THE CONCERT AND RECEPTION

May 23rd, 2002

More of the official guests for the wedding arrived in Trondheim. Among the first guests that arrived were the Earl and Countess of Wessex together with Princess Ragnhild Mrs Lorentzen and Princess Astrid Mrs Ferner with their husbands. Some three hours later, at 16:20, the airplane with the Prince of Asturias arrived,. just in time for the concert and reception. In the early evening Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg arrived, while his uncle Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and his wife Sibilla didn't arrive until 22:55. At 21:25 Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine arrived from Sweden. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will arrive on Friday in the early afternoon.

At 18:00 Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn, together with their guests (family, friends, royals and representants of the official Norway), attended a gala concert in their honour at the Olavshall. They walked the 50 metres long distance between the Radisson SAS Royal Garden Hotel and the Olavshall, where they were received at the entrance by Liv Sandven, acting mayoress of Trondheim, and Grethe Komisar, manager of the Olavshall. Princess Märtha Louise wore a hand-painted strapless silk dress by Wenche Lyche decorated with silver and gold butterflies and a chiffon stole together with a pompadour bag. The text on the front of the dress was composed by the Princess herself and said: "When they met, every moment came an eternity, and every eternal moment embraced a glimpse of their love". She also wore a pearl necklace and had little butterflies in her hair. Queen Sonja wore a mint-green silk dress with a chiffon jacket. Her jewellery consisted of emeralds with diamond clasps. Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore a dress of ice-blue velvet, and her jewellery consisted of pearl earrings and a three-stranded pearl bracelet. Ari Behn, King Harald V and Crown Prince Haakon wore dinner jackets.

The 1 hour and 20 minutes long show was a present to the couple from the City of Trondheim. All together 1100 people attended the gala concert. 90 Norwegian artists were invited to perform, among them Morten Abel, Sondre Lerche, The Brazz Brothers, the latin group Mambo Companeros from Trondheim, Andrew Strong, the opera star Randi Stene and the TrondheimSolistene. Ari Behn's best man, Kåre Conradi, himself an actor and performer, hosted the show. The South African band "Women Unite" ended the show by performing a wedding song, and Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn came on stage and joined in the dance. At the end a touched Princess Märtha Louise thanked the City and everyone who had participated in the show.

After the concert the Government reception took place at the Radisson SAS Royal Garden Hotel in Trondheim, for which 460 guests were invited. When Sigvart Dagsland sang "Kjærlighet fra Gud" with the help of the choirs Embla, Trondheim Kammerkor and Det Norske Mannskor Princess Märtha Louise was very touched and was in tears; Ari Behn had to comfort her. Afterwards Princess Märtha Louise held a short speech in which she referred to her pilgrimage to Trondheim together with Ari Behn. She was joking "How are you called if you travel to Trondheim by car?" and said that it was called 'Bilegrim" (bil = car). She finished by saying that tomorrow is a new day and that - 'Vi glær oss!' - we are looking forward to it.

Finally the reception was followed by a dinner for the royal guests at Stiftsgården.