President Barack Obama, winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, declined to participate in events normally attended by laureates, including lunch with Norway’s King, according to a report.

“We always knew that there were too many events in the program,” said Geir Lundestad, secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, according to the Guardian. “Obama has to govern the US and we were told early on that he could not commit to all of them.”

Besides lunch with King Harald, other events traditionally a part of the winner’s schedule include a dinner with the Norwegian Nobel committee, a press conference, a television interview, and attendance at various other events.

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