AUDIENCE WITH KING OF NORWAY 21 JANUARY

Royal Freeman HM King Harald V of Norway

Although making claims in the world of the London livery companies is a dangerous enterprise I think we are currently the only Company that has two reigning monarchs as freemen: HM the Queen and HM King Harald V of Norway.

King Harald is the third generation of his family to be free of the Company.  His grandfather, Prince Carl of Denmark, was admitted to the Company in 1896 when he married Princess Maud, the youngest daughter of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.  Prince Carl went on to become Haakon VII,  the first king of the modern Kingdom of Norway when it peacefully separated from Sweden in 1905.  His son Olaf was, in his turn, free of the Company and his son, now Harald V, was admitted in November 1960.

Six degrees below and the Royal Palace, Oslo is surrounded by a light dusting of snow.  Unlike royal palaces in Britain you can walk right up to the front door.

This resulted in a party of four, Master Warden Tony Walker, Renter Warden Christian Williams, our Clerk, Alastair Ross, and myself having an audience with the king on Friday 21 January at the Royal Palace in Oslo to present a humble address marking the fiftieth anniversary of his admission.



The Humble Address illuminated on vellum commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of King Harald V of Norway being free of the Company.  This work was beautifully and most skillfully carried out by Timothy Noad.

The humble address on vellum contained the following wording agreed by the Court:

'The Master, Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Worshipful Company of Drapers of the City of London send fraternal greetings to His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and offer the Company's warmest congratulations on his fiftieth anniversary as a Freeman of the Company.

The Company is deeply proud of its continuous association with the Royal Family of Norway since 1896 when His Majesty's Grandfather His Majesty King Haakon VII (As His Royal Highness Prince Carl of Denmark) became a Freeman of the Company and we trust and hope this long association may long continue.

It is our fervent wish that we will have the opportunity of welcoming His Majesty back to Drapers' Hall before too long.'

In the Bird Room of the Palace which is the ante-room to the King's Study and entirely painted with styilised mountain scenes abounding with bird life.  From left to right Christian Williams, Tony Walker, myself and Alastair Ross.  Not the best shot, I think we are all giving the king's ADC instructions how to use the camera.  But it is the only one he took.

We had a most enjoyable audience and discussed a wide number of topics and I shall be able to report back to the Court that our links remain strong with the Royal House of Norway.

King Haakon is in a select group of Drapers' Royal Freemen who were not in direct line of succession when they joined the Company, although they subsequently became monarchs.  There are two others. William of Orange was admitted to the Company in 1676 while Stadtholder of the Netherlands.  It was a clear indication of the Company supporting a wider City view at the time of their preference for a Protestant, rather than a Catholic, succession.  Finally, King George VI was admitted to the Company when Duke of York in 1919.

ELECTION DAY 20 JULY

A busy day at the Drapers' Hall.

It started with a Court of Wardens at 11.00am. This is a unique meeting in the Company's year where the Wardens of the current and next year meet together. Of the Master and four Wardens three were standing down and the three new Wardens are Christian Williams, who has been Master, as Renter Warden, Lady Victoria Leatham, becoming Second Master Warden and William Charnley, newly elected to the Court as Junior Warden. Tony Walker and myself stay on moving up one notch.

Normally this is a pretty straightforward meeting tidying up a few loose ends. However the continuing soap opera of the Department of Education's review of the Drapers' Academy new-buld and some interesting ideas for new items for Company gifts took a little time. The meeting concluded with Peter Bottomley MP, the outgoing Renter Warden, making a warm tribute to the Mastership of Professor Graham Zellick.

We then assembled in the Court Room to swear in for the next year. It is a simple ceremony where after making some big commitments in seventeenth century English we exchanged ceremonial keys of office.

Then it was off to rehearse the transfer of offices as they are carried out at the Election Dinner that evening. Part of the ceremony involves placing what seems to be Tudor style headgear, flat and completely unyielding in its construction, on the head of your successor. However as Master Elect I was able to claim a hat that aproximately fitted. This took some of the imminent danger out of the inevitable bowing as responsibilties are transferred.

The Livery Hall set out for the Election Dinner.  The top table is at the far end of the room under the portrait of Queen Victoria.
 
Election Dinner starts early at 6.30pm is one of the two really grand and large scale evening events of the Company's year. As always it was very well organised and drilled by John Freestone, who is called the Beadle but in addition to some ceremomial duties is our catering manager.

At around ten o'clock a further part of the process that sees me elected Master took place in that I read out the Master's Oath before the members of the Company and guests and made the following statement.

'I am very conscious having just taken the Master’s Oath that some five hundred and twenty individuals since 1438, when the present structure of the Company with a Master and four Wardens came into being, have made it in more or less this form.

It is beyond doubt looking around this Hall tonight that they were remarkably successful in meeting its requirements. But they went well beyond their promise to merely safeguard and protect our ancient heritage. The collective dynamism, vision and self-confidence of my predecessors has, with the support of the Court, Livery and Freedom, continuously sustained, enriched and energised our Company over the centuries.

It is a very great honour indeed to be elected Master and I am aware that I have exceptionally high standards to meet and sustain over the next year. I am standing on the shoulders of giants and with the support of the Court and the wider Company I am sure I shall not lose my balance.'

On the subject of balance, my hat stayed on.

The day finally ended in the Company Garden at midnight when Graham Zellick passed on the Master's badge to me and Jennifer Zellick passed over her badge to Rosemary.

The year begins.