We will remember Harald V as a warm, generous and unifying father figure for the entire country, and as part of a royal family that has championed the value of tradition, art and culture throughout its service. We would also like to echo the King’s own words from the Royal Garden Party in 2016:
"When we sing 'Ja, vi elsker dette landet', we should remember that we are also singing about each other. Because it is we who make up this country. Our national anthem is therefore also a declaration of love to the Norwegian people."
The Royal Family has been an important supporter of music education in Norway. In the late 19th century, King Oscar II secured additional funding for talented students of limited means at the newly established organ school, which later became the Oslo Conservatoire of Music. King Olav V was High Patron of the Conservatory and was warmly present in the University Aula in 1973 for the celebration of its transition into the Norwegian Academy of Music. Crown Princess Sonja later laid the foundation stone for the new building at Majorstua in 1989 and opened the new wing in 2007.
