One of the most peculiar and less known traditions was observed at the end of King Harald and Queen Sonja’s official visit to Denmark. 

On Sunday, 18 June, before the monarchs boarded the Royal Yacht Norge to return to Oslo, they signed one of the windows at Fredensborg Palace. 

This is not an innovation brought on by Queen Margrethe but rather a tradition that dates back more than 160 years. 

According to the Royal Court, every time someone of princely rank or a head of state is a guest of the monarch, they will sign one of the window panes that will be later popped back on at Fredensborg Palace. 

And so it happened that, over a century and a half, many names have been accumulating – from foreign royals to previous heads of state, all of whom have been welcomed by Danish sovereigns and have experienced a bit of what the country has to offer. 

And so, the Norwegian King and Queen simply penned down their names, “Harald” and “Sonja,” as well as a date, “June 17-18 2023.” The handwriting on the date seems to belong to Queen Sonja. 

The window pane will be displayed in Fredensborg Palace, one of two major castles located in the northern part of the Zealand island, north of the capital Copenhagen. 

The palace (not to be confused with Frederiksborg Castle!) is open to the public from the 1st until the 31st of July, with 90-minute guided tours that take visitors through the palace and the private gardens. Eagle-eyed tourists will be able to spot the signed window panes throughout the visit. 

Tours are limited because the palace is still a royal residence, with the Queen using it in spring and autumn (including as a backdrop for her birthday celebrations in April), and the Crown Prince Family moving into the Chancellery House for the summer – a location that was Queen Ingrid’s private residence until her death.