The Norwegian King and his family donned traditional dress today as they waved flags from the balcony the Royal Palace in Oslo.
King Harald V was joined by his wife Queen Sonja, his son Crown Prince Haakon, his daughter in law Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their children Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus to wave Norwegian flags during celebrations of the Constitution Day.
While photos show the festivities seemingly in full swing, they were less grand than usual as social distancing measures remain in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
King Harald V (right) was joined by his wife Queen Sonja, (second right) his son Crown Prince Haakon (second left), his daughter in law Crown Princess Mette-Marit (centre) and their children Princess Ingrid Alexandra (left) and Prince Sverre Magnus (centre) to wave Norwegian flags during celebrations of the Constitution Day.
Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are seen in the car outside their home during the Norwegian Constitution Day
While the men in the family opted for top hats and suits, the women wore traditional Scandinavian dress for the occasion.
In previous years, both Sverre and his father have worn traditional Norwegian costume known as bunads, which includes white shirts, knee socks and splashes of red.
But today the Prince and King wore slick suits and showed their national pride by waving flags.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit, usually favours a classic and polished style so her long whire skirt and apron was very much a departure from her customary look.
s Norway’s Queen Sonja and King Harald V on Norway’s national day at the Bygdoy Royal Estate, in Oslo
A school marching band plays in Baerum, near Oslo, during the Norwegian Constitution day celebrated
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon sit in a convertible car as they attend the May 17th celebrations in Oslo
Before joining the royal family on the balcony, the couple looked very glamorous as they drove the streets of Oslo in the back of an open top classic car.
Princess Mette-Marit’s older son Marius was not seen with the family for the celebrations.
At the time of her wedding to the Crown Prince in 2001, she was a single parent to a four-year-old son, and is now a mother-of-three.
A cortege of boats pass the Justoy bridge in Blindleia, southern Norway
Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Prince Mette Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus walk outside their home during the Norwegian Constitution Day with their labradoodles
She has since become widely respected for her charity work and has been a special representative for UNAIDS, a branch of the UN that focuses on dealing with HIV and AIDS.
She also joined the Norwegian aid agency NORAD as an intern, and is a patron of several Norwegian charities, including the Oslo International Church Music Festival and the Norwegian Scouting Association.
Also on the streets were marching bands from local schools and the military, as the country looked to experience their national day in a new manor.
Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg celebrates in the garden of her residence in Oslo, with the Uranienborg School brass band
The Tromsdalen brass band walks through almost empty streets to pass the Arctic Cathedral in Tromso
The annual holiday is always celebrated on May 17 where Norwegians celebrate the signing of the constitution declaring Norway an independent kingdom in 1814.
The national celebrations see parades across the country and stop at the palace for the royals to greet the crowds.
The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway’s devastating defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.
Medical staff members look on as a school marching band plays in front of a hospital in Baerum
Members of the drill squad of His Majesty the King’s Guard perform on the roof of the Opera house in Oslo
For a number of years during the 1820s, King Karl Johan banned the celebration of the event, believing it to be a kind of protest and disregard — even revolt — against the union between Norway and Sweden.
His attitude changed following the Battle of the Square in 1829, which resulted in such a commotion that the king had to allow commemorations on the day.
Members of the Utsira Music Corps march in the rain and wind to mark Norway’s Constitution Day as the ferry MS Utsira looms in the background in the country’s smallest municipality of Utsira
Four years later in 1833, an official celebration took place for the first time near the monument of former government minister Christian Krohg, who had spent much of his political life curbing the personal power of the monarch.
After 1864 the day became more established when the first children’s parade was launched in Christiania, at first consisting only of boys. In 1899, girls were allowed to join in and have done ever since.
In 1905, the union with Sweden was dissolved and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen to be King of an independent Norway, under the name Haakon VII.
Norway went into lockdown in March but was eased out a month later.
While some measures still apply, the country which has seen 232 deaths and 8,237 Covid-19 cases has reopened schools, hairdressers and sports clubs.