Royal trip? Cannabis plants found in Norwegian palace park

OSLO (AFP) - A number of cannabis plants have been found, and destroyed, in the park surrounding the Norwegian royal palace which is home to King Harald and Queen Sonja, official sources said.

"There were some hash plants. We have no idea who might have put them there," palace spokeswoman Wenche Rasch told AFP.

The palace said it was still unknown whether the illegal growths had simply been planted as decorative greenery or if they had been snuck in and planted by an outsider.

The city of Oslo is responsible for looking after the relatively small park in the center of the capital.

The plants were destroyed on Tuesday after Norwegian religious daily Vaart Land reported that they were in the park.

Amidst Europe's monarchies, Norway often stands out as having one of the most modern and and down-to-earth royal families.

Crown Prince Haakon for instance is married to a commoner who has a son from a previous relationship with a convicted drug criminal, and who has admitted to a "dissolute past".

His sister Princess Maertha Louise meanwhile is married to a controversial author and creator of a documentary on Las Vegas where he himself is seen with two prostitutes snorting cocaine.

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