LEIF ERIKSON LODGE
The mission of Sons of Norway is to promote and to preserve the heritage and culture of Norway, to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries, and provide quality insurance and financial products to our members.
Honoring His Majesty King Harald V
Individuals can sign an online book of condolence on www.kongehuset.no.
With the passing of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, Leif Erikson Lodge wants to honor his legacy by looking at how he has touched our members, as well as the Ballard and local Norwegian American community. He and his family visited Washington State multiple times throughout the years.
In 1964 as Crown Prince, he visited Norway Center, Fishermen's Terminal, the Ballard Locks, the Norse Home, and Shilshole Marina, where he got to see the Leif Erikson statue!
In 1995 he visited for the first time as King, where he dedicated the Bergen Place Park mural. His father, Olav V, had dedicated the park almost exactly 20 years before. This visit held special weight as it marked the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, and his primary purpose was honoring the Norwegian merchant marines and war veterans (Krigsseilers) who bravely supported Norway at sea. Following the dedication, the royal couple famously walked down Market Street to an invitation-only gathering at Leif Erikson Hall. There, the King and Queen Sonja made sure to personally greet every veteran and resistance member in attendance, creating a truly unforgettable highlight for those who served.
In 2015, 20 years after his last visit, Harald came and rededicated the mural at Bergen Place. At his own request, he also visited Pacific Fishermen Shipyard to meet the Norwegian-American fisherfolk who have contributed so much to maritime history, and later he received an honorary doctorate at Pacific Lutheran University's 125th anniversary commencement ceremony. He commented that Queen Sonja got an honorary doctorate from PLU long before he did!
His legacy is deeply personal to our Lodge. Our members showed Queen Sonja around Norse Home in 1995, helped host the royal couple at Leif Erikson Hall, shook hands with him at Pacific Fishermen Terminal, and even met him as children in Singapore in 1978 when he was visiting the Norwegian Seamen’s Church.
Please swipe through to the photos below, submitted by the many members of our Lodge, to see how he has visited and connected with so many. We will always remember his warmth and dedication to his people.
Hvil i fred, King Harald V.
Made with reference to the official guidance at https://www.regjeringen.no/en/documents/the-death-of-his-majesty-king-harald-guidance-for-the-period-of-national-mourning/id3171460/#tocNode_11