I spent a month in Norway and two weeks in its beautiful and friendly capital of Oslo. I spent a lot of time walking around the city sightseeing and meeting people along the way. One of my favorite walking routes in Oslo was from my friend's apartment in the Bislet burrough, down the road and into Palace Park where I would walk around and enjoy the fresh air. It was here that I met a young man named Ule Andreas, who would exercise his two dogs in the park every day. We met twice in the park and had a nice discussion about our lives in Norway and America.
After catching my breath in Palace Park, I would arrive at The Royal Palace (Slottet), and if I was lucky to make it to the Slottet by 1:30, I could catch the Changing of the Guard that occurs at the palace every day like clock work. I would wait with the gathering crowds for the ceremony to begin or stop my walk to catch the remainder of the ceremony if I was late for the ceremony. The soldiers assigned to guard the Palace are very formal and like Buckingham Palace's Beefeaters, they don't move from their stations no matter how noisy and crazy you act in front of them.
The history of the Slottet is not that old. The Slottet was built in the first half of the 19th Century when Norway was under Swedish control, and Oslo was then called Christiana. Construction began in 1825 by the architect who designed the place was named Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow (1787-1851) and his crew. It was to be the residence of the Swedish King, Karl Johan (Norwegian: Charles III or in Sweden: Charles XIV) whenever they were in Christiana. Sweden was ruled by the Bernadotte family in the early 19th Century, and this line still rules Sweden today.
Charles III never saw the Slottet completed, but his heirs Oscar II and Charles IV used the Slottet as their residence after its completion in 1849. The Swedish Royal Family stayed at the Slottet whenever they were in town, but Oscar also spent a lot of time at his palace at Bygdoy (big-day), and his wife Queen Sophia, who was ill most of the time, spent most of her time in Norway in Skinnarbol near the Swedish border.
In 1905, Norway wanted independence from Sweden, and Oscar II was nowhere to be seen during the dismemberment of the Norwegian/Swedish union, but his son Prince Gustav, tried to save the union and visited Norway often. The attempts to save the union were unsuccessful, and later in the year, Sweden resigned from the Norwegian throne and Norway came under the control of Danish prince Carl, who became Haakon VII, and one of Norway's beloved kings. Haakon VII took control of Norway as an independent country, and he was the first to use the Slottet as his permanent residence.
During King Olav V's reign (1957-1991), the Slottet fell into some disrepair due to neglect and lack of upkeep. Renovations of the Slottet began after Olav's death in 1991 and his son Harald V became king. It cost a lot of money and many years to complete, but the renovations were worth it, and the Slottet is open for visitors.
I didn't make it inside the Slottet in 1995 due to the renovations, but the outside with its pale yellow and white colors and view of Oslo from its hilltop home is spectacular. There is a statue of Karl Johan overlooking Oslo's main drag, the Karl Johan Gate that is popular for photos.
Today, the Slottet is used mostly for ceremonial purposes since the current Royal Family lives in another palace outside of Oslo. On 17 May, Norway celebrates Norwegian National Day, which celebrates Norway's independence from Sweden in 1905. The Royal Family watches a huge parade on Karl Johan Gate with the Norwegian population, and the streets are festooned with flags and streamers in the colors of the Norwegian flag, a blue and white cross on a red background.
It is free to tour the Slottet grou