EMBASSY GARDEN PARTY
have just read your issue of July 1, and I feel I must protest at what, you say in 'Portrait of the Week' about the incident of the press photographers at the Embassy Gar- den Party for the Queen. This was a party especially for the Queen to meet her British subjects living in Norway. There were no press photographers of any nationality present, though some of the guests, invited as British subjects, had small pocket cameras with them. The Embassy official concerned, though he did tell the Norwegian press that it was prefer- able that they should not take photographs, did so in a pleasant way, and there were no complaints then or later in the Norwegian newspapers. In fact, the incident was only commented on here after an exaggerated version had appeared in certain English papers, and then only to deplore the mis- understanding and the scandalmongering atti- tude of the British journals concerned. As you say, the Royal visit was extremely suc- cessful and the Norwegian people all fell in love with the Queen and are left with an increased feeling of Anglo-Norwegian friend- ship. The reaction of the man-in-the-street here to the original story in the daily press was one of amusement, but it would be a great pity if the affair was increased in im- portance by being taken seriously by a news- paper of your reputation.
For your information, I am an English woman married to a Norwegian, and have a great interest, personal and idealistic, in good relations between my two countries.—Yours faithfully, Tuengen Alle 13, Vinderen, Oslo
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