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Duke and duchess attend gala dinner in Norway | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The King of Norway has paid tribute to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a gala dinner in their honour in Oslo. | |
Speaking at the Royal Palace, King Harald described the couple as "family" while Prince William celebrated the UK's relationship with Norway. | |
Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit had greeted the duke and duchess at a snow-covered airbase at the start of the second leg of their Nordic tour. | |
Staff cleared the runway as the private chartered plane arrived from Sweden. | |
Prince William and Catherine are visiting the two countries at the request of the Foreign Office - part of a series of trips seen as attempt to strengthen ties with European nations ahead of Brexit. | |
Norway is not in the EU but is associated through its membership of the European Economic Area. | |
In his speech, King Harald said: "I hope we will be able to maintain our close and extensive co-operation when the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union." | |
Prince William said: "Norway has been, and will continue to be, enormously important to Britain both as a friend and a partner." | |
He added: "Defending freedom is a core value for both Norwegians and Britons. | |
"The cherished symbols of our freedom and friendship are the Christmas trees sent from Norwegian communities to Britain each December." | |
The royal couple are due to visit Norwegian start-ups and entrepreneurs, including reMarkable, Play Magnus, No Isolation and Motitech, which all work towards tackling issues such as the environment, mental health and well-being. | |
The duke will also meet Norway's chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. | |
Kate, who is six months pregnant with the couple's third child, kept warm in a Catherine Walker coat and Seraphine dress as they were greeted by their hosts on Thursday morning. | Kate, who is six months pregnant with the couple's third child, kept warm in a Catherine Walker coat and Seraphine dress as they were greeted by their hosts on Thursday morning. |
They were then driven to central Oslo to the Royal Palace for an audience with King Harald and Queen Sonja, before taking a tour of the Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park and spoke to members of the public. | |
The Duchess smiled in a pink flowing gown by Alexander McQueen as she was led to dinner by King Harald V, while Prince William followed closely behind, accompanied by Queen Sonja. | |
The duke and duchess's Norwegian visit comes exactly 34 years after Princess Diana's solo trip to the country in 1984, when she also met Harald and Sonja. | The duke and duchess's Norwegian visit comes exactly 34 years after Princess Diana's solo trip to the country in 1984, when she also met Harald and Sonja. |