By Jim Heffernan
Pity those poor Scandinavian monarchs. Sometimes they get no
respect.
Of course the current Norwegian king, Harald V, got plenty
of respect when he visited Duluth recently to rededicate Enger Tower. But his
father, King Olav V, experienced an indignity so egregious when he visited the
1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, that it was mentioned again last week
in a New York Times obituary for a former Calgary mayor. (Read it HERE.)
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| Ralph Klein, 12th primiere of Alberta |
The obituary for Canadian politician Ralph Klein, whom the
Times described as a “rambunctious Canadian politician” who also became Alberta
premier, recounted the incident. Here’s how the obituary put it:
“At the Olympics, Mr. Klein (then Calgary mayor) mistook the
King of Norway (Olav V at the time) for his driver and asked him to fetch the
car. The startled king explained who he was as he pulled out his silver
cigarette case. Mr. Klein apologized and bummed a cigarette.”
It brought to mind the famous gaffe 100 years ago at the
Stockholm Olympic games when American decathlon gold medal winner Jim Thorpe
was introduced to King Gustav V of the host country. Addressing Thorpe, the
king said, “Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world.”
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| King Olav V of Norway |
“Thanks, King,” responded Thorpe.
The athlete apparently didn’t know that nobody calls a king
king to his face, “your majesty” or “your highness” being the most common
commoner way to address royalty.
