Yesterday evening people began gathering outside Det kongelige slott / Slottet (The Royal Palace) in Oslo. They brought flowers, candles, cards and small tokens of affection for the ailing King Harald V who was taken to the hospital last week for treatment for a rare blood condition. The last of summer sunshine added some hope to a beautiful heart of the city.

Today skies turned grey and the rain fell relentlessly on serious crowds in the streets and all those walking towards the palace and its park to pay tribute to the King Harald who died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet this morning at 6:35. He was popular, loved and highly respected for his compassion, practicality, for modernising the monarchy and breaking with some old traditions. Norwegians consider him as a unifying person during the country’s most difficult moments. He also had a sense of humour and felt that he was a king for Norway as his role and duty was to serve the people of Norway. His personal motto was ‘Alt for Norge’.

Yesterday I remembered the King’s famous speech given during a garden party at the Palace’s park on 1^st September 2016.

Today it rained heavily and I went with my best friends to Oslo to pay our respects, light candles and lay flowers outside Slottet. We saw cortege driving to the palace. Everyone felt sadness and also gratitude for King Harald’s 35 years of service. I want to share his speech in full, both in Norwegian and in English, as it really shows the late monarch’s values, his passion for equality of all citizens, support of refugees and religious tolerance in a diverse but united nation.   

Etter at vi gjennom mange år har reist rundt i det meste av landet, er det veldig hyggelig å få være vertskap for representanter fra hele Norge!

Hjertelig velkommen til oss, alle sammen!

Dere som er samlet her utgjør bredden av det Norge er i dag. Så hva er Norge?

Norge er høye fjell og dype fjorder. Det er vidder og skjærgård, øyer og holmer. Det er frodige åkre og myke heier.

Havet slår mot landet fra nord, vest og syd.

Norge er midnattssol og mørketid. Det er både harde og milde vintre. Det er både varme og kalde somre.

Norge er langstrakt og spredt bebodd.

Men Norge er fremfor alt mennesker.

Nordmenn er nordlendinger, trøndere, sørlendinger – og folk fra alle de andre regionene. Nordmenn har også innvandret fra Afghanistan, Pakistan og Polen, Sverige, Somalia og Syria.

Mine besteforeldre innvandret fra Danmark og England for 110 år siden.

Det er ikke alltid så lett å si hvor vi er fra, hvilken nasjonalitet vi tilhører. Det vi kaller hjem, er der hjertet vårt er – og det kan ikke alltid plasseres innenfor landegrenser.

Nordmenn er unge og gamle, høye og lave, funksjonsfriske og rullestolbrukere. Stadig flere er over hundre år. Nordmenn er rike, fattige og midt i mellom.

Nordmenn liker fotball og håndball, klatrer fjelltopper og seiler – mens andre er mest glad i sofaen.

Noen har god selvtillit, mens andre sliter med å tro på at de er gode nok som de er.

Nordmenn jobber i butikk, på sykehus, på oljeplattform. Nordmenn arbeider for at vi skal være trygge, arbeider med å holde landet rent for søppel, og leter etter nye løsninger for en grønn fremtid. Nordmenn dyrker jorda og driver fiske. Nordmenn forsker og lærer bort.

Nordmenn er engasjert ungdom og livserfarne gamle. Nordmenn er enslige, skilte, barnefamilier og gamle ektepar.

Nordmenn er jenter som er glad i jenter, gutter som er glad i gutter, og jenter og gutter som er glad i hverandre.

Nordmenn tror på Gud, Allah, Altet og Ingenting.

Nordmenn liker Grieg og Kygo, Hellbillies og Kari Bremnes.

Med andre ord: Norge er dere.

Norge er oss.

Når vi synger «Ja vi elsker dette landet», skal vi huske på at vi også synger om hverandre. For det er vi som utgjør landet. Derfor er nasjonalsangen vår også en kjærlighetserklæring til det norske folk.

Mitt største håp for Norge er at vi skal klare å ta vare på hverandre.

At vi skal bygge dette landet videre – på tillit, felleskap og raushet.

At vi skal kjenne at vi – på tross av all vår ulikhet – er ett folk.

At Norge er ett.

After having travelled around most of the country for many years, it is very nice to be able to host representatives from all over Norway in our garden here at the palace! A warm welcome, everyone!

You who are gathered here represents the width of what Norway is today. So what is Norway?

Norway is high mountains and deep fjords. It’s plains and coastline, islands and islets. There are lush meadows and gentle hills.

Sea crashing against the country from the north, west and south.

Norway midnight sun and polar night. It is both harsh and mild winters. There are both hot and cold summers.

Norway is elongated and sparsely  inhabited.

But Norway is, above all, people.

Norwegians are northerners, those from Trondheim region, southerners – and people from all the other regions. Norwegians have also emigrated from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Poland, Sweden, Somalia and Syria. My grandparents emigrated from Denmark and England 110 years ago. 

It is not always easy to say where we are from, what nationality we belong to. What we call home is where our heart is – and that is sometimes difficult to place within borders.

Norwegians are young and old, tall and short, able-bodied and wheelchair users. An increasing number over one hundred years. Norwegians are rich, poor and all in between. Norwegians like football and handball, climbing mountains and sailing – while others are most fond of the sofa.

Some have good self-esteem, while others are struggling to believe that they are good enough as they are. 

Norwegians are working in shops, in hospitals and on oil platforms. Many Norwegians work to ensure that we are safe, and many work to keep the country clean of garbage, and are looking for new solutions for a green future. Norwegians cultivate the land and fish. Norwegians do research and teach.

Norwegians are engaged youth and experienced old. Norwegians are unmarried, divorced, families with children and old couples. Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who like boys, and girls and boys who are fond of each other.

Norwegians believe in God, Allah, Everything and Nothing.

Norwegians like Grieg and Kygo, Hellbillies and Kari Bremnes.

In other words, Norway is you.

Norway is us. 

When sing ‘Yes, we love this country’, we must remember that we also sing about each other. For it’s us who make up the country. Therefore, our national anthem also is a declaration of love to the Norwegian people.

My greatest hope for Norway is that we are able to take care of each other.

That in the future we will build this country on trust, fellowship and generosity.

That we shall know that we – despite all our differences – are one people.

That Norway is one.

Rest in peace Kong Harald V.