I was transfixed recently by the ceremonies attendant to the burial of the late King Harald V of Norway and the assumption of the throne by his son, King Haakan VIII, all of this taking place in the capital city, Oslo.

Everything appears to be regulated by long standing traditions.  The citizenry who participated in the various ceremonies are all uniformly and impeccably dressed as dictated by the groups they represent.  Movement from place to place is accomplished with measured steps drawn out over a period of time to project solemnity.

The charge to the new king is read using words dictated by tradition, while the acceptance of the charge by the king is, likewise, carefully scripted, again according to tradition.  There is, in a word, precision in everything that occurred during this week of the transference of authority from one monarch, now deceased, to the new monarch, the son of the one no longer with us.

Yet the word that describes what I watched most accurately, is “dignity”.  Everything was done with dignity.  Everything occurred in a dignified manner.  Everything was approached with grace.  And with that dignity and grace came a seriousness as well, all projecting the feeling that those in charge were not only in charge, but actually had........

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