At a glance…
- King Harald V of Norway died on August 28, 2026, just one day before what would have been his 58th wedding anniversary with Queen Sonja.
- The couple met in 1959 but kept their relationship secret for nine years, as Sonja was a commoner and considered an unsuitable match for the future king.
- Harald famously refused to marry anyone else, eventually winning his father King Olav V’s approval. The couple married in 1968 and went on to have two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Norway’s new monarch, King Haakon.
Only one day after King Harald V of Norway’s passing, aged 89, he would have celebrated his 58th wedding anniversary with Queen Sonja.
On August 29, 1968, the then-Crown Prince Harald married Sonja Haraldsen, wearing a beautiful gown by Oslo-based label Molstad, featuring pearl embellishments along the neckline and sleeves.
But this day didn’t come without its trials and tribulations. Sonja was a commoner and the daughter of a clothing merchant, which means she wasn’t a suitable partner for the heir to Norway’s throne.
With more than six decades together, it’s clear no royal traditions or expectations would stop their love.
After nine years of hiding their relationship, Harald gave his father, King Olav V, an ultimatum: he would either marry Sonja, or he would never marry at all.
And so, King Olav approved their union and announced their engagement in March 1968.
“It is with pleasure that I inform you, Mr President and Members of the Storting, that I, after seeking advice from the Prime Minister, members of the Government, you, Mr President, and the parliamentary leaders of the political parties, have today given my consent to my dear son, Crown Prince Harald, to take as his wife Miss Sonja Haraldsen, daughter of the late Mr Karl August Haraldsen and Mrs Dagny Haraldsen née Ulrichsen,” the statement read.
As a symbol of King Olav’s consent – and ultimately waving in a modern approach to the monarchy – he walked Sonja down the aisle. After exchanging vows, the Crown Prince and Sonja drove through the streets of Oslo, waving to onlookers.
How did King Harald and Queen Sonja meet?
The then-Norwegian prince met Sonja in 1959 at a dinner party, hosted by a mutual friend. Soon after, he invited Sonja to his graduation ball at the Norwegian Military Academy. It was here that Harald and Sonja were reportedly photographed for the first time.
Who was Queen Sonja before becoming royalty?
Born as a commoner in July 1937, Sonja Haraldsen is the daughter of a clothing merchant.
When she met the then-Crown Prince in the late 50s, Sonja was studying French, English, and art history at the University of Oslo, and completed studies in accounting and fashion design in Switzerland.
How many children did King Harald and Queen Sonja have?
During almost six decades of marriage, King Harald and Queen Sonja welcomed two children together: Princess Martha Louise, and King Haakon.
Their first child is their daughter, Princess Martha Louise, born on September 22, 1971. Despite being King Harald’s firstborn, the Princess was born before Norway changed its laws to allow the eldest child to inherit the throne regardless of gender.
In November 2022, she stepped away from official royal duties to “clarify the distinction between their own activities and the royal household,” as per a palace statement. She went on to marry a Shaman, read more here.
Second-born and Norway’s new monarch, King Haakon was born on July 20, 1973. The former Crown Prince has spent many years preparing for his future role, including serving in the Royal Norwegian Navy and studying political science at the University of California.
How Sonja continues to honour Harald
Following the death of her beloved husband, King Harald V, Queen Sonja has begun a new chapter without the man who stood by her side for more than six decades.
With Norway’s official period of royal mourning now over, Queen Sonja has returned to her royal duties, continuing a lifetime of service to the Norwegian people.
On 12 October, she visited the National Archives to see the tokens that the Norwegian public left for King Harald following his death. Large numbers of Norwegians left cards, drawings and gifts in tribute to their monarch. The National Archives collected and preserved the items, which Queen Sonja perused.
