements. The town is also the terminus of the Ofoten Line, which secures the rail link to Kiruna in Sweden.
Total defence, democracy and how we build safe and strong local communities together will form the framework for the visit, the Royal House says.
A speech at the town hall square
Narvik municipality is inviting local residents to an event at Rådhusplassen, where the King will give a speech, among other things. The visit takes place in the morning.
"It is a great honour to welcome the King to Narvik on his first official visit", says Mayor Rune Edvardsen.
The first brigade in Finnmark
From Narvik the journey continues north. The Finnmark Brigade is the Army's second standing brigade and was established in 2025 as an expansion of the former Finnmark Land Defence. It is the first brigade ever created in Finnmark, and extensive infrastructure works are under way at Porsangmoen.
On the afternoon of 13 October the King visits the Ranger Battalion, the unit that patrols the border with Russia, and meets both officers and conscripts.
The following day he meets the Finnmark Police District and the Border Commissioner, before travelling on to the Finnmark Brigade's headquarters at Porsangmoen. There he meets the brigade's newly established units: the Kristiansten Artillery Battalion, the Skoganvarre Signals Company and the Air Defence Battery, as well as the Porsanger Battalion. The King will also be briefed by Finnmark Home Guard District 17, Forsvarsbygg and the Finnmark technical workshop.
Four municipalities left
Municipal visits were a cornerstone of King Harald's work. Over 35 years on the throne he reached almost every Norwegian municipality, and only four remained when he died in August. With Narvik, King Haakon begins his own round.