Who was King Harald V of Norway, and why was he so loved by the Norwegian people? Norway’s monarch has died at 89 after more than 35 years on the throne, bringing one of the longest and most consequential reigns in modern Norwegian history to an end. His son has immediately succeeded him as King Haakon VIII, while Princess Ingrid Alexandra is now heir to the throne.

We look back at Harald’s childhood exile during World War II, his nine-year fight to marry Queen Sonja, his three Olympic appearances and his determination to modernize the Norwegian monarchy without destabilizing it. How did King Harald respond to the 2011 Norway attacks? Why did he describe marrying for love as a human right? How did he handle the controversies involving Princess Märtha Louise, Durek Verrett and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Høiby?

From his famous inclusive speech about Norwegian identity to his refusal to abdicate despite serious health problems, this is the full story of King Harald V’s life, family, reign and legacy—and what his death means for Norway’s Royal Family.


AI is sometimes used in the creation of this podcast, primarlily when used to translate and interpolate Norwegian language news soruces.

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