Decorah is preparing for a visit from members of the Norwegian royal family on Thursday. Their majesties, King Harald and Queen Sonja will visit Luther College and the Vesterhiem Norwegian American Museum.

The king and queen will attend a ceremony at Luther College at 11:45 in honor of the colleges sesquicentennial, after attending a luncheon, the royalty will to a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new gallery at the Vesterheim Museum. The stop in Decorah will be the first of a three-day dimplomatic tour of the United States for the king and queen, which includes a visit to Northfield, Minnesota and Minneapolis.

By Darin Svenson, KDEC, Decorah