By Baron Henry Estramant.
Winter Youth Olympic Games shall be held for a second time in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer in 2016.
The competition which is due to last ten days, encompasses over one thousand young athletes aged between 15 and 18 years old, hailing from 70 countries, and competing in the same number of events.
A ceremony to countdown 365 days to the event was arranged on 12 February 2015 under the auspices of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, who is a member of the National Advisory Committee to Lillehammer 2016. The ceremony itself was held at Lilletorget with the unveiling of the countdown clock by HRH Crown Prince Haakon and ice hockey player Carl Erik Kråbøl (14). Norwegian Minister of Culture, Thorhild Widvey, addressed the crowd, followed by OMEGA’s President Mr Stephen Urquhart, who was representing the International Olympic Committee.
The countdown in Lillehammer happened only a couple of weeks after the demise of an avid sporter within the extended Norwegian Royal Family, Johan Martin Ferner (22 July 1927 – 24 January 2015), husband to Her Highness Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, the King’s youngest sister. Johan Martin Ferner himself had won a silver medal during the 1952 Summer Olympics held at Helsinki. At the time of his nuptials to Princess Astrid on 12 January 1961 the latter had to forfeit her royal status, and is thereinafter styled within Norway simply as “Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner”.
Princess Astrid served as Norway’s unofficial “First Lady” after the demise of her mother, Crown Princess Märtha in 1954, and continued in that role until 1968 when his brother Harald married the incumbent Queen Sonja. For her services to the kingdom, Princess Astrid was accorded an annual life pension in 2002 by the Norwegian government. She participates in all major events of the Royal Court including the annual reception for the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Norway.
Between 23 and 27 February, Norway’s Royal Couple, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, left the winter theme behind to embark on their very first State Visit to the Commonwealth of Australia. The visit had an economic focus to promote Norwegian business interest Down Under.
For more information:
Lillehammer 2016: http://en.lillehammer2016.no/
Norway’s Royal House. www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=125735&sek=27262
