The King of Norway

Our friend, a distinguished concert pianist, tells the story of how he met his wife. It was shortly after the end of the Second World War, when he was about 25 and at the beginning of his concert career. He had been invited to perform at a concert, under the patronage of the King of Norway, for the benefit of Norwegian victims of the Nazis. The king planned to attend the concert. But one week before the concert was to take place, the king's older brother, the King of Denmark, died, casting the Norwegian court into mourning. The concert would take place, but the king could not attend it. However, in order to make up for his not attending the concert, he invited our friend to a private reception at the palace the next day.

Our friend, who had booked his return passage on a Norwegian vessel due to leave Oslo straight after the concert, canceled his reservation. He didn't want to miss the palace reception nor the opportunity of meeting the king. Not yet experienced in dealing with royalty, however, he consulted the American embassy for advice. "Do not shake the king's hand," he was told, "and remain standing in his presence." When our friend was ushered into the room where the king, a very tall man, was standing, the king greeted him enthusiastically by name, extended his hand for a handshake, and pushed him into an upholstered chair, which made our friend laugh. "Why are you laughing?" asked the king, so our friend told him about the advice he had received, which made the king laugh in return.

Our friend wanted to return to New York as soon as possible. so he arranged passage on a Swedish vessel leaving Gothenberg the next day. The embassy kindly flew him, in a very small plane, to Gothenberg, where he embarked on his journey home. On that ship, he met the woman, still a girl really, who became his bride a few years later. Had the King of Denmark not died a week before the concert and had the King of Norway not have been gracious enough to invite our friend to the palace, a productive, happy partnership that lasted for 59 years and produced two children and three grandchildren would never have taken place. Our friend is now in his ninetieth year and he met the king about 65 years ago, yet he still tells that story from time to time, and I never tire of hearing it.