King and Queen of Norway begin state visit

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway today begin a three-day state visit to the Republic of Ireland.

After arriving at Dublin’s North Wall on the Norwegian royal yacht, they will be hosted by President Mary McAleese at a tree-planting ceremony at Aras an Uachtarain.

The Norwegian royals are later scheduled to meet with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Vincent Jackson.

They will attend a state dinner tonight at Dublin Castle in the company of the president.

On Tuesday, Sonja is expected to attend the opening of a seminar on Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen at Trinity College Dublin.

She is also scheduled to visit the National Library of Ireland to open the Portraits of Ibsen exhibition by Haakon Gullvaag.

Harald is scheduled to open a conference at the Global Irish Institute, University College Dublin on Tuesday.

The couple go to Cork on Wednesday, where they are due to open a conference on Ireland’s maritime legacy at the National Maritime College of Ireland.

Queen Sonja is also scheduled to open an exhibition of Norwegian jewellery at Cork Public Museum before she and her husband conclude their visit.