According to sources inside the White House, President Trump has long been fixated on the idea of winning the Nobel Peace Prize and meeting King Harald V of Norway—two things Obama already did.
In fact, Trump reportedly asked if King Harald could personally invite him to his castle. But the invitation never came. Instead, King Harald rolled out the red carpet for Obama.
On May 13, former President Barack Obama was welcomed by King Harald V, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the royal summer estate in Bygdøyveien.
The gathering was described as a high-level lunch to discuss “the current challenges in the USA.”
This wasn’t their first meeting. King Harald awarded Obama the Nobel Peace Prize back in 2009, recognizing his efforts in international diplomacy.
Obama was in Oslo for a lecture at the Oslo Spektrum on May 12. The talk, moderated by former parliament member Sofie Høgestøl, focused on democracy and the global issues facing the world today.
The meeting comes at a time when the 87-year-old King is stepping back from some royal duties due to health concerns, including a recent surgery to implant a pacemaker. Still, he made time for Obama.
“The King will make adjustments to his program in the future, out of consideration for his age,” the Royal House said on April 22. “This will entail a permanent reduction in the number and scope of activities in which the King participates.”
When asked earlier this year whether he might follow Denmark’s Queen Margrethe and step down, King Harald replied, “No, I don’t really have it. I stand by what I have said all along. I have taken an oath to the Storting, and it lasts for life.”
