King Harald V of Norway, Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, died Friday at age 89, making his son, Crown Prince Haakon, the new King of Norway. Harald V was the third king of Norway since the country gained independence in 1905, and the first to be born within Norway since 1370. He spent his childhood in exile in the United States during the Nazi occupation, fleeing with his mother and sisters after an initial reluctance from Sweden to grant them passage. The family later joined Harald’s grandfather and father in exile in England, where they formed a government in exile. He famously spoke English with a slight American accent after the war years spent in Washington D.C.
Harald V’s lineage connects to the British and Swedish royal families; he was a second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and a Knight of the Garter. His parents were Crown Prince Olav, who later reigned as Olav V, and Princess Märtha of Sweden. His grandparents were King Haakon VII, the first king of independent Norway, and Queen Maud, daughter of Britain’s Edward VII. The family’s roots trace back to the Danish Glücksburg dynasty. This heritage informed his perspective, leading him to state, “It is not easy to say where we come from. Home is where the heart is.”
He was known for choosing to marry his school sweetheart, Sonja Haraldsen, despite pressure to marry within European nobility. He also relinquished his constitutional status as “holy” after ceasing to be head of the Lutheran state church in 2012. In 2017, a newspaper named him Norway’s person of the year, recognizing his Scandinavian moderation and approachability. Though once 16th in line to the British throne, he had fallen to around 80th in recent years. He was the sixth Harald to rule Norway, distinguishing himself from earlier rulers like Harald Bluetooth, Harald Fairhair, and Harald Hardrada.
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