08/28/2026
I still remember the day his father passed away. Norway was in mourning, and many of us wondered whether his son, King Harald, would ever be able to fill his shoes. I was one of them. I thought the shy, reserved Harald simply didn’t have his father’s personality.
But I was wrong.
That shy King Harald became one of the world’s most caring, compassionate and open-minded monarchs. Whether you believe in monarchy or not, he came to embody so much of what Norway is proud to be.
Harald was the first heir to the Norwegian throne born in Norway in roughly 600 years. He was only three years old when Hi**er invaded Norway. After fleeing with his mother and sisters to Sweden, he spent most of the war years in the United States.
He was also the first future Norwegian king to marry a commoner. He fell in love with Sonja Haraldsen, but his father opposed the match. Harald finally told him that if he could not marry Sonja, he would never marry anyone at all. After nine years together, they were finally allowed to marry.
One of his greatest challenges as King came after the horrific events of July 22, 2011, when 77 innocent people were murdered in Oslo and on Utøya by a neo-Nazi terrorist whose name I still refuse to speak. King Harald’s words following that tragedy - and the sight of him grieving alongside his people - will forever be burned into our memories.
Then, in 2016, he delivered another speech that I believe will live on for generations. He reminded us that Norwegians come from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Poland, from Sweden, Somalia and Syria. That we believe in God, Allah, the universe - or nothing at all. And that Norway is made up of girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other.
That was King Harald.
He understood that being Norwegian wasn’t about where you came from, who you loved or what you believed. It was about belonging.
He made me proud to be Norwegian.
You will be deeply missed, Harald, but I know your son will carry on your legacy.
Alt for Norge. 🇳🇴♥️
King Harald V
1937–2026
