Norway’s royal couple to oversee college link-up

THE King and Queen of Norway will witness the signing of a major education deal in Cork tomorrow between Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and a Norwegian college.

His Majesty, King Harald V and Queen Sonja will visit CIT’s National Maritime Training College in Ringaskiddy where representatives of CIT and Vestfold University College will sign a Memorandum of Understanding.

The deal will result in several staff and student exchanges and could lead to major advancements in maritime training technology.

The royal couple, who are in Dublin today, are due to visit the naval base at Haulbowline in Cork tomorrow morning.

They are travelling on the royal yacht, Norge, which will anchor off Cobh early tomorrow morning.

They will then be transferred to the naval base by royal barge, where they will come ashore at the Alexandra Stairs. The stairs were named in 1885 after the then Princess of Wales, Princess Alexandra.

Princess Alexandra is the great-grandmother of both the King of Norway and the Queen of England.

Following the ceremonies, the Norge will up anchor and proceed up the River Lee, where it is due to dock at the North Custom Quay at 11am.

She will be accompanied by the LÉ Eithne and the Norwegian navy minehunter, Alta. The ship will not be open to the public.

The royal couple will be welcomed at City Hall by Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael Ahern.

In the afternoon, the queen will open an exhibition of jewellery by several top Norwegian artists at the city’s public museum in Fitzgerald’s Park.

The Rhythm of Light exhibition will remain open until October 21.

The Norge will leave Cork on Thursday but the queen is planning to spend some time, in a private capacity, cruising along the West Cork coast.

Norway’s foreign minister and its ministers of trade and industry, and of fisheries and coastal affairs, are among the delegation.