00:02He was the oldest king in all of Europe, after the abdication of his contemporaries.
00:07The first heir of 20th-century Europe, who married a young commoner for love
00:12despite family opposition.
00:16The couple had two children, Prince Hakon and Princess Martha Louise.
00:20A lover of sports, especially sailing, he participated in several Olympic Games.
00:26although in recent years his delicate health led him to retire from this sport.
00:31On August 27, 2026, Harald died, he was 89 years old and had been on the throne for 35 years.
00:38This is the story of Harald of Norway.
00:41Harald V of Norway was born in Oslo in 1937.
00:45He was the first prince to ascend the throne in a Scandinavian country in more than 500 years,
00:50since his grandfather was born in Denmark and his father in England.
00:55During World War II, Harald took refuge in the United States with his mother
01:00and his sister, and did not return to Oslo until the ceasefire occurred.
01:05After the end of the war, young Harald continued his studies and entered school
01:10of cavalry, achieving the rank of General of the Army and Air Force and Admiral
01:14of the Navy.
01:22In the early 1960s, during his stay at a summer camp, he met Sonia
01:27Haraldsen, a young woman of humble origins who worked as a seamstress.
01:32They were both 22 years old.
01:35Harald fell in love with her, but he encountered opposition from her father, King Olav, and from the
01:39Norwegian parliament who saw in this union the end of the country's monarchy.
01:44His family tried to arrange marriages between him and other young European women, but the prince did not give up.
01:50In his determination to fight for his love, he issued an ultimatum.
01:53He would renounce his dynastic rights if he did not marry the woman he loved.
01:59Harald was sent to study at Oxford in the hope that he would meet another woman.
02:05Finally, after years of struggling between duty and love, King Olav authorized the marriage.
02:11Harald and Sonia could now get married.
02:14The couple's engagement was announced in March 1968.
02:19The baroque cathedral of the Norwegian capital was the setting for the wedding.
02:23Nine years after starting their relationship, Harald and Sonia finally said "I do."
02:29The young commoner became the new princess of Norway.
02:34Contrary to what the Royal House and the Norwegian government feared, the crown princes received
02:39an overwhelming welcome and acceptance from the entire country.
02:44The union succeeded in modernizing the European monarchy.
02:50Three years after their wedding, in 1971, the princes welcomed their first child.
02:55daughter, Marta Luisa.
02:59And two years later, the couple's second child and first son was born, whom
03:02They called themselves Jacob Magnus.
03:13For more than 20 years, Harald and Sonja served as crown prince and princess, with
03:17a very active institutional agenda that led them to fulfill different commitments
03:21inside and outside the country, and which increased as King Olaf grew older.
03:33Norwegian state television interrupts its programming to deliver breaking news
03:38hour.
03:46Kings from around the world bid farewell to the monarch, including King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
03:56Following the death of his father, Harald II was proclaimed the new sovereign of the country.
04:01His ascension to the throne has two ceremonies.
04:03One secular ceremony in which the new king is sworn in, and another religious ceremony of consecration.
04:09months later in the Lutheran cathedral of Nidaros, the temple in which they were crowned
04:15to the Norwegian kings since 1814.
04:20His wife Sonia becomes queen consort and his son Hakon, crown prince.
04:24With them come a breath of modernity to the Scandinavian crown.
04:29In an interview years later with the Norwegian news agency, Harald confessed that he feared
04:34not to live up to his father, a man who enjoyed great popularity among the
04:38Norwegians.
04:40During their years of reign, King Harald and Queen Sonja faced family situations
04:45complicated ones, like the marriage of his son Hakon to a young single mother, or that of Marta
04:51Luisa with the controversial writer Aribén, from whom she separates after 14 years of marriage
04:56and who took his own life in 2019.
05:01As of 2016, King Harald ceased to be the supreme authority of the Lutheran church.
05:06In Norway, the formal requirement that half of the government profess the religion disappeared.
05:12Protestant.
05:14A year that coincides with the silver jubilee of the kings.
05:17The entire family celebrated the 25th anniversary of their reign with a series of events throughout the country.
05:22the country.
05:30In May 2017, the sovereign and his wife both celebrated their 80th birthdays with a big party
05:36which brought together much of European royalty.
05:44The monarch gave a speech of thanks in which he dedicated some words of affection.
05:49towards his wife.
05:51The monarch pronounced the number 80, and I can't really understand that he has nothing
05:57Let's see with you.
06:00At least she has nothing to do with the monarch, but the woman is incredible.
06:05I've had a hard time finding her for a long time.
06:11But thankfully, after almost 50 wonderful years, we're still at it.
06:17together.
06:18We work together, we share experiences, we face worries and joys together.
06:26In April 2020, during quarantine, the King and Queen of Norway recorded a striking
06:31video message on Easter Sunday.
06:45The monarchs left us with an unusual image, like nothing we had ever seen before.
06:51Bundled up and sitting on a blanket, like any other married couple in their garden
06:55home, next to the bonfire and with a thermos of hot drink.
07:01They did this to reassure the population in the face of the exceptional situation they were experiencing.
07:05the whole world.
07:31Her daughter, Marta Luisa's, relationship with the American shaman Durek Berrett,
07:35It was marked from the beginning by controversy, which the Norwegian kings had to face.
07:42In 2020, and after a controversy over the use of her princess title to promote
07:47Marta Luisa, speaking at conferences attended by her partner, announced her resignation from her institutional duties.
07:52as an official member of the royal family.
08:02A decision that leads the King and Queen of Norway to appear before the media
08:06to give explanations.
08:09The couple exchanged vows in the gardens of a hotel in western Norway.
08:23More than 350 guests arrived from different parts of the world.
08:29As well as the entire royal family, they witnessed the wedding.
08:37Harald was a big sports fan, especially of sailing.
08:42He participated in three editions of the Olympic Games and several World Cups.
08:46And for years it was common to see him in Palma de Mallorca enjoying sailing,
08:51alongside King Felipe VI and his father, King Juan Carlos.
08:55In December 2022, at the age of 85, the Norwegian king announced that he was leaving one of his
09:02great passions for health reasons.
09:05The Scandinavian sovereign's health had been failing for years.
09:14King Harald was hospitalized on several occasions for different reasons.
09:19Conditions and ailments that he successfully overcame.
09:22Even the most complicated ones.
09:25In 2023 he had to undergo surgery for a bladder tumor.
09:29And in 2024, doctors decided to implant a pacemaker after detecting a heart irregularity.
09:38Furthermore, in his last public appearances, due to his mobility problems, he appeared using crutches.
09:45During his convalescence, it has been his son, Prince Hakon, who has assumed the regency of the country.
09:51In 2025, in his traditional New Year's address, the King of Norway spoke for
09:58for the first time openly about the delicate moment the institution is going through.
10:17This is a clear statement of intent that highlights the difficulties affecting the family.
10:22His enormous strength allowed him to overcome countless adversities.
10:26However, King Harald was unable to win the final battle.
10:30Thus ends the reign of Harald of Norway.
10:32A period marked by his commitment to his country, the affection of his people, and the firm support of his
10:37family.
10:37Thanks for watching the video.
10:46Thanks for watching the video.
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