Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Happy Constitution Day, Norway!

Today (yesterday from my Oregon POV) Norway comes together to celebrate syttende mai (17th of May), the anniversary of the signing of the Norwegian constitution. Norway is a Constitutional Monarchy. King Harald V has competed in several Olympic Games (in sailing). Like Queen Elizabeth II of England, King Harald has a symbolic and representational role as sovereign. Parliament makes the laws. Even a king knows his place in a democracy.
Although Norway didn’t become fully independent until 1905, the Eidsvoll agreement of 1814 was nevertheless a pivotal moment in Norway’s history, declaring Norway independent from Denmark. Just a few months later an independent union with Sweden began, so celebrations to mark the constitution were muted for years to come.

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