Princess Anne unveils sculpture in Norway

The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband, Timothy Laurence, has unveiled a sculpture at Akershus Fortress in Norway.

She was also joined by Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

The sculpture is a tribute to the close Norwegian-British intelligence cooperation during the Second World War. Princess Anne is the patron of the Anglo-Norwegian Resistance Commemoration Project (ANRCP).

The sculpture is called “Coastwatchers.” It was designed and created by Håkon Anton Fagerås at his studio in Pietrasanta. It consists of two figures carrying out surveillance.

Princess Anne became the patron of the Anglo-Norwegian Commemoration Project in 2023. The project aims to increase public awareness of the close cooperation between the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), and of the Norwegian patriots who worked with both. They contributed significantly to Norway’s liberation from German occupation.

As patron of the Anglo-Norwegian Commemoration Project, she also visited Norway in 2024. She then visited Vemork, the site of the celebrated raid on the heavy water plant, Operation Gunnerside. At the time, she announced that there would be a statue, saying, “But there is always more that can be done to remind future generations just how remarkable the wartime relationship between our two countries was, and the very special people involved. So today, I am announcing on behalf of the Anglo-Norwegian Resistance Commemoration Project of which I am Patron, the launch of a competition to select a Norwegian sculptor to create a statue which will commemorate the bravery of those Norwegians and British who risked their lives in the campaign to restore freedom in Norway.”