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HH Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Harald V (born 21 February 1937) is the King of Norway. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991. The son of the then-Crown Prince Olav and of Princess Märtha of Sweden, Harald was born at the Crown Prince Residence at Skaugum, Akershus, Norway.

A member of the House of Glücksburg, a house originally from Northern Germany, Harald became the first Norwegian-born prince since Olav IV, who was born in 1370. Harald V is the formal head of the Church of Norway and the Norwegian Armed Forces. He has two children, Princess Märtha Louise (b. 1971) and Crown Prince Haakon (b. 1973), the heir-apparent to the throne.

He is closely related to other European monarchs. He is the first cousin once removed of King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, the second cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and the second cousin once removed of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

In 2015, he became the world's first reigning monarch to visit Antarctica, specifically the Norwegian dependency Queen Maud Land.

Childhood and education

Prince Harald was born in Skaugum and was baptized in the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace in Oslo on 31 March 1937 by Bishop Johan Lunde. His godparents were: his paternal grandfather, the King of Norway; his paternal grandmother, the Queen of Norway; his maternal grandfather, Prince Carl of Sweden; his maternal grandmother, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden; his uncle, the King of Belgium; King George VI and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom; and Crown Princess Ingrid of Denmark. His parents already had two daughters, Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid.

In 1940 the entire royal family had to flee their homes because of the German invasion. The dramatic journey northbound was marked by the Germans' repeated attempts to kill the King through bombing. It was deemed safer for the family to split up. The King and Crown Prince Olav would remain in Norway and the Crown Princess was to make her way to Sweden with the three children. The latter party reached Sweden on the night of 10 April, but although Crown Princess Märtha was Swedish-born, they encountered problems at the border station. According to Princess Astrid and others who were present, they were admitted only after the driver threatened to ram the border gate. Another account does not describe the escape so dramatically. However, when the King and Crown Prince inquired of Swedish foreign minister Christian Günther whether they could sleep one night in Sweden without being interned, they were denied.

Prince Harald spent the following days in Sälen before relocating to Prince Carl Bernadotte's home in Frötuna on 16 April. On 26 April the group moved to Drottningholm in Stockholm. King Gustaf V has been accounted to have had an amicable relationship with his Norwegian guests, but the topic of the war in Norway was not to be raised. However, influential Swedish politicians including Minister of Justice Westman wanted the Crown Princess and Prince Harald to be sent back to Norway so he could be proclaimed King by the Germans. After the King and Crown Prince had to leave Norway on 7 June they felt Sweden might not be the best place for the rest of the family. They started planning for them to be relocated to the United States. On 17 August the Crown Princess and her children left for the United States from Petsamo, Finland, aboard the United States Army transport ship American Legion.

Harald and his mother and sisters lived in Washington, D.C., during the war, while his father, Crown Prince Olav, and his grandfather, King Haakon, stayed in London with the Norwegian government-in-exile. One of the notable events he remembers from that time is standing behind Franklin D. Roosevelt when he was sworn in for his fourth term on the South Portico of the White House in 1945. Such childhood experiences are reflected in a trace of an American accent when he speaks English. The Doris Kearns Goodwin book No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the Home Front in World War II contains a picture of the King (then Prince) playing with FDR's dog, Fala, on the North Lawn of the White House in 1944.

Prince Harald visited Norwegian servicemen on training in the United States. The prince also made visits outside America, travelling north to visit Norwegian personnel at the training base "Little Norway" in Ontario, Canada. He attended The White Hall Country School from 1943. Prince Harald returned to Norway along with his family at the war's end in 1945.

In the autumn of 1945 he was enrolled in third grade of Smestad skole as the first royal to attend a public school. Amidst this, in 1954 tragedy struck as he lost his mother to cancer and 4 years later in 1958 he would lose his maternal grandmother Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. In 1955 he graduated from Oslo katedralskole and in the autumn of that year, Harald began studies at the University of Oslo. Later he attended the Cavalry Officers' Candidate School at Trandum, followed by enrolment at the Norwegian Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1959.

In 1960, Harald entered Balliol College, Oxford where he studied history, economics and politics. He was a keen rower during his student days at Oxford and was taught to row by fellow student and friend Nick Bevan, later a leading British school rowing coach. In 1960, he also made his first official journey abroad, visiting the United States in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the American Scandinavian Foundation.

Adult life

Crown Prince Harald attended the Council of State for the first time on 27 September 1957 and took the oath to the Constitution of Norway on 21 February 1958. In the same year, he also served as regent in the King's absence for the first time.

Harald married a commoner, Sonja Haraldsen, at Oslo Domkirke in Oslo on 29 August 1968, a marriage that sparked much public controversy at the time. The couple have two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon, heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.

The King heads the Council of State at Oslo Palace every Friday. He also has weekly meetings with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. He receives foreign envoys, and opens parliament every October. According to the Norwegian constitution, he appoints his government. Since 1884 parliamentarism has been in place in Norway, so the government has to have support from Parliament. The King appoints the leader of the parliamentary bloc with majority as prime minister. When the parliamentary situation is unclear the king relies on the advice of the president of Parliament and the sitting prime minister. He travels extensively throughout Norway and makes official state visits to other countries.

An avid sailor, Harald represented Norway in the yachting events of Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 and in Mexico City in 1968 and the Munich 1972. The Crown Prince carried the Norwegian flag at the opening parade of the 1964 Summer Olympics. In 1994, both the King and Crown Prince Haakon played roles during the opening ceremony of the Lillehammer Olympics. The King opened the games, while the Crown Prince lit the cauldron, paying tribute to both the King and his grandfather as Olympians. The King has also represented Norway at opening ceremonies of Olympic Games, among them Torino and Beijing. However, he wasn't present in Vancouver, the Crown Prince attended instead, with the King and Queen attending later in the games.

With his sailing crew he won World Championship bronze, silver and gold medals, in 1988, 1982 and 1987, respectively. In July 2005, the King and his crew aboard the royal sailboat Fram XV won the gold medal at the European Championships in Sweden. In the 2007 World Championship the King obtained a sixth place.

Twice since the start of the twenty-first century King Harald was unable to perform his monarchical duties due to ill-health: in December 2003 to mid-April 2004 due to urinary bladder cancer, and in April to early June 2005 due to aortic stenosis. Crown Prince Haakon served as the country's regent on both occasions.

Titles and styles

• 21 February 1937 - 21 September 1957: His Royal Highness Prince Harald of Norway
• 21 September 1957 - 17 January 1991: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Norway
• 17 January 1991 - present: His Majesty The King of Norway

The King is also a Prince of Denmark and a Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. These subsidiary titles are not in active use. He is the nominal head of the Church of Norway, and a four-star general, an admiral, and formally the Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The infantry battalion His Majesty the King's Guard are considered the King's and the Royal Family's bodyguards. They guard the Royal residences, including the Royal Palace, the Crown Prince Residence at Skaugum, and the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle.

• Royal coat of arms

• Royal standard

• Royal crown (heraldic)

• Royal crown

• Royal monogram

Honours and medals

See also List of honours of the Norwegian Royal Family by country

National honours and medals

The King is Grand Master of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav and the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

Medal record
Sailing
World Championships
	1987 World Championship	Sailing
	1982 World Championship	Sailing
	1988 World Championship	Sailing
European Championships
	2005 European Championship	Sailing

• Norway - Grand Master of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav - Grand Cross with collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav°
• Norway - Grand Master of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit - Grand Cross°
• Norway - St Olav's medal°
• Norway - Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch°
• Norway - Royal House Centennial Medal°
• Norway - King Haakon VII Commemorative Medal 1. October 1957°
• Norway - King Haakon VII 1905-1955 Jubilee Medal°
• Norway - Haakon VIIs Centenary Medal°
• Norway - Olav Vs Commemorative Medal of 30. January 1991°
• Norway - Olav Vs Jubilee Medal°
• Norway - Olav Vs Centenary Medal°
• Norway - Defence Service Medal with three stars°
• Norway - Army National Service Medal with three stars°
• Norway - Krigsdeltakerforbundet Badge of Honour°
• Norway - Norwegian Red Cross Badge of Honour°
• Norway - Norwegian Reserve Officers Federal Badge of Honour°
• Norway - The Naval Society Medal of Merit in gold°
• Norway - Norwegian Shooting Society Badge of Honour°
• Norway - The Norwegian Confederation of Sports Centenary Medal°
• Norway - Norwegian Shooting Society Commemorative Medal in gold°
• Norway - Oslo Military Society Badge of Honour in Gold°

Foreign honours

In the British Army, Harald V was the final Colonel-in-Chief of the Green Howards. He is also an honorary Colonel in the British Royal Marines. He is patron of the Anglo-Norse Society in London, together with Queen Elizabeth II, his second cousin. As he is a direct descendant of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Harald is the 73rd in the line of succession to the British throne. He is the first foreign monarch in the British line of succession. He is a Stranger Knight of the Garter, an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, and a Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain, as well as numerous other orders of chivalry.

Northern European countries

• Iceland - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon °
• Sweden - Knight with Collar of the Order of the Seraphim °
• Sweden - Gustaf Vs 90th Anniversary Medal °
• Sweden - HM King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Medal
• Denmark - Knight with Collar of the Order of the Elephant °
• Denmark - Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog °
• Finland - Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland °
• Estonia - Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana °
• Latvia - Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars °
• Lithuania - Grand Cross (1998) with Golden Chain (2011) of the Order of Vytautas the Great °
• United Kingdom - Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain (1994) °
• United Kingdom - Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1955) °
• United Kingdom - Stranger Knight of the Order of the Garter (990th member; 2001) °
• United Kingdom - Honorary Freedom of Newcastle upon Tyne

Other countries

• Austria - Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1964) °
• Belgium - Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold °
• Brazil - Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross °
• Bulgaria - Cordon of the Order of Stara Planina °
• Croatia - Grand Order of King Tomislav°
• France - Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur °
• Germany - Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany °
• Greece - Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer °
• Greece - The Royal House of Greece Centenary Medal °
• Hungary - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary °
• IOC - The Golden Olympic order °
• Italy - Knight Grand Cross (06/1965) with Collar (10/2001) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic °
• Japan - Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum °
• Jordan - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali °
• Yugoslavia - Order of the Yugoslav Great Star °
• Luxembourg - Grand Cross of the Order of Adolph of Nassau °
• Luxembourg - Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau°
• Luxembourg - Medal to commemorate the wedding of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte °
• Netherlands - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion °
• Netherlands - Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown °
• Netherlands - Commander of the Order of the Golden Ark °
• Netherlands - Medal to commemorate the enthronement of Queen Beatrix °
• Poland - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle °
• Portugal - Grand Cross of the Military Order of Aviz (05/11/1980) °
• Portugal - Grand Collar of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (13 February 2004) °
• Portugal - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St. James of the Sword (26 May 2008) °
• Romania - Sash Rank of the Order of the Star of Romania °
• Slovakia : Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross (2010) °
• Spain - 1,192nd Knight and Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece (21 April 1995) °
• Spain - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (12/04/1982) °
• Spain - Collar of the Order of Charles III (30 June 2006) °
• South Africa - Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope °
• Thailand - Knight Grand Cordon (First Class) of the Order of Chula Chom Klao °
• Turkey - First Class of the Order of the State of Republic of Turkey °

The mark ° shows honours mention on his official website page about decorations

Miscellaneous honours

Harald V received an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford University in 2006 (as did his father, King Olav, in 1937, and his grandfather, King Haakon, in 1943). The King also received honorary doctorates from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland in 1994, the University of Strathclyde in Scotland in 1985, Waseda University in Japan in 2001, and Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, in 2015. He is also an honorary fellow at Balliol College, Oxford.

• Ireland - Freedom of the City of Cork.
• Spirit of Luther Award, awarded by Luther College of Decorah, IA
• A 230,000 km² area in Antarctica is named Prince Harald Coast in his honour.
• In 2007 King Harald was awarded the Holmenkollen medal with Simon Ammann, Frode Estil, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, and his wife Queen Sonja.
• Portugal - Key of Honor to the City of Lisbon, on 28 May 2008
• In 2013, a 6,500 km² area in Svalbard was named Harald V Land.

Patronages

Harald V is Honorary President of the Offshore Racing Congress and the Co-President of Honour of the International Sailing Federation with King Constantine II of Greece. He is also patron of the Norwegian-American Foundation (Norge-Amerika Foreningen) and the Norse Federation (Nordmanns-Forbundet) in the United States.

• The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
• The National Rifle Association of Norway
• The Norwegian Association of UN Veterans
• The Norwegian Reserve Officers’ Federation
• Norges Militære Kameratforeningers Forbund ("The Norwegian Federation of Military Associations")
• The Norse Federation
• The Norway-America Association
• Det Nasjonale Aldershjem for Sjømenn ("The Norwegian Seamen’s Retirement Home")
• Norsk Anchorite Klubb ("The Norwegian Anchorite Club")
• The Norwegian Association of Hunters and Anglers
• The Norwegian Bible Society
• The Norwegian Seamen’s Church - Church of Norway Abroad
• The Offshore Northern Seas Foundation
• The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
• The Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences
• Bergen International Festival
• The Norwegian Cancer Society
• Lions Clubs International - Norway
• Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelsen ("The National Association for Public Health")
• The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
• The Norwegian Choir Association
• The Norwegian Forestry Society
• Friends of the Earth Norway/Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature
• Ridderrennet ("The Knights’ Race", a Norwegian skiing event for the blind and mobility impaired)
• The Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue
• The Sons of Norway Foundation
• The American-Scandinavian Foundation
• The Anglo-Norse Society
• The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Skogfjorden, the Norwegian language program of Concordia Language Villages, Bemidji, Minnesota
• Oslo Militære Samfund

Ancestry

Ancestors of Harald V of Norway

16. Christian IX of Denmark (=28) 8. Frederick VIII of Denmark (=14) 17. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (=29) 4. Haakon VII of Norway 18. Charles XV of Sweden (=30) 9. Princess Louise of Sweden (=15) 19. Princess Louise of the Netherlands (=31) 2. Olav V of Norway 20. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 10. Edward VII of the United Kingdom 21. Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom 5. Princess Maud of Wales 22. Christian IX of Denmark (=16) 11. Princess Alexandra of Denmark 23. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (=17) 1. Harald V of Norway 24. Oscar I of Sweden 12. Oscar II of Sweden 25. Josephine of Leuchtenberg 6. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland 26. William, Duke of Nassau 13. Princess Sophia of Nassau 27. Princess Pauline of Württemberg 3. Princess Märtha of Sweden 28. Christian IX of Denmark (=16) 14. Frederick VIII of Denmark (=8) 29. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (=17) 7. Princess Ingeborg of Denmark 30. Charles XV of Sweden (=18) 15. Princess Louise of Sweden (=9) 31. Princess Louise of the Netherlands (=19)

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent

Harald's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Harald V were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Oldenburg, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house. House of Oldenburg Egilmar I of Lerigau, dates unknown Egilmar II of Lerigau, d. 1142 Christian I, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1167 Moritz of Oldenburg, d. 1209 Christian II, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1233 John I, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1275 Christian III, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1285 John II, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1314 Conrad I, Count of Oldenburg, 1300-1347 Christian V, Count of Oldenburg, 1340-1423 Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg, 1398-1440 Christian I of Denmark, 1426-1481 Frederick I of Denmark, 1471-1533 Christian III of Denmark, 1503-1559 John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, 1545-1622 Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, 1573-1627 August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1612-1675 Frederick Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1653-1728 Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1696-1775 Prince Karl Anton August of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1727-1759 Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1757-1816 Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, 1785-1831 Christian IX of Denmark, 1818-1906 Frederick VIII of Denmark, 1843-1912 Haakon VII of Norway, 1872-1957 Olav V of Norway, 1903-1991 Harald V of Norway, b. 1937

Issue

Name	Birth	Marriage
		Date	Spouse	Issue
Princess Märtha Louise	000000001971-09-22-0000September 22, 1971	000000002002-05-24-0000May 24, 2002	Ari Behn	Maud Angelica Behn, born 29 April 2003 Leah Isadora Behn, born 8 April 2005 Emma Tallulah Behn, born 29 September 2008
Crown Prince Haakon Magnus	000000001973-07-20-0000July 20, 1973	000000002001-08-25-0000August 25, 2001	Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby	Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born 21 January 2004 Prince Sverre Magnus, born 3 December 2005

[ Source: Wikipedia ]