Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses,

King Olav was the people’s king. This is how he is remembered by the people of Norway, this is the memory of him that lives on: regal and royal on the one hand, simple and unaffected on the other.

There are two images that characterize this life that coincided with the history of an independent Norway. One is the photograph of the white-clad little boy as he was carried ashore on the arm of his father, King Haakon, when our own brand new royal family arrived in Norway in November 1905. The crown prince was young and so was the Norwegian state. They grew up together as the 20 ^th> century progressed.

The other is the vast expanse of candles outside the palace; 1991, a long lifetime later, when the sad message came from Kongsseteren: King Olav was dead. Flowers, children’s drawings and thousands of small candles were planted in the snow. Norwegians showed their feelings in a new way. It was a spontaneous expression of sorrow, but it was also an expression of the love they bore for a king who had come so wonderfully close to us during his long life.

And we remember many other images from the years between:

Crown Prince Olav living a happy family life at Skaugum, with his mother, Crown Princess Märtha and his sisters.

Father and son seeking shelter under the birch trees in Molde in 1940.

The boundless rejoicing when he returned to Norway in May 1945, and sat on the back of the open car – only then was Norway finally free.

King Olav surrounded by a festive crowd of children and adults during his many trips around the country – he had the whole of Norway as his home.

The King as an ordinary passenger on the tram in 1973, during the petrol crisis, when he refused any special treatment.

King Olav, old and sick, being helped into Holmenkollen Chapel. He considered it his duty to appear in public even then, and did not spare himself. He was a living example of something he once said in a New Year’s speech: "Life and death are both part of the same wonderful whole."

He became king at the age of 54. He had to perform his royal duties without the help of his beloved wife Märtha, whom he had lost three years before. His reign lasted for almost 34 years, and he took part in meetings of the Council of State for a total of 70 years.

From his youth Crown Prince Olav was his father’s best and closest adviser. They discussed everything and supported each other in important choices, from the dramatic government crisis in 1928, when the King asked Christopher Hornsrud of the Labour Party to form a government, to the fateful day in April 1940, with the King’s No to cooperation with the Germans, the royal family’s flight northwards and their heavy-hearted departure from Norway. And then the fight for freedom throughout the war, and their untiring efforts on behalf of Norway.

King Olav won the respect, admiration and love of his people. He felt a strong sense of mission and an equally strong sense of responsibility. He was careful to maintain a distance that he felt was appropriate to his royal status. But at the same time he had great personal charm and the ability to make contact with people, which impressed everyone he met.

Throughout his long life, King Olav showed how the monarchy could serve as a uniting force and a living symbol of the continuity of our country’s history.

He demonstrated our royal family’s admirable ability to develop a royal role that was in keeping with the times. He inherited this ability from his father and passed it on to his own son.

The kings of modern-day Norway have all reflected the spirit of their times. There may seem to be a contradiction between keeping abreast of the times and having contact with other times, other traditions and other values. But our kings have managed to build bridges between people, generations and values in all parts of the country. And thus they have all been the people’s king.

Crown Prince Harald once said, "Father has a speech defect. He can’t say No." This did indeed seem to be true. He took upon himself more duties than most people would find possible, even during his last years, when age and illness had made their mark.

A former prime minister once suggested that the King should perhaps reduce his workload a little for reasons of health. The King’s answer was typical: "You’re either a king or you’re not a king."

King Olav had definite opinions and a strong social commitment. But he was well aware that he had to keep most of his opinions to himself. This made it all the more impressive when he spoke up clearly in defence of moral values. As he did in a speech in 1987, when he warned us all against what he called "the strong and often negative focus on refugees and asylum-seekers … The King said: "This is a test of Norwegian society. This is a question of human dignity and respect for the individual, whatever his race or religion."

King Olav was said to have been "regally dignified as a king, warm and friendly as a person". This is how we remember him – the people’s king.

Today it is ten years since King Harald took over the reins of kingship from his father. A royal role and a symbol of unity have been carried on, with the same sense of simplicity and dignity and the same human warmth.

The unbroken line from King Haakon has been so aptly expressed in the motto they have all adopted: "We give our all for Norway".

We greet our king and his family at this commemoration of the death of King Olav V. We share their memories and their hopes, and we wish King Harald every success in the solemn task that has been laid upon his shoulders.