Other Crap

Norwegian King is just one of the guys: "The average spectator walking around busy Miami Beach Marina this week, probably would not be able to make King Harald for royalty. He wears a faded red baseball cap from a past Antigua Race Week that says ''Sail fast; live slow.'' He laughs and jokes with American sailors in unaccented English." These people are probably the most beloved and down-to-earth monarchs in the world. Harald's father was famous for riding the public transportation. In modern times, Norway became an independent country in 1905, after centuries of Danish and Swedish hegemony, and has only had three kings. Harald's grandfather (Haakon, 1905-1957) ruled through two world wars and rallied the country from the UK during the German occupation. His father (Olav) was king from 1957-1991. I was living and working in Norway when he died. It was a "JFK experience". Like everyone else with an emotional link to the country, I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard about Olav's death.