Chapter One | William & Mary

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Chapter One | State Visit to Sweden and Norway

January 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of Sweden and Norway

Published 29 January 2018

The Duke and Duchess explore Stockholm and Oslo together for the first time.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of Sweden and Norway began in Stockholm. Their Royal Highnesses' first stop was to visit Vasaparken to watch bandy hockey. Dating back to 1813, the sport originated in Cambridgeshire, and has now become one of the most popular winter sports in Scandinavia as well as in Eastern Europe and the US.

After meeting bandy hockey players, The Duke and The Duchess were then received by the Swedish Royal Family at The Royal Palace of Stockholm.

After meeting bandy hockey players, The Duke and The Duchess were then received by the Swedish Royal Family at The Royal Palace of Stockholm

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kensingtonroyal The Duke and Duchess are with The King and Queen of Sweden, and Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Harry at the Royal Palace of Stockholm #RoyalVisitSweden

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Their Royal Highnesses also walked through the streets of Stockholm on their way to Stortorget, the city's oldest public square.

In the evening, The Duke and Duchess attended a dinner at the Residence of the British Ambassador.

On the second day of #RoyalVisitSweden, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accompanied by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Harry, visited the Karolinska Institute.TRH found out more about Sweden's pioneering work in the field of mental health and children's wellbeing, and how children and young teenagers are supported through the Swedish education system.

On their final night in Sweden, The Duke and Duchess attended an event at the Fotografiska Gallery celebrating contemporary culture.

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The Duke said: "Tonight is a celebration of energy, creativity, innovation and engagement in the world - all words we associate with both Britain and Sweden. Above all, tonight is a celebration of friendship. Skål!"

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'Sweden is a country that holds a very special place in the heart of my family, and for all British people.,' said The Duke during a speech at the Fotografiska Gallery.

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"How are you two doing? I wished you both could stay longer." Victoria said as we returned to the palace to rest for a bit then pack for royal tour to Norway.

"We're great. I wished we could too but we'll be seeing each other soon again and plus this little one had been sitting on my bladder." Mary said as I placed a hand on her bump.

"Aww baby number three. Do you know the gender or waiting to be surprised?" Harry asked.

"We're waiting to be surprised." I said.

"And are you two trying for baby three or we done having children?" Mary asked.

Harry and Victoria looked at each other and smiled.

"We're happy with two but it happens then we would be happy with another baby." Victoria answered.

"Mum would definitely be happy to see how her boys made families of their own the way she wanted us to." Harry said.

"She definitely would be happy for us." I said, smiling.

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On 1 February, Their Royal Highness arrived in Norway for the second part of their Royal Tour. The Duke and Duchess were welcomed to the Royal Palace in the centre of Oslo by The King and Queen and other members of the Norwegian Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess began their visit to Norway with a visit to the Princess Alexandra Sculpture Park, located within the Palace Gardens. There are four sculptures here, designed for and by children through cartoon competitions in schools across the country.

The Duke and Duchess were then invited by Their Majesties to an official dinner at the Royal Palace, alongside members of government, leaders in business, and those from the Norwegian creative industries.

'Your Majesties, I bring warm greetings from my grandmother The Queen to you both and to the Norwegian people. Her Majesty has very fond memories of her three State Visits to Norway, and of hosting visits by Your Majesties and King Olav,' said The Duke of Cambridge during a speech made at the dinner.

On the final day of #RoyalVisitNorway, The Duke and Duchess arrived at the Hartvig Nissen School, which was the location for the hugely successful Norwegian television programme Skam. The series highlighting teenagers and the many challenges young people can experience growing up.

The four-tour of Sweden and Norway focuses on learning more about what makes Scandinavian culture so unique, from attitudes towards young people and mental health in schools, to the importance of being active and spending time outdoors, whatever the temperature may be. As well as spending time with the Royal Families of both Sweden and Norway, The Duke and Duchess will meet a wide variety of children and young people, those working in the mental health sector, and leaders in business, academia and scientific research, government, civil society and the creative industries.

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