HNoMY Norge
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Laid down: | 1936 |
| Launched: | February 11, 1937 |
| Commissioned: | July 9, 1948 |
| Decommissioned: | still active |
| Fate: | still active |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1628 tonnes |
| Length: | 80,6 meters |
| Beam: | 11,6 meters |
| Height: | ? |
| Draft: | 4,7 meters |
| Power: | 2 × Bergen Diesel, 1740 hp each (installed 1982) |
| Propulsion: | Twin screws |
| Speed: | 16 knots |
| Range: | ? |
| Complement: | 54 |
| Aircraft: | None |
| Radar: | ? |
| Gun: | None |
| Cost: | 1 500 000 NOK (1947) |
- For the Norwegian Coastal battleship, see HNoMS Norge.
HNoMY Norge, KS Norge is the Royal Yacht of the King of Norway. The prefix HNoMY stands for His/Her Norwegian Majesty's Yacht and the prefix KS is Norwegian and stands for Kongeskipet (The Kings Ship). Norge is Norwegian for Norway.
The Royal Yacht Norge was the Norwegian people's gift to King Haakon VII in 1947. Norge is owned by the King but maintained and manned by the Royal Norwegian Navy.
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[edit] History
When Prince Carl of Denmark, a naval officer, agreed to be elected to the vacant throne of Norway in 1905, he was promised a royal yacht. Due to Norway's difficult economic situation after the dissolution of the union with Sweden, it never materialized.
During the two world wars the economy and other conditions never made it possible to accuire a yacht.
After World War II a nation-wide appeal was made for funds to purchase a yacht for the respected and aging king who had become a truly national symbol. In July 1947 the British motor yacht Philante, built in 1937 by Camper & Nicolson in Southampton for Sir Thomas Sopwith and used for Atlantic duty as a convoy escort vessel during World War II, was bought by Norway in time for a model to be made for the king's 75th birthday. After refitting was finished in 1948, King Haakon was finally able to take over his royal yacht, which was renamed Norge.
King Haakon used Norge extensively for travels in Norway and abroad.
King Olav took over Norge after his father in 1957, and a 10-year plan was adopted to upgrade the hull and technical equipment. The King followed the traditions introduced by King Haakon, using Norge on both official and private occasions. In 1985 during welding operations on board when Norge was docked for repair, a fire broke out with disastrous consequences, though fortunately the hull and engines survived. King Olav decided the ship was to be rebuilt, and a year later he was once more able to take over Norge, with a higher standard of safety and better technical equipment than before the fire.
When King Olav died in 1991, Norge was taken over by King Harald.
[edit] Manning
The royal yacht Norge is owned by HM The King. A Royal Decree of 1947 provides that the ship shall be manned, operated and maintained by the Defence Forces. Norge has a gross tonnage of 1628 and a maximum cruising speed of 16 knots, and is 264 ft long. In summer the complement of officers and crew is 54. The season begins when the King embarks in May and ends when he disembarks in late September. The winter is used for maintenance.
[edit] Use
The sailing schedule for the Royal Yacht varies from year to year. When the King is competing in major international yacht races, he uses Norge as a base. The King and Queen also make use of the Royal Yacht for official events in Norway and abroad. In 2004 the King used the yacht on his trip to France for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. In 2006 the yacht was among other events used abroad during the state visit to Ireland and in Norway during the state visit by the King and Queen of Spain.
