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Grantley Stephenson awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit

Published:Tuesday | February 12, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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Norwegian Ambassador John Petter Opdahl presents Grantley Stephenson with the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for services he has rendered as honorary consul to Norway. He has been serving for 15 years. The honour is the highest that a non-national of Norway can receive. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Valerie Campbell (left) and Karen Gilbert from Kingston Wharves were out to support the Consular Corps cocktails. - Colin Hamilton/ Freelance Photographer
Grantley Stephenson (third left), chairman and CEO, Kingston Wharves Limited, is congratulated on his award of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by (from left) his wife, Judith Stephenson; Arnoldo Brown, minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; and Ambassador John Petter Opdahl of the Kingdom of Norway.
Grantley Stephenson (front), chairman and CEO, Kingston Wharves Limited is presented with his award of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by Ambassador John Petter Opdahl of the Kingdom of Norway.
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Grantley Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer of Kingston Wharves Limited, who serves as honorary consul general for Norway, has been awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harold V.

He received the honour for his outstanding service to the Kingdom of Norway. The award was presented by Ambassador John Petter Opdahl, ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Jamaica, on February 5 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel. With this order, Stephenson will be Commandeer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

In presenting the award, Ambassador Opdahl, commended Stephenson for the impeccable manner in which he has resolved Norway's issues in Jamaica. He noted that previous ambassadors also sang the Jamaican's praises for his professionalism and efficiency.

"The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commends Mr Stephenson on the way he has organised the consulate general in order to deal with matters in a timely manner," Ambassador Opdahl said.

Stephenson, in response, said, "I am indeed immensely humbled by the honour bestowed on me, and I thank His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, through his representative Ambassador John Petter Opdahl, for finding my work worthy of this highest honour. I am, in return, grateful to those who have been kind with their advice in my role as honorary consul. It is an honour and privilege to be of service to my country and Norway and as such, I hold this recognition most dear."

The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian, Den Kongelige Norske Fortjensteorden) was established by King Olav V of Norway in 1985 and is the highest non-national honour. It is the newest Nordic order and is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens living abroad, Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomats, foreign civil servants in Norway, and Norway's honorary consuls for "outstanding service in the interests of Norway".