King and Queen of Norway visit family in Svalbard

The King and Queen of Norway have visited a family running a hunting station in Svalbard.

The majority of hunting lodges and stations are now cultural heritage sites, but the Farmhamna hunting station is currently in operation by a family of three.

King Harald and Queen Sonja visited Ida and Jan Brunner with their 1.5-year-old daughter Elena, who have wintered there for the first time since purchasing Farmhamna. Their station was built in 1991, and they have been allocated a reindeer quota, and the reindeer hunt is now their main source of income.

Photo: Ola Vatn, The Royal Court

Photo: Ola Vatn, The Royal Court

The King and Queen were served cinnamon rolls in the couple’s living room. Ida and Frank are psychologists by profession and are no strangers to life in Svalbard, as they previously lived there with their 16 dogs.