King Harald' V's funeral plans

 

@Det Kongelige Hoff

King Harald V's bier will leave the Royal Palace on Wednesday, September 9, at 12:00 and be taken in procession to Oslo Cathedral.

The bier is followed by His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Queen Sonja, Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise. Foreign royals, heads of state and prime ministers, representatives of official Norway and representatives of the Royal Court also participate in the procession.

At 1:00 p.m., King Harald V will be laid to rest in Oslo Cathedral. The ceremony will be led by Pres. Olav Fykse Tveit and will follow the Church of Norway's funeral arrangements. Oslo Bishop Sunniva Gylver will also contribute. Music will play an important role in the ceremony. Cathedral Cantor Marcus André Berg will lead the church music together with the Oslo Cathedral Choir.

At the beginning of the ceremony, there will be a minute of silence throughout the country, beginning and ending with three bells. The President of the Storting and the Prime Minister will give memorial speeches. There will be candlelight vigils by representatives of different faiths and philosophies.

King Harald's family and close friends will be present. The entire official Norwegian government will be represented, along with guests representing the breadth of King Harald's life and work. Royal guests and heads of state from a number of countries will also attend.

After the funeral, the coffin will be taken in procession to Akershus Castle Church. There will be a private ceremony for the family and royal guests. The President of the Storting, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the presidents of Iceland and Finland will also be present.

The bier is lowered into the crypt in the Palace Church, where the two sarcophagi of King Haakon, Queen Maud, King Olav and Crown Princess Märtha are.

After the ceremony in Akershus Castle Church, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen will come out into the courtyard of Akershus Fortress. The flags that have been flying at half-mast will be raised to their highest point, and a double royal salute will be fired. At the same time, the country's church bells will ring for one hour.

His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus drive back to the Royal Palace along the same route that the procession has taken.

After arriving back at the Palace, Norway's new royal couple, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus, will appear on the Palace balcony. The time for this will be announced.

Their Majesties the King and Queen will hold a reception at the Palace after the funeral ceremony, attended by representatives of the Norwegian government, visiting heads of state, royals, and family.

The procession from the Royal Palace

The procession at King Harald V's funeral from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral will parade in the following order:

Mounted police

Garden Signal Corps

The Armed Forces Staff Music

Garden flag with mourning flowers and flag guard

Honorary Company (His Majesty the King's Guard)

Court Chief

The stretcher on a stage flanked by stretcher bearers (His Majesty the King's Adjutant's Staff)

HM The King, HRH Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise.

HM The Queen and Queen Sonja in A2

Foreign royalty

President of the Storting, Prime Minister and Supreme Court Justice

Visiting heads of state or their representatives

The Government and the Government Council

Presidency of the Storting

Representatives of the Supreme Court

The Speaker of the Sami Parliament and the President of the Sami Parliament

State administrators and the governor of Svalbard

Mayor of Oslo

The Royal Court's leadership

Representatives of the Armed Forces leadership

Mounted police

Queen Margrethe is in hospital

@Royal House

 "Her Majesty Queen Margrethe was admitted to Rigshospitalet on Sunday after feeling unwell.

Doctors have detected a new blood clot in the hip region and mild dehydration, both of which are being treated.

Queen Margrethe is in good spirits and, given the circumstances, is doing well.

Queen Margrethe is expected to be hospitalized next week for both observation and treatment. This means that Her Majesty will unfortunately not attend King Harald V's funeral in Oslo on Wednesday.

The Royal House will announce when there is news."

Queen Margrethe is 86 years old.  On January 14, 2024, she abdicated in favor of her elder son, now King Frederik X, 

 

Polissena Galdo weds Italian nobleman

 

@Tinko Czetwertynski

Polissena Galdo, 32, married Italian nobleman Francesco Saverio Sersale, Patrizio di Sorrento, on September 5, 2026, in the Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore in Nerano, Massa Lubrense.  She is the younger of two daughters of HH Princess Mafalda of Hesse and her second husband, Carlos Galdo, a noted lawyer based in Naples. 

The wedding reception was held at Le Sirenuse Mare, the family-owned beach club on the Bay of Nerano, and is independent of the hotel in Positano.

https://sirenusemare.com/en/

Francesco, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday on September 8th, is the son of Antonio Saverio Sersale and Countess Carla Paravicini.  Antonio owns Le Sirenuse, a 5-star hotel in Positano overlooking the Amalfi Coast.

https://sirenuse.it/en/journal/le-sirenuse/il-gusto-impeccabile-di-franco-sersale/

https://www.vanityfair.com/story/le-sirenuse-turns-75-sersale-interview?srsltid=AfmBOooWd03QqfLP3ncE2ilgumB1yovfu_z2Moke047tZhAGUyyICBL0

Polissena is the founder of Po.Co. Studio, "a strategic communication studio that wants to tell useful stories."

Francesco manages the hotel's luxury wellness program, the Dolce Vitality retreat.

  Embed from Getty Images

The bride wore the Hessian Ears of Wheat tiara, which Polissena's great-grandfather, Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, gave to his bride, Princess Mafalda of Savoy, in 1925.   This tiara was one of the family jewels that had been placed in zinc-lined boxes and buried beneath the basement floor in Kronberg Castle, following the 1943-1944 bombings in the Frankfurt-am-Main area.  Schloss Kronberg, the home of Princess Margarete, Landgravine of Hesse (mother of Prince Philipp), was a few miles north of Frankfurt.  The hole in the floor was paved over with cement.   

The Hesse family thought the jewels would be safe.   After Germany's surrender in 1945,  Margarete and other members of the family were forced to leave the castle, as the US Army planned to use it as an officers' club.  

The link below is to a four-part series on the Hesse family, the jewels, the heist by American officers, and the eventual return in 1951 of about 10% of the stolen jewels, including the Ears of Wheat Tiara.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/hesse-heist-family-von-hessen  

Several distaff members of the Hesse family have worn the tiara at their weddings including Princess Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, when she married Prince Moritz of Hesse in 1964, Princess Mafalda (Moritz and Tatiana's elder daughter) in 1989,  Countess Flora of Faber-Castell (at her marriage to Prince Donatus of Hesse in 2003), Laetitia Bechtolf (who married Prince Philipp of Hesse in 2006), and now Mafalda's daughter, Polissena.  

Princess Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Prince Moritz of Hesse, 1964 Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

Mafalda and her first husband,  Enrico dei conti Marone Cinzano 

Countess Floria with her father @J.D.van der Niet

Prince and Princess Philipp of Hesse  @Netty Leistra

Polissena and Francesco are 11th cousins once removed, through Ferdinand Karl, Count of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (1616-1672) and his wife,  Countess Anna Maria of Fürtstenberg-Heiligenberg (1634-1705). 

Victoria - Victoria - Margarete - Philipp - Moritz - Mafalda - Polissena

Charles at the Braemar Gathering

Embed from Getty Images

King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended the Braemar Gathering, held annually at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar.   The Games take place on the first Saturday in September.

In 1906, the first Duke of Fife presented 12 acres of his Mar estate to the Royal Highland Society.  This gift led to the creation of the  Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park. 

The top image shows the King with his third cousin, David, 4th Duke of Fife.  

   Embed from Getty Images 

 The Duke was married to Edward VII's eldest daughter, Princess Louise.

The couple had two daughters, Alexandra (Princess Arthur of Connaught) and Maud (Countess of Southesk).

The photo shows King Charles talking with his third cousin, David, 4th Duke of Fife.

Victoria - Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III

Victoria - Edward VII - Louise - Maud - James (3rd Duke of Fife) - David (4th Duke of Fife)

The present Duke, 61, who lives with his wife, Caroline, at Kinnaird Castle, succeeded his father in 2015

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/06/duke-of-fife-dead-at-85.html  

The Fife dukedom included a special remainder that allowed for the succession of the 1st duke's two daughters and their male heirs.  Alexandra succeeded her father in 1912.  The following year, she married her mother's first cousin, HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught.  Their only son, Alistair, 2nd Duke of Connaught, died in 1943.  When Alexandra died in 1959, the dukedom passed to her nephew, James, the only child of her younger sister, Maud.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2025/09/princess-arthur-of-connaught-ascot-1930.html

HSH Prince Max Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1924-2026)

 

HSH Prince Max Egon Gottfried of Hohnlohe-Langenburg was born on November 11, 1924, in Seregélyes, Hungary, the second child of four children of HSH Prince Ludwig Erwein Gottfried Karl  Eduard Maria of Hohenlohe-Langenburg  (1892-1945) and Countess Amalia Hadik de Futak (1894-1967).

He was a scion of the Roman Catholic branch of the Hohenlohe-Langenburg princely family.  His paternal grandfather was HSH Prince Gottfried Karl Joseph of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1860-1933).

Prince Max's uncle was Prince Max Egon of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1897-1968), who married Doña Maria de la Piedad d'Iturbe y Schlotz, Marquesa de Belvis de las Navas.  This marriage established the Spanish branch of the Hohenlohe-Langenburgs.    His first cousin was HSH Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1924-2003), who established the Marbella Club.

Prince Max was married twice.  His first marriage to Ute von Freyhold ended in divorce.  

He is survived by his second wife, Ulla, three children: Princess Andrea, Prince Hubertus, and Prince Christian, and four grandchildren: Leonie and Ava (Andrea's children), and Prince Conrad and Prince Casimir of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  

Updated: British representatives to royal events

Embed from Getty Images

For those who like to keep track of such things, here is a list of European and non-European royal events (Marriages, funerals) with British representation.



The final decision on who is sent depends on several factors, including whether the event is a state or national occasion. The FCDO/UK government makes the final decision.  It is rare for the British sovereign to attend a funeral outside the UK.

   

Belgium


1909 King Leopold II funeral: Duke of Connaught

1927 Crown Prince Leopold wedding: Prince Henry

1934 King Albert I funeral: The Prince of Wales

1935 Queen Astrid funeral: Duke of York

1953 Princess Josephine Charlotte wedding: Princess Margaret (but due to Queen Mary's death, was unable to attend. Geoffrey Allchin, the British Minister, attended instead.)

1959 Prince Albert wedding: none

1960 King Baudouin wedding: Princess Margaret and Mr. Antony Armstrong-Jones

1965 Queen Elisabeth funeral:  Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent

1983 King Leopold III funeral: the British Ambassador

1984 Princess Astrid wedding:  Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

1993 King Baudouin funeral: Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh

1999 Crown Prince Philippe wedding: the Prince of Wales

2014 Queen Fabiola funeral: the British Ambassador



Denmark


1878 Princess Thyra's wedding to the Duke of Cumberland: Sir Charles represented Queen Victoria, Lord Colville represented the Prince of Wales, Colonel Teesdale represented the Princess of Wales, & Captain Mildmay represented the Duke of Cambridge. (The Royal Family was in mourning for Princess Alice, who died a week earlier.)

1898 Queen Louise Funeral: the Princess of Wales (her daughter)

1906 Christian IX Funeral: Queen Alexandra

1912 Frederik VIII Funeral: Queen Alexandra (sister) and Prince Arthur of Connaught

1926 Queen Louise Funeral: Prince Arthur of Connaught

1935 Crown Prince Frederik Wedding: Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught and Lady Patricia Ramsay. Prince Arthur was the official representative. He was the bride's uncle.

1947 Christian X Funeral: Duke of Beaufort (husband of Lady May Cambridge, Queen Mary's niece)

1952 Queen Alexandrine funeral: no one (Alexandrine's request was for a very simple funeral)

1967 Crown Princess Margrethe wedding: Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent

1968 Princess Benedikte's wedding: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (godmother)

1972 Frederik IX funeral: Duke of Edinburgh

1984 Prince Henrik's 50th birthday: Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

1990 Queen Margrethe II's 50th birthday: Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

1992 Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik's Silver Wedding: Prince of Wales and Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

1995 Prince Joachim's wedding: Prince Edward.

2000 Queen Ingrid's funeral: Prince of Wales.  The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Lady Saltoun attended privately

2004 Crown Prince Frederik wedding: The Earl and Countess of Wessex

2010 Queen Margrethe II's 70th birthday: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who had to cancel due to the volcanic ash from Iceland)

2015: Queen Margrethe II's 75th birthday: as only the Sovereigns and their spouses were invited, no one attended.

Germany (Prussia)


1878 Princess Charlotte's wedding: Duke of Connaught

1881 Crown Prince Wilhelm wedding: The Prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh

1892 Princess Margarete wedding: Duke of York; Duke and Duchess of Connaught

1905 Crown Prince Wilhelm wedding: Prince Arthur of Connaught. Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein attended

1913 Wedding of Princess Victoria Luise: King George V and Queen Mary

Greece


1889 King Constantine I wedding: Prince of Wales (with Princess and four children)

1912 Funeral of George I: Prince Alexander of Teck

1938 Wedding of Prince Paul: Duke and Duchess of Kent

1947 Funeral of George II: Duke of Beaufort

1964 Funeral of King Paul: Duke of Edinburgh represented the Queen. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, also attended

1964 Marriage of King Constantine. Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince of Wales and Prince Michael of Kent were two of the crown bearers. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, also attended, as did Princess Anne.

1981 Funeral of Queen Frederika (private):  Duke of Edinburgh

2023 Funeral of King Constantine II (private):  The Princess Royal, accompanied by Sir Tim Laurence.  Lady Gabriella Windsor represented the Prince of Wales.


Hanover


1900 Princess Marie Wedding to Max of Baden: Sir Horace Rumbold, British Ambassador in Vienna, represented Queen Victoria

1904 Princess Alexandra wedding: Duke and Duchess of Teck

1923 Duke of Cumberland funeral: no one

1933 Duchess of Cumberland funeral: Sir Eric Phipps, British Ambassador in Vienna

1987 Prince Ernst August funeral: Prince Edward


Hesse and By Rhine


1878 Princess Alice funeral: The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Prince Leopold & Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein

1884 Princess Victoria wedding: Queen Victoria, Prince & Princess of Wales

1892 Grand Duke Ludwig IV funeral: Duke of Edinburgh

1894 Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig IV wedding to Victoria Melita of Edinburgh.  Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught


Italy

1930 Crown Prince Umberto's wedding: the Duke of York

Japan

1989  Emperor Hirohito Funeral:   Duke of Edinburgh

1990  Emperor Akihito Enthronement:  The Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Princess of Wales.

2019  Emperor Naruhito Enthronement:  The Prince of Wales

Jordan

1999 King Hussein funeral: The Prince of Wales

Liechtenstein

1967 Prince Hans Adam wedding: Duke of Edinburgh declined due to a previously scheduled polo match

1989 Princess Gina funeral: Prince Edward

1989 Prince Franz Josef funeral: Princess of Wales


Luxembourg


1981 Hereditary Grand Duke Henri wedding: The Duke of Edinburgh

1982 Princess Marie Astrid's wedding: Prince Andrew, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

1985 Grand Duchess Charlotte's funeral: Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester

2005 Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte's funeral: Prince Andrew, Duke of York

2012 Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume's wedding: the Earl and Countess of Wessex

2019 Grand Duke Jean's funeral: The Princess Royal, also Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended 


Mecklenburg-Strelitz

1904  Funeral of Grand Duke: Prince Alexander of Teck (representing King Edward VII) and Count Gleichen (the Prince of Wales)


Monaco

1956 Prince Rainier wedding: none

1982 Princess Grace Funeral: The Princess of Wales

2005 Prince Rainier funeral: Duke of York

2011 Prince Albert wedding: the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent also attended but did not represent the Queen.

Netherlands


1890 Willem III Funeral: Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, representing Victoria

1934 Queen Emma funeral: no official representation, although Lady May Abel Smith attended.

1934 Prince Hendrik Funeral: British Ambassador

1937 Princess Juliana wedding: Duke of Kent and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone

1948  Queen Juliana's installation: Princess Margaret, accompanied by the Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.

1962 Queen Juliana and Prince Bernard's Silver wedding: Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh (visit was described as semi-private). Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, and Princess Alexandra of Kent also attended.

1962 Princess Wilhelmina's funeral: Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone

1966 Crown Princess Beatrix's wedding: Princess Alexandra (a witness). Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent also attended

1980: Queen Beatrix's installation:  the Prince of Wales

2002 Crown Prince Willem-Alexander wedding: Prince of Wales and the Earl and Countess of Wessex

2002 Prince Claus funeral: the Prince of Wales

2004 Princess Juliana funeral: Duke of Edinburgh

2004 Prince Bernhard's funeral: Duke of Edinburgh

2013 King Willem-Alexander's installation: the Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall.

2017 King Willem-Alexander's 50th birthday (private party). The Earl and Countess of Wessex.


Norway


1929 Crown Prince Olav's wedding: Duke (best man) and Duchess of York

1938 Queen Maud Funeral: Duke of Kent

1953 Princess Ragnhild wedding: Princess Margaret

1954 Crown Princess Martha funeral: the Duke of Gloucester

1957 King Haakon VII funeral: The Duke of Gloucester

1961 Princess Astrid: Princess Margaret

1968 Crown Prince Harald wedding: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (but did not attend  due to Princess Marina's funeral)

1991 King Olav's funeral: The Prince of Wales

2001 Crown Prince Haakon wedding: The Prince of Wales, The Earl and Countess of Wessex

2007 King Harald's 70th birthday:  The Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal & Timothy Laurence and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

2017 Joint 80th birthdays of King Harald & Queen Sonja:  The Countess of Wessex

2026 King Harald funeral:  The Prince of Wales.  The Princess Royal in a private capacity as King Haakon's godmother.

Portugal

1908 King Carlos & Crown Prince Luiz funeral: Prince Arthur of Connaught

1913 King Manuel wedding: the Prince of Wales

Romania


1921 Prince Carol and Princess Helen wedding: None

1921 Princess Elisabeth and King George of the Hellenes wedding: None

1922: Coronation of Ferdinand and Marie:  the Duke of York

1927 King Ferdinand: None, although the Duke of York represented the King at the Memorial Service at the Greek Cathedral of St. Sophia in London, which was held on the same day as the funeral.

1938 Queen Marie Funeral: Duke of Kent

1948 King Michael Wedding in Athens: None

2016 Queen Anne's Funeral: Adam Sambrook, Chargé d'Affaires, British Embassy in Bucharest (Queen Elizabeth II) and Count Tibor Kalnoky (representing the Prince of Wales)

2017 King Michael's funeral:  Prince of Wales

Russia

1866 Tsarevitch Alexander to Dagmar of Denmark: Prince of Wales (brother-in-law of bride)

1884 Grand Duke Serge's wedding to Elisabeth of Hesse: Duchess of Edinburgh

1894 Alexander III funeral: The Prince of Wales

1894 Nicholas II & Alix of Hesse: The Prince of Wales (with the Princess)

1928 Empress Marie funeral: Duke of York

Spain

1902 King Alfonso XIII Proclamation: Duke of Connaught

1906 King Alfonso XIII wedding: the Prince and Princess of Wales

1962 Juan Carlos and Sophia of Greece wedding: Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra (bridesmaid) and Prince Michael of Kent, and Lord Mountbatten

1969 Queen Victoria Eugenia funeral: the Duke of Kent (for the Queen) and Lord Mountbatten (for the Queen Mother)

1975 King Juan Carlos I Accession ceremonies: Duke of Edinburgh

1993 Count of Barcelona funeral: Prince of Wales

1995 Infanta Elena wedding: Prince of Wales

1997 Infanta Cristina wedding: Prince Edward

2000 Countess of Barcelona funeral: Prince of Wales

2004 Wedding of the Prince of Asturias: Prince of Wales


Sweden

1907 King Oscar II Funeral: Prince Arthur of Connaught

1920 Crown Princess Margaret funeral: the Earl of Onslow (most members of the Royal, including the king and Queen and Prince Albert and Princess Mary, attended a memorial service at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace on the same day.)

1932 Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf wedding:  the Earl of Athlone

1950 King Gustav V Funeral: Duke of Gloucester

1965 Queen Louise Funeral: Princess Royal, representing the Queen, and Lady Pamela Hicks, representing Lord Mountbatten. The Duke of Edinburgh, who was Louise's nephew, was on an official trip and did not return for her funeral

1973 King Gustaf VI Adolf funeral: The Duke of Edinburgh. He was joined by Lord Mountbatten and the Princess of Hesse. Lord Windlesham represented Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.

1976 King Carl XVI Gustaf wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

1996  King Carl XVI Gustaf's 50th birthday:  Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

2010 Crown Princess Victoria wedding: the Earl and Countess of Wessex

2013 Princess Madeleine's wedding: the Earl and Countess of Wessex

2015 Prince Carl Philip's wedding:  the Earl and Countess of Wessex


Yugoslavia

1922 King Alexander and Princess Marie of Romania wedding: The Duke and Duchess of York

1934 King Alexander's funeral: the Duke of Kent

1944 King Peter II wedding: King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Duke of Gloucester, and Duchess of Kent

1956: Prince Andrej & Princess Christina of Hesse: the Duke of Edinburgh (represented by the Margrave of Baden)

1957 Prince Tomislav & Princess Margarita of Baden:  Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, and the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma

1972 Crown Prince Alexander wedding: Princess Anne

2013 State Funeral of King Peter II.  None

King Harald V - Family man

Heiko Junge / NTB

 "You have always been concerned that we in the family are a team. When things go badly, we can lean on each other, and when things go well, we can share the joy. There is a lot of strength in that, said His Majesty King Haakon in his speech to his father, King Harald, on the occasion of his 88th birthday.

@NTB

King Harald was closely connected to his family. He experienced great grief when he lost his mother at the age of 17. Crown Princess Märtha died of illness at age 53, and King Harald said this remained a great loss.

King Harald had a rich family life throughout his life, even though the beginning was difficult and it took time before he could marry. It was not until nine years later that Crown Prince Harald was able to get engaged to Sonja Haraldsen from Vinderen in Oslo.

@NTB

@NTB

It was not uncontroversial that our future king would marry a non-royal. For King Olav, this was not just a family matter, but also a matter of state with consequences for the future of the Royal House. After consulting both the President of the Storting, the parliamentary leaders, and the government, King Olav gave his consent: the Crown Prince of Norway could marry civilly.

Vidar Knai / NTB

On August 29, 1968, a royal wedding took place in Oslo Cathedral. Oslo was decorated with flags and flowers; nearly 3,000 soldiers from all branches of the armed forces stood shoulder to shoulder along the wedding route from the Palace to the cathedral, and a double royal salute was fired from Akershus Fortress: two 21-gun salutes.

After the wedding, Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja moved to Skaugum, the official residence of the Norwegian heir to the throne, where the children grew up. Princess Märtha Louise was born on 22 September 1971. Barely two years later, on 20 July 1973, Prince Haakon Magnus was born. The parents placed great emphasis on their upbringing being as normal as possible. Both the Prince and Princess therefore attended municipal kindergarten and regular school.

Christmas 1990. Photo: Knut Falch / NTB

– When I look back, it's the holidays that I remember best. My mother, my father, and my sister- there were four of us on holiday, and the four of us on weekend trips in Norway. It took many years before we traveled abroad, said King Haakon on the occasion of the biography "Haakon" from 2023.

Crown Prince Harald was interested in the children, and he would often lie down on the floor to build Lego when he came home after a day of work at the Palace.

– The King is simply kind. It is an underrated quality. From the biography "Haakon", 2023

Gradually, grandchildren arrived. The royal couple experienced the role of grandparents as early as 2001, when then Crown Princess Mette-Marit joined the family with her son, Marius.

Lise Åserud / NTB

Princess Ingrid Alexandra was born on 21 January 2004 as third in line to the throne, after her father, then Crown Prince Haakon, and Prince Sverre Magnus, born in 2005. Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn's first daughter, Maud Angelica, was born in 2003, followed by Leah Isadora in 2005 and Emma Tallulah in 2008.

 I didn't think I would become a grandfather, but I did.

King Harald wanted to see his grandchildren often. Sunday dinners together were important – at the Palace, at Skaugum or in Lommedalen.

@Royal House

On several occasions, the Royal Couple took their children and grandchildren on trips at home and abroad, with Queen Sonja as an enthusiastic tour guide. King Harald wanted their grandchildren to experience and see places central to Norwegian history. In 2015, the family traveled along the country's northernmost coast on the Royal Ship Norway, and in 2018, they went to Svalbard. The whole family also traveled to South Africa in 2017, where, among other things, the visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned, made a great impression.

Heiko Junge / NTB

For six decades, Queen Sonja was King Harald's closest supporter, both privately and in his work as the country's Crown Prince and later King. In a speech on the occasion of the Royal Couple's 80th anniversary in 2017, he thanked the Queen and said:

– Today I thank you for the opportunity and support to fill the role, as it has been right for me. I could not have done this without my wife by my side for almost 50 years.

In a monarchy, the family is inextricably linked to the lifelong work of both the monarch and those who will inherit the throne.

King Harald, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra at Bygdø Royal Palace 2012. Photo: Julia Marie Naglestad, The Royal Court

Proud grandpa holds Ingrid Alexandra at her christening @Tor Richardsen/NTB

There is a special bond and a deep understanding between those in the line of succession. This connection was also strong between King Harald, Crown Prince Haakon, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

– He has become a friend and colleague. He asks me for advice, and I get advice from him. The relationship has become closer and closer. He is a wise guy, said King Harald about his son in connection with the book "The King Tells".

The family mantra has been that even if you have to follow each other in the deed, you have to find the security to do it in your own way.

In his speech to his father on his 88th birthday, then-Crown Prince Haakon said.

– Dear Dad, you have been my most important teacher and mentor throughout my life. You have always shown me great trust.

And in the speech to Princess Ingrid Alexandra in connection with the day of authority, King Harald said: 

– I've told you this several times, but a grandfather is allowed to repeat his most important advice over and over again: Be yourself. And trust that that's enough – always."

Mail call

 

Response for the Queen's birthday!

A Future Queen

 

@Royal Court

HRH Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra signs her Oath of the Norwegian Constitution.  She can now act as Regent when her father, King Haakon VIII, is out of the country or incapacitated.

She joins Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Estelle of Sweden, the Princess of Orange, the Duchess of Brabant, and the Princess of Asturias as future Queens Regnant.

Princess Astrid honors her brother

 

Det kongelige hoff

Det kongelige hoff

All black-and-white images:  Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection

Princess Astrid, 94, is the second of three children of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden.  Her elder sister, Princess Ragnhild, died in 2012 at the age of 82.

The Princess, who is now the longest-living descendant of Queen Victoria, is one of five surviving great-grandchildren of King Edward VII, who died in 1910.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-longest-living-descendant-of-queen.html

The four other great-grandchildren are HRH The Duke of Gloucester (1944), HRH The Duke of Kent (1935), HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy (1936), HRH Prince Michael of Kent (1942) and HRH The Duke of Gloucester (1944).