General Discussion

However, King Harald has very little actual power per the Norwegian Constitution; he isn't anything like the absolute monarch Trump would love to be. Most European hereditary monarchs are basically mascots and symbols of their particular countries - usually loved and respected as such, but their countries' parliaments run the show. Trump's interest in this particular king over the other remaining eight or nine European kings probably arises from the fact that the Norwegian parliament selects the members of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee and Trump probably figures the king could pull some strings for him (not that he would). Note also that Trump met recently with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, along with the Finance Minister, Jens Stoltenberg (the recent head of NATO). While Norway is almost as rich as Dubai, it's not a world power, and I can't think why Trump would want a special meeting with its top officials except for the purpose of sucking up. Trump wants that Peace Prize desperately - not just for the prestige, but because Obama got one.