King Harald V of Norway took to the airwaves late Friday night and addressed his people following the horror that took place in Oslo and the island of Utøya. He said:

“Today we have witnessed horrific acts both in Oslo and Utøya. Our thoughts go naturally to the survivors and the relatives. I would like to thank all those who have helped to rescue people out of this situation. In such a horrible situation it is important to stand together and support each other so that we can rise up again. Now it is important that we stand together and support each other. The fact that we do not let fear prevail. As we support each other we come through this terrible situation that we have experienced.”

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And the royal Norwegian family was personally hit by the tragedy: One of Norwegian Princess Mette-Marit’s stepbrothers, Trond Berntsen, an off-duty police officer working as a security guard at the island of Utøya, was killed.