Norway’s King Harald V Dies at 89, Son Becomes King
- King Harald V of Norway died at the National Hospital in Oslo on Friday at 6:35 a.m.
- Born in 1937 in Asker near Oslo, Harald was the first Norwegian prince born in the country since King Olav IV in 1370.
- As a young man, Harald spent nine years resisting pressure to marry a European princess, holding out until he won permission from his father to marry his school...
King Harald V of Norway died at the National Hospital in Oslo on Friday at 6:35 a.m. local time at the age of 89. Europe’s oldest monarch reigned for more than three decades after ascending the throne in January 1991, presiding over an oil-and-gas-driven economic boom while maintaining a popular, largely symbolic role in the democracy of 5.5 million people. Following his death, his son automatically became King Haakon VIII.
Exile During World War II and Early Royal Duties
Born in 1937 in Asker near Oslo, Harald was the first Norwegian prince born in the country since King Olav IV in 1370. When Nazi Germany occupied Norway at the start of World War II, a three-year-old Harald fled with his mother and sisters first to Sweden and then by boat to the United States, while his father and grandfather went into exile in Britain with the Norwegian government. During their time in the United States, the young prince and his family were frequently guests at the White House. At age six, Harald carried out his first official duty by christening new warplanes at a Norwegian air base in Canada. The family reunited in Norway in June 1945 after the war ended, and Harald later attended public schools, the Norwegian military college, and Oxford University. Like his father—an Olympic champion sailor in 1928—Harald maintained a lifelong passion for the sea, representing Norway at several Olympic Games and winning gold in the 1987 World Championships as a yacht skipper.
Marriage to Queen Sonja and Succession Changes
As a young man, Harald spent nine years resisting pressure to marry a European princess, holding out until he won permission from his father to marry his school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a successful businessman. King Olav V had initially feared the match might weaken the young monarchy. Instead, Norwegians celebrated the August 29, 1968, wedding with great jubilation, and Sonja was ultimately embraced as queen. The couple had two children, Haakon and his older sister, Märtha Louise. In 1990, the Norwegian Constitution was altered to allow the firstborn child, regardless of gender, to take precedence in the line of succession. However, the rule was not applied retroactively, meaning Haakon retained his place ahead of his sister and automatically assumed the throne as King Haakon VIII upon his father’s passing.
Reign, Modernization, and National Mourning
When Harald assumed the throne on January 21, 1991, following the death of King Olav V, he adopted the traditional royal motto: All for Norway.
Over the next three decades, he sought to modernize the royal house while refusing to abdicate unlike other aging European monarchs.
It has been my experience that the monarchy stands strong,
Harald once said. This is not least because my father and grandfather did most things right. That puts me under pressure, but I take it as a challenge.
Harald earned deep national praise for his leadership during times of crisis, notably delivering an emotional speech at a memorial service after a right-wing extremist killed 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in 2011. Following his death, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre issued a statement acknowledging the profound loss. A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway,
Støre said. For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. He helped us to see the best in ourselves — and in one another.