Their Majesties and His Royal Highness, arrived at the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey and were received by The Reverend Canon Robert Wright, Sub-Dean of Westminster and Rector of St. Margaret’s, who presented the Canons of Westminster, The Reverend Canon David Hutt, Sub-Dean of Westminster, The Reverend Canon Dr. Nicholas, Sagovsky Lector Theologiae, The Reverend Canon Robert Reiss, Canon Treasurer and Major General David Burden, Receiver General and Chapter Clerk.
The King and Queen of Norway with The Crown Prince of Norway were conducted to the Grave of the Unknown Warrior where His Majesty laid a wreath and prayers were said by the Sub-Dean. The Sub-Dean then took The King and Queen of Norway, and The Crown Prince of Norway, on a short tour of the Abbey, returning to the Great West Door, where Their Majesties and His Royal Highness signed the Distinguished Visitors’ Book.
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior represents all who fell in World War I. The idea of such a tomb came to a chaplain at the Front, the Reverend David Railton, when he in 1916 noticed in a back garden at Armentieres, France, a grave with a rough cross, on which were pencilled the words 'An Unknown British Soldier'. In August 1920 Railton wrote about his idea of a tomb to Herbert Ryle, Dean of Westminster Abbey, who then wrote to both the King and the prime Minister. A committee was set up and chose Westminster Abbey as the final resting-place for the Unknown Warrior. The remains were chosen from the bodies of unknown British servicemen exhumed from four battle areas, the Aisne, the Somme, Arras and Ypres, and finally laid to rest on 11 November 1911.
HM Queen Sonja signs the Distinguished Visitors’ Book.
The Crown Prince of Norway signs the Distinguished Visitors’ Book.
The wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Warrior laid down by HM King Harald.