The King and Queen of Norway have marked the end of coal mining in Svalbard.
King Harald and Queen Sonja have arrived in Longyearbyen at the same time as they are marking the end of coal mining in Svalbard.
They visited the day camp deep in the mountains and talked to the remaining miners. The coal mine, known as Mine 7, will close on June 30. It is located in Adventsdalen, 7 kilometres outside Longyearbyen.
Photo: Ola Vatn, The Royal Court
After visiting the mine, the King and Queen travelled to Longyearbyen’s town square, where a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the statue of Gruvebusen. This statue is in memory of the 124 miners who died during the operation of the mine. This was followed by a minute of silence.
In a speech, King Harald said, “Svalbard and Longyearbyen are changing. And it has been for well over 100 years, since the first adventurers settled and began mining. But today the changes are more visible and they are happening faster. Svalbard is like the canary in the mines – you notice the climate changes first. Nowhere in the world is warming faster than here.”
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