Touching love story of King Harald and Queen Sonja

The love story of King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway is one of the most touching royal romances.

As Queen Sonja has stayed by her husband’s hospital bed, we take a look at their heartwarming romance that survived against all odds.

Prince Harald was born to the future King Olav and Crown Princess Märtha (of Sweden) on 21 February 1937 in Skaugum. He joined two older sisters, the late Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid. Following the Nazi invasion of Norway,  he was forced to flee Norway with his mother and sisters and find refuge in the United States.

A few months later, Sonja Haraldsen was born on 4 July 1937 at the Red Cross Clinic in Oslo to Karl Haraldsen, a clothing merchant, and Dagny Ulrichsen. The future consort had three siblings: Haakon, Gry, and Karl. Sonja followed in her father’s footsteps and studied dressmaking and tailoring in school.

The year 1959 changed everything for Harald met Sonja. The pair met at a dinner party and quietly dated for nine years. They had to fight to be able to wed due to her commoner status. When Harald, as Crown Prince, was told he needed to marry a woman of equal rank and not a commoner, Harald refused. He stood up to his father and the Norwegian government, vowing that if he could not marry Sonja, he would not marry. Without a marriage and children, the Norwegian Royal Family would have ultimately ended at his death. King Olav and the government realised how serious young Harald was and granted their permission.

Once the engagement was announced, the pair were not met with resistance from the public. They received a lot of support and have continued to be beloved by the Norwegian people throughout their lives.

By Glorvigen, Bjørn – Arkivet etter Billedbladet Nå i Riksarkivet, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Royal Court of Norway announced that King Olav had given the pair permission to marry in March 1968, and they wed on 29 August 1968 at Oslo Cathedral. Sonja dedicated herself to her new role and gained immense popularity, curbing any doubts people had about a commoner’s ability to be royal.

Together, she and Harald have two children: Princess Märtha Louise (b. 22 September 1971) and Crown Prince Haakon (b. 20 July 1973). The laws of succession in Norway changed in 1991, allowing for absolute primogeniture. While the Princess was granted a place in the line of succession, she did not surpass her brother and become heir upon the change.

King Harald and Queen Sonja have six grandchildren: Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Marius Borg Høiby (children of the Crown Prince Couple), and Maud Angelica, Leah Isadora, and Emma Talulah Behn (daughters of Princess Märtha Louise and her ex-husband, Ari Behn).

There’s a four-part series on Amazon Prime called “Commoner” that portrays their sweet story. It can be viewed here.