Just as fall colors reached their richest hues in mid-October, Her Majesty Queen Sonja paid a visit to Minnesota. The Queen’s official visit covered both government and Norwegian-American entities across the state.
Upon landing, the royal delegation including Ambassador to the United States and Viking magazine columnist Anniken Krutnes was received at the state capitol by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Representatives of the Minnesota National Guard and Norway’s Heimvernet (Home Guard) were present to celebrate NOREX, the troop exchange that has existed between the two entities for 49 years. This partnership is the longest-running military training program that exists between two countries.
The next stop on Her Majesty’s whirlwind road trip was St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Students presented items from the archives, emphasizing the college’s deep ties to Norway. NAHA, the Norwegian-American Historical Association, featured artifacts from the school’s special collections. Several students had the chance to read in Norwegian and exchange comments with Queen Sonja.
Her Majesty told NRK, Norway’s national broadcasting corporation that day three of her trip was “like Syttende Mai many times over.” Joined by Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, Queen Sonja cut the ribbon for a new genealogy and innovation center at Norway House, a museum and cultural center in the Ventura Village neighborhood, the original home to many of the area’s 19th Century Scandinavian immigrants.
In her speech, Queen Sonja said: “Being here feels like a home away from home. It really is. It’s truly an inspiration to see the way the descendants of the immigrants have thrived, contributing a great deal to American society. At the same time, they have not forgotten their history.”
In the evening of the same day, Her Majesty attended the world premiere of “The Stranger,” a story of immigrants and refugees by contemporary Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen, whose choral works are among the most performed today.
On her final day in the US, Queen Sonja attended a Norwegian language worship service to celebrate 100 years of Mindekirken – the Norwegian-Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis.