World Economic Forum 2025 Annual Meeting - Royals Attending (MOVED)

This site has moved to GertsRoyals.com. You can find the info that was on this page here.

Queen Sonjia of Norway - Hospitalizations & Health Issues

Lillehammer Hospital
Helge Høifødt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I think anytime a royal is in the hospital or having a major health event, there is public concern. I have compiled this information for the purpose of allowing the public to better understand the royal's health history.

All information I share is publicly available information that has been released by the palace. Out of respect for the royals, I don't include any rumors or anything not confirmed by the palace or royals. 

April 2025

• Monday April 21st: Suffer shortness of breath
• Taken to holiday by Air ambulance from the Royal Mountain Chalet in Simkilsdalen where the couple was spending Easter Holiday. 
• Hospitalization at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet
• April 21st-22nd
• Sick leave for the rest of the week. 

January 2025

• Saturday, January 11th: Suffered atrial fibrillation during a skiing trip 
• Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that causes an irregular and rapid heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart. Symptoms can include irregular heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and fainting.
• Palace states "The situation is not considered serious and the Queen is in good shape."
• Hospitalized at Lillehammer Hospital for "Observation"
• January 11th - 12th
• Released with a normal heart rhythm. 
• Surgery to insert Pacemaker 
• Surgery on January 16th
• Hospitalized at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet
•  January 15th - 17th
• Updates: 
• Tuesday January 14th - Palace announces pacemaker surgery. "The treatment is due to a situation that arose with Atrial fibrillation". The Queen will be admitted to the hospital the night before the surgery and will then remain in the hospital for one or two days after the surgery.
• Thursday January 16th: The Surgery was successful. The Queen is doing well. She will remain in the hospital for one or two days. 
• Friday January 17th: Queen Sonja was released from the hospital. She is doing well. She is expected to be on sick leave until Friday, January 24.
• Thursday February 6th: Queen Sonja's 1st official engagement post- Surgery  is scheduled.

 2010s

October 2019 

• Canceled week and half of engagements due to respiratory infection. 

June 2019

• Canceled participation at South Korea State Visit due to Foot Infection. 

2000s

June 2009

• Surgery on foot
• Sick leave 4-5 weeks

2004

• Surgery on foot

November 2001

• Corrective surgery on left foot due to a misalignment at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet
• Sick leave for 3 months

January 2001

• Injured eye during Ski trip.
• Treatment for eye injury and acute keratitis  at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet

2000

• Corrective surgery on left foot due to a misalignment  at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet

1970s

July 1973 

• Gave birth to Crown Prince Haakon at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet

September 1971 

• Gave birth to Princess Martha Louise at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet

July 1970

• Miscarriage aboard the Royal Yacht
• Hospitalized at Fredrikstad Central Hospital 

Annual Diplomatic Corp Reception - Spain (MOVED)

This site has moved to GertsRoyals.com. You can find the info that was on this page here/*

Denmark Royal Coat of Arms - Updated 2024

On December 20th, 2024 King Frederik passed a royal resolution, updating the Royal Coat of Arms. (The new coat was released to the public on January 1st, 2025). The change creates "a contemporary royal coat of arms that both reflects the Commonwealth and takes into account history and heraldic tradition."

The Royal Coat of Arms is used by both the Monarch and the State. It is used on many things including official documents and in the seals that are minted in royal appointments and original laws. 

The Royal Coat of Arms dates back to the 12th century, but has been changed many times over the years. The two previous monarchs, Queen Margrethe II and King Frederik IX, both updated the coat of arms at the start of their reign. 

New Coat of Arms

In the middle of the Royal Coat of Arms is the shield. The shield has 4 fields representing, in order: Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands, South Jutland/Schleswig. The shield is divided by the red Dannebrog cross. At the heart (center) is the shield of the Oldenborg family, marking the dynastic origin of the royal family. The shield is surrounded by the chains of the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog. The two supporters are "wildmen." 

Changes from Royal Coat of Arms during Queen Margrethe II's reign:

• The Faroe Islands and Greenland are now given their own field (Quarter). 
• This gives them equal place with Denmark, as they are all countries in the Kingdom of Denmark.  
• South Jutland/Schleswig is a former Duchy, which is now half in Denmark and half in Germany. 
• The Three Crowns, a symbol of the former Kalmar Union (1379-1523) has been removed, as it is no longer relevant. 
• The Kalmar Union was a personal union of then Denmark, Sweden (which included much of Finland), Norway, and Norway overseas territories (which included Iceland, Greenland, etc.)
• Dannebrog cross has been changed back to the outward-curved.
• This is more historical.

Official Blazon: 

"The shield is quartered by an outwardly curved silver cross with a red border. 1st field: In gold, three walking gold-armed blue lions with red tongues and with gold crowns, accompanied by nine red hearts (Denmark); 2nd field: In blue, a silver ram with gold armament and red tongue (Faroe Islands); 3rd field: In blue, an upright sitting silver bear with red tongue (Greenland); 4th field: In gold, two walking gold-armed blue lions with red tongues (South Jutland/Schleswig). Heart shield: In gold, two red beams (Oldenborg). The shield is surrounded by the chains of the Order of the Dannebrog and the Order of the Elephant.

Shield holders: Two naturally colored wild men with green oak leaves around their heads and loins, each holding a naturally colored club in the averted hand, standing on a stone console. All within a tent of arms crowned by the Danish royal crown."

Committee Members: 

A committee was appointed shortly after King Frederik's Accession. The Committee consisted of:

• Ronny Skov Andersen - Royal Coat of Arms Painter 
• Jes Fabricius Møller - Royal Order Historian 
• Nils G. Bartholdy - Heraldic Consultant 
• Professor Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard - Former Chairman of the Danish Heraldic Society
• Niels Arne Dam - Current Chairman of the Danish Heraldic Society
• Anton Pihl - Musem Curator and vexillologist