The Anglo-Norwegian Commemoration Project, of which Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, became Patron in 2023, was established with the aim of increasing public awareness and recognition of the close cooperation between the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and the many Norwegian patriots who worked with them, and the significant contribution which they made to achieving the liberation of Norway from German occupation.

In her capacity as Patron of the Project, Her Royal Highness has already visited Norway once, in May 2024, when she went to Vemork, the site of the celebrated raid on the heavy water plant, Operation Gunnerside.

The main purpose of her visit on this occasion was to unveil a memorial statue which the Project had commissioned.  This statue, called Coastwatchers, was installed in Normandieplassen in central Oslo.  It was designed and created by Håkon Anton Fagerås at his studio in Pietrasanta, in northern Tuscany.

Coastwatchers consists of two figures, who are depicted in a vivid representation, carrying out surveillance or reconnaissance activities.