The Royal Love Story of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway

The Norwegian royal family is relatively less prominent among European royalty. Primarily, Norway has a long history of being subordinate to Sweden or Denmark, and its royal lineage is relatively recent, spanning just three generations, and lacking deep historical roots. As a young dynasty, the Norwegian royal family undeniably leads in terms of their approach to marriage. The current Queen of Norway, Queen Sonja, was the first commoner to marry into European royalty. Before her, marriages within European royalty were predominantly arranged through royal intermarriage. Queen Sonja’s husband, the current King of Norway, Harald V, was born in 1937. His grandfather, King Haakon VII, was the first modern king of Norway. However, if one were to delve into specifics, he was not Norwegian but Danish. Before ascending to the Norwegian throne, he was Prince Carl of the House of Glücksburg in Denmark. Later, upon Norway’s independence, he was invited to become the king of Norway.