Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms ...

. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and

Princess Märtha of Sweden Princess Märtha of Sweden (Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra; 28 March 1901 – 5 April 1954) was Crown Princess of Norway as the spouse of the future King Olav V from 1929 until her death in 1954. The presently reigning King Harald V is he ...

. He was second in the line of succession at the time of his birth, behind his father. In 1940, as a result of the

German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

during World War II, the royal family went into exile. Harald spent part of his childhood in Sweden and the United States. He returned to Norway in 1945, and subsequently studied for periods at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

, the

Norwegian Military Academy The Norwegian Military Academy (), in Oslo, educates officers of the Norwegian Army and serves as the King's Royal Guard. The academy was established in 1750, and is the oldest institution for higher education in Norway. History The Commander- ...

, and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

. Following the death of his grandfather Haakon VII in 1957, Harald became crown prince as his father became king. A keen sportsman, he represented Norway in sailing at the

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

, and 1972 Olympic Games, and later became patron of World Sailing. Harald married

Sonja Haraldsen Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relations ...

in 1968, their relationship having initially been controversial due to her status as a

commoner A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...

. They have two children, Märtha Louise and Haakon. Harald became king following his father's death in 1991, with Haakon becoming his

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

Early life and education

Birth

Prince Harald was born at the

Skaugum Skaugum is an estate, manor house and the official residence of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The estate is located in Asker municipality, southwest of Oslo, by the foot of the mountain Skaugumsåsen. The ...

estate during the reign of his grandfather King Haakon VII and was baptised in the

Royal Chapel A royal chapel is a chapel associated with a monarch, a royal court, or in a royal palace. A royal chapel may also be a Chapel (music), body of clergy or musicians serving at a royal court or employed by a monarch. Commonwealth countries Both ...

of the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

on 31 March 1937 by Bishop Johan Lunde. His godparents were: his paternal grandparents King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway; his maternal grandparents Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden;

King Leopold III of Belgium Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...

; Queen Mary and King George VI of the United Kingdom; and Crown Princess Ingrid of Denmark. His parents already had two daughters, Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid. At the time of Harald's birth, he was 2nd in line of succession to the Norwegian throne following his father,

Crown Prince Olav Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales. He became heir apparent to the Norw ...

. He is also in the line of

succession to the British throne Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 an ...

, being a descendant of

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Second World War

In 1940 the entire royal family had to flee Oslo because of the German invasion. 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. Hegge, Per Egil; Harald V, En biografi; N.W. Damm & Søn AS; 2006. However, when the King and Crown Prince inquired of Swedish foreign minister

Christian Günther Christian Ernst Günther (5 December 1886 – 6 March 1966) was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Hansson III Cabinet. The unity government was formed after the Soviet attack on Finland in November 1939, the Winter War, and it was di ...

whether they could sleep one night in Sweden without being interned, their request was refused. Harald spent the following days in Sälen before moving to

Prince Carl Bernadotte Carl Gustaf Oscar Fredrik Christian, Prince Bernadotte (10 January 1911 – 27 June 2003), originally Prince Carl, Duke of Östergötland, was the youngest child and only son of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark and eventua ...

's home in

Frötuna Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uppland province in Sweden, which also constitutes the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago. Historically, it was the name for all the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, including the eastern pa ...

on 16 April. On 26 April the group moved to Drottningholm in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

King Gustaf V Gustaf V (Oscar Gustaf Adolf; 16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until his death in 1950. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxem ...

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, and started planning for them to go to the United States. On 17 August the Crown Princess and her children left for the United States from

Petsamo Petsamo may refer to: * Petsamo Province, a province of Finland from 1921 to 1922 * Petsamo, Tampere, a district in Tampere, Finland * Pechengsky District, Russia, formerly known as Petsamo * Pechenga (urban-type settlement), Murmansk Oblast, Russi ...

, Finland, aboard the United States Army transport ship . Harald, his mother, and his sisters lived in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

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 Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

when he was sworn in for his fourth term on the South Portico of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

in 1945. Such childhood experiences are reflected in a trace of an American accent when he speaks English."Those Apprentice Kings and Queens Who May – One Day – Ascend a Throne"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. 14 November 1971. 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 The Armed Forces of the Liberation of Angola ( pt, Forças Armadas de Libertação de Angola) or FALA was the armed wing of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), a prominent political faction during the Angolan Civil ...

, on the North Lawn of the White House in 1944. Harald visited Norwegian servicemen 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 with his family at the war's end in 1945.

Return

In the autumn of 1945 he was enrolled in third grade of Smestad skole as the first member of the royal family to attend a public (state) school. Amidst this when he was only 17 years old in 1954, his

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...

died of cancer. The Crown Princess's death was a tremendous loss for him and his family as well as for Norway, and he named his Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, daughter Märtha to honour her memory. Four years later in 1958 he would lose his maternal grandmother

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (Ingeborg Charlotte Caroline Frederikke Louise; 2 August 1878 – 12 March 1958), was a Princess of Sweden by marriage to Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland. She was the daughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark, and ...

Crown Prince

In 1955 he graduated from

Oslo katedralskole Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian as Oslo Katedralskole (''Oslo Cathedral School'') and more commonly as "Katta",

and in the autumn of that year, Harald began studies at the

. He later attended the Cavalry Officers' Candidate School at

Trandum Trandum leir is a former army camp Ullensaker, Norway. The camp was shut down when the civilian airport at Gardermoen was built since most of the buildings were located directly underneath the flightpath for planes landing there. The woods near T ...

, followed by enrollment at the

, from which he graduated in 1959. On 21 September 1957 at the death of his grandfather, Harald became crown prince at the age of 20 and he attended the Council of State for the first time six days later 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. John Gorton and Harald V

In 1960, Harald entered

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 Nicholas Vaughan Bevan (21 February 1942 – 12 January 2014) was a leading British rowing coach and school headmaster. Early life Nick Bevan was born at the Limes Nursing Home in Shrewsbury, England, the son of David and Hilary Bevan. He was e ...

, 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. An avid sailor, Harald represented Norway in the yachting events of the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

in Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968, and Munich in 1972. The Crown Prince carried the Norwegian flag at the opening parade of the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

. Harald is an honorary president of the International Soling Association.

Marriage

Harald married

Oslo Domkirke , native_name_lang = , image = Oslo Cathedral.jpg , imagesize = 230px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption = Oslo Cathedral from St ...

in Oslo on 29 August 1968. The pair had dated for nine years, but Olav was reluctant to allow his son to marry a

. Olav only relented when Harald told his father that if he was not allowed to marry Sonja he would not marry at all. This would have ended the reign of his family and the Norwegian monarchy, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. The couple have two children,

Princess Märtha Louise Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

and Crown Prince Haakon,

to the Norwegian throne.

Reign

On the death of his father on 17 January 1991, Harald succeeded to the Norwegian throne. He became the first Norwegian-born monarch since

Olav IV no, Olav Håkonsson , house = Bjelbo , father = Haakon VI of Norway , mother = Margaret I of Denmark , birth_date = , birth_place = Akershus Castle, Oslo , death_date = , death_place = Falsterbo Ca ...

died in 1387, a gap of 604 years. Harald is the sixth King of Norway to bear that name, and the first in 855 years. The five other kings who have borne the name are

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

, Harald Greycloak,

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ( non, Haraldr Blátǫnn Gormsson; da, Harald Blåtand Gormsen, died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 95 ...

Harald Hardrada Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' (; modern no, Hardråde, roughly translated as "stern counsel" or "hard ruler") in the sagas, was King of Norway from 1046 t ...

, and Harald Gille. Harald Bluetooth is usually not given a number in the Norwegian list of kings, therefore Harald is 'only' numbered as ''Harald V''. King Harald made the decision to use his grandfather's royal motto, "

Alt for Norge ''Alt for Norge'' (''All for Norway'', though marketed in the United States as ''The Great Norway Adventure'') is a Norwegian reality television series which debuted in 2010 and appears on TVNorge and hosted by Fridtjof Nilsen. The reality show ...

". The King also chose to continue the tradition of royal benediction, a tradition that had been introduced with his father, and was consecrated together with

Queen Sonja Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relations ...

in the

Nidaros Cathedral Nidaros Cathedral ( no, Nidarosdomen / Nidaros Domkirke) is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of Olav II of Norway, King Olav II (c. 995–1030, reigned 1015–102 ...

on 23 June 1991. The reign of King Harald has been marked by modernization and reform for the Norwegian Royal family. The King has cooperated closely with Queen Sonja and the Crown Prince in making the royal household more open to the Norwegian public and the

Norwegian media Mass media in Norway outlines the current state of the press, television, radio, film and cinema, and social media in Norway. Press Reporters Without Borders ranks Norway 1st in its Worldwide Press Freedom Index. Freedom of the press in Norway ...

. King Harald's decision to accept two more commoners into the royal family,

Crown Princess Mette-Marit Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway (born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, , on 19 August 1973) is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon. Haakon is the heir apparent to the throne, which means that should he ascend to the throne, she will automaticall ...

and Ari Behn, has been interpreted as a sign of modernization and adjustment. Under King Harald and Queen Sonja's leadership, comprehensive renovation projects on the

Bygdøy Royal Estate Bygdøy Royal Estate ( no, Bygdøy kongsgård), also known as the ''Bygdø Royal Farm'', is a Kongsgård estate and manor house that occupies a large part of the northwestern part of the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, Norway. It is the official summer ...

, the

, the royal stables and Oscarshall have also taken place. The latter three have also been opened to the public and tourists. Together with Queen Sonja, the king has also for decades attempted to establish a

palace museum The Palace Museum () is a huge national museum complex housed in the Forbidden City at the core of Beijing, China. With , the museum inherited the imperial royal palaces from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China and opened to the public in 192 ...

Constitutional role

Harald V of Norway and Mauricio Macri March 2018

While the Constitution vests the King with executive power, he is not politically responsible for exercising it. This is in accordance not only with provisions of the Constitution, but with conventions established since the definitive establishment of parliamentary rule in Norway in 1884. His acts are not valid without the countersignature of a member of the Council of State (cabinet)–usually the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

–and proceedings of the Council of State are signed by all of its members. Although he nominally has the power of veto, no Norwegian king has exercised it since the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905. Even then, the King's veto power is suspensive, not absolute as is the case with British monarchs. A royal veto can be overridden if the Storting passes the same bill following a general election. While the Constitution nominally vests the King with the power to appoint the government, in practice the government must maintain the confidence of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. The King appoints the leader of the parliamentary bloc with the 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. Unlike some monarchs, Harald does not have the power to dissolve Parliament; the Constitution does not allow snap elections. The King meets with the Council of State at the

every Friday. He also has weekly meetings with the Prime Minister and the

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

. He receives foreign envoys, and formally opens parliament every October delivering a

speech from the throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...

during each opening. He travels extensively throughout Norway and makes official

state visits A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

to other countries, as well as receiving and hosting guests. Until 2012, the King of Norway was, according to the constitution, the formal head of the

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

. The constitutional amendment of 21 May 2012 made the King no longer the formal head, but he is still required to be of the Evangelical Lutheran religion. On 8 May 2018, the King's constitutional status as holy was dissolved, while leaving his sovereign immunity intact.

Sporting role

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 Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...

and

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. However, he wasn't present in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

; 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 came in sixth place.

Recent years

King Harald's leadership during Norwegian national crises, such as the

New Year's Day Storm The New Year's Day Storm ( no, Nyttårsorkanen) was a powerful European windstorm that affected much of northern Scotland and western Norway on 1 January 1992. DNMI estimated the strongest sustained winds (10 min. average) and the strongest gusts ...

, the landslide in Gjerdum and particularly the 2011 attacks, has been met with both national and international acclaim. In 2015, he became the world's first reigning monarch to visit

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

, specifically the Norwegian dependency Queen Maud Land. In 2016, King Harald V competed with a team for the sailing World Championships on

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. The king came second in the classic fleet category. He was dubbed "Sailor-King" by Canada's ''

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...

'' as he slept on board his yacht ''Sira''. In 2016 Harald, in a speech marking 25 years on the throne, sought to unify Norwegians coming from

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

as well as "girls who love girls, boys who love boys and girls and boys who love each other." Since the start of the twenty-first century King Harald has been unable to perform his duties as sovereign due to ill health on a few occasions: from December 2003 to mid-April 2004 due to urinary

bladder cancer Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become mali ...

, from April to early June 2005 due to aortic stenosis, and in 2020 he was in hospital for cardiac surgery (replacement of a heart valve). Crown Prince Haakon served as the country's

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

on these occasions, including giving the King's Speech at the

State opening of parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes place ...

in 2020. When the King and Queen turned 80 years old in 2017, the King decided to open the former royal stables to the public as a gift to his wife, the Queen. The new venue was named

The Queen Sonja Art Stable The Queen Sonja Art Stable (Norwegian:'' Dronning Sonja KunstStall'') is a museum, art gallery and concert hall located in the former stables of the Royal Palace in Oslo. History The stable building, located close to the palace park, was constru ...

and is the first institution owned by the royal family which is permanently open to the public. King Harald was made

Name of the Year Name of the Year ( no, Årets navn) is a prize awarded by one of Norway's biggest newspapers, Verdens Gang (VG). Instituted in 1974,

by the newspaper '' VG'' in 2017. On 17 January 2021, King Harald celebrated 30 years on the throne of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. On 11 September 2022, King Harald visited Denmark to celebrate the

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Titles, styles, and arms

Titles

*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 *Since 17 January 1991: ''His Majesty'' The King of Norway

Arms

File:Royal CoA of Norway.svg, Royal coat of arms File:Kongeflagg.svg,

Royal standard In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification. Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, an ...

File:Royal Monogram of King Harald V of Norway.svg, Royal monogram

Honours and medals

The King is a four-star general, an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

, 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

, the Crown Prince Residence at

, and the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle.

National honours and medals

The King is Grand Master of

the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav I ...

and the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. * – Grand Master of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav – Grand Cross with collar of

° * – Grand Master of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit – Grand Cross° * –

St Olav's medal The St. Olav's Medal and the St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch were instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 17 March 1939. They are awarded in recognition of "outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading of information about No ...

° * –

Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch The Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch ( no, Forsvarsmedaljen med laurbærgren nn, Forsvarsmedaljen med laurbærgrein) is a Orders, decorations, and medals of Norway, military medal of Norway. Established on 1 May 1982, the medal is awarde ...

° * –

Royal House Centennial Medal The Royal House Centennial Medal ( no, Kongehusets 100-årsmedalje) is a Norwegian award established by Harald V of Norway to commemorate the centennial of the Norwegian Royal Family. The day that it was established marks the hundredth anniversa ...

° * –

King Haakon VII Commemorative Medal The King Haakon VII Commemorative Medal of October 1, 1957 ( no, Kong Haakon VIIs minnemedalje 1. oktober 1957) is a Norwegian award created to commemorate the deceased monarch on the occasion of his funeral. King Haakon's funeral took place on ...

1. October 1957° * – King Haakon VII 1905–1955 Jubilee Medal° * – Haakon VIIs Centenary Medal° * – Olav Vs Commemorative Medal of 30. January 1991° * –

Olav Vs Jubilee Medal Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...

° * – Olav Vs Centenary Medal° * –

Defence Service Medal Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

with three stars° * – Army National Service Medal with three stars° * – Krigsdeltakerforbundet Badge of Honour° * – Norwegian Red Cross Badge of Honour° * – Norwegian Reserve Officers Federal Badge of Honour° * – The Naval Society Medal of Merit in gold° * – Norwegian Shooting Society Badge of Honour° * – The Norwegian Confederation of Sports Centenary Medal° * – Norwegian Shooting Society Commemorative Medal in gold° * – Oslo Military Society Badge of Honour in Gold°

Foreign honours

In the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, Harald V was the final Colonel-in-Chief of the

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

. He is also an honorary Colonel in the British

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

. He is patron of the

Anglo-Norse Society in London The Anglo-Norse Society in London is a society based in England for advancing the education of the citizens of Britain and Norway about each other's country and way of life. The Society was founded in 1918 as a registered charity. The membership ...

, formerly together with Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, his second cousin. Harald is in the line of

, because of his descent from King

of the United Kingdom. He is a Stranger Knight of the Garter, an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

, and a Recipient of the

Royal Victorian Chain The Royal Victorian Chain is a decoration instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the monarch (i.e. not an award made on the advice of any Commonwealth realm government). It ranks above the Royal Victorian Order, with which it ...

, as well as numerous other orders of chivalry.

Northern European countries

* – Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon ° * – Knight with Collar of the Order of the Seraphim ° * – Gustaf Vs 90th Anniversary Medal ° * – HM King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Medal * – Knight with Collar of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional ...

° * – Grand Commander of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

° * – Commander Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland ° * – Collar of the

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of ...

° * – Collar of the

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star ( et, Valgetähe teenetemärk; french: Ordre de l'Etoile Blanche) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic ...

* – Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...

° * – Grand Cross of the

Order of Viesturs The Order of Viesturs ( lv, Viestura ordenis) is a Latvian state order founded in 1938, which was temporarily discontinued in 1940 by the Soviet occupation of Latvia, but was re-established in 2004. The order is named after the medieval histor ...

° * – Grand Cross (1998) with Golden Chain (2011) of the

Order of Vytautas the Great The Order of Vytautas the Great is the Lithuanian Presidential Award.''Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija. 84 straipsnis''. Priimta 1992 It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguished ...

° * – Recipient of the

(1994) ° * – Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

(1955) ° * – Stranger Knight of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

(990th member; 2001) ° * – Honorary Freedom of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

(November 2008)

Other countries

* – Collar of the

Order of the Liberator General San Martín The Order of the Liberator General San Martín ( es, Orden del Libertador General San Martín) is the highest decoration in Argentina. It is awarded to foreign politicians or military, deemed worthy of the highest recognition from Argentina. It is ...

* – Grand Star of the

Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (german: Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the A ...

(1964) ° * – Grand Cordon of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

° * – Grand Collar of the

Order of the Southern Cross Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross ( pt, Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1822) ...

° * – Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains ° * – Collar of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

° * –

Grand Order of King Tomislav The Grand Order of King Tomislav ( hr, Velered kralja Tomislava), or officially the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star (''Velered kralja Tomislava s lentom i Velikom Danicom''), is the highest state order of Croatia. It ...

° * – Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur ° * – Grand Cross Special Class of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

° * – Grand Cross of the

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...

° * – The Royal House of Greece Centenary Medal ° * – Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary ° * Olympic flag

IOC The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

– The Golden Olympic order ° * – Knight Grand Cross (06/1965) with Collar (10/2001) of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...

° * – Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum ° * – Grand Cordon with Collar of the

Order of al-Hussein bin Ali The Order of al-Hussein bin Ali is the highest order of the Kingdom of Jordan. It was founded on 22 June 1949 with one class (i.e. Collar) by King Abdullah I of Jordan with the scope of rewarding benevolence and foreign Heads of State. The class ...

° * – Order of the Yugoslav Great Star ° * – Grand Cross of the

Order of Adolph of Nassau The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau (french: Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire d’Adolphe de Nassau) is an order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for meritorious service to the Grand Duke, the Grand-Ducal House ...

° * – Knight of the

Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (french: Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau, nl, Huisorde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau) is a chivalric order shared by the two branches of the House of Nassau (the Ottonian and Walramian ...

° * – Medal to commemorate the wedding of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte ° * – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion ° * – Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown ° * – Commander of the

Order of the Golden Ark The Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark ( nl, Orde van de Gouden Ark) is a Dutch order of merit established in 1971 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. It is awarded to people for major contributions to nature conservation. Although not ...

° * – Medal to commemorate the enthronement of Queen Beatrix ° * – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle ° * – Grand Cross of the

Military Order of Aviz The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...

(05/11/1980) °Portuguese presidential website
Orders search form
* – Grand Collar of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (13 February 2004) ° * – Grand Collar of the

Order of St. James of the Sword The Military Order of Saint James of the Sword ( pt, Ordem Militar de Sant'Iago da Espada) is a Portuguese order of chivalry. Its full name is the Ancient, Most Noble and Enlightened Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, of the Scientifi ...

(26 May 2008) ° * – Sash Rank of the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...

° * – Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the

Order of the White Double Cross The Order of the White Double Cross ( sk, Rad Bieleho dvojkríža) is the highest state decoration of the Slovak Republic. The Order was instituted on 1 March 1994 after Slovakia became independent on 1 January 1993. It continues the Czechoslova ...

(2010) ° * : Recipient of the Decoration for Exceptional Merits (2011) ° * – 1,192nd

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

and Collar of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

(21 April 1995) ° * – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (12/04/1982) ° * – Collar of the Order of Charles III (30 June 2006) ° * – Grand Cross of the

Order of Good Hope The Order of Good Hope or Order of the Cape of Good Hope is a dormant order of merit of the Republic of South Africa. History The Order of Good Hope was founded in 1973, by the republican government of South Africa, to grant those who had disti ...

° * – Recipient of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa ° * – Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri (19 September 1960)° * – Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the

Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์จุลจอมเกล้า; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Chulalongkorn, Rama V of The Thailand, Kingdom of ...

° * – First Class of the

Order of the State of Republic of Turkey The Order of the State of Republic of Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Nişanı) is the highest state order awarded to foreign nationals by the President of the Republic of Turkey. The Order of the State is conferred by the President, ...

° The mark ° shows honours mentioned on his official websit
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 Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

in Scotland in 1994, the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

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

. * – Freedom of the City of

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

. *Spirit of Luther Award, awarded by Luther College of

Decorah, IA Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of Iowa State H ...

*A 230,000 km² area in

is named

Prince Harald Coast Prince Harald Coast is a portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, encompassing Lutzow-Holm Bay, lying between Riiser-Larsen Peninsula, at 34° E, and the east entrance point of Lutzow-Holm Bay, marked by the coastal angle at 40° E. ...

in his honour. *In 2007 King Harald was awarded the Holmenkollen medal with

Simon Ammann Simon Ammann (; born 25 June 1981) is a Swiss ski jumper. He is one of the most successful athletes in the history of the sport, having won four individual Winter Olympic gold medals, in 2002 and 2010. His other achievements include winning t ...

, Frode Estil,

Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset (born 6 December 1971 in Nordfjordeid) is a Norwegian former cross-country skier who competed from 1993 to 2012. A classical technique specialist, Hjelmeset's biggest success is the gold medal in the 50 km event at the ...

, and his wife

. * – Key of Honor to the City of

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, on 28 May 2008 *In 2013, a 6,500 km² area in

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...

was named Harald V Land.

Issue

Notes

References

External links

*
Official website of the Norwegian Royal Family: biography of the King

The Royals
– Regularly updated news coverage of the Norwegian royal family (''

Aftenposten ( in the masthead; ; Norwegian for "The Evening Post") is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen) and estimated 1.2 million ...

'')
The Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav

The Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav – H.M. King Harald V the Grand Master of the Order

Announcement of King Harald V & Queen Sonja's awarding of the Holmenkollen medal
– Accessed 18 March 2007
His Majesty The King's Life Guard
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harald 05 Of Norway 1937 births 20th-century Norwegian monarchs 21st-century Norwegian monarchs Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Holmenkollen medalists House of Glücksburg (Norway) Living people Norwegian Lutherans Norwegian monarchs Crown Princes of Norway Norwegian people of German descent Norwegian people of Danish descent Norwegian people of English descent Norwegian people of Swedish descent Norwegian people of French descent Norwegian male sailors (sport) Olympic sailors of Norway People educated at Oslo Cathedral School Protestant monarchs Regents of Norway Royal Olympic participants Sailors at the 1964 Summer Olympics – 5.5 Metre Sailors at the 1968 Summer Olympics – 5.5 Metre Sailors at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Soling University of Oslo alumni Norwegian Military Academy alumni Norwegian Army generals Royal Norwegian Navy admirals Royal Norwegian Air Force generals Extra Knights Companion of the Garter Grand Collars of the Order of Prince Henry Grand Collars of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Grand Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands) First Class of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Crosses with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil) Grand Crosses with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Harald V of Norway Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the lin ...

Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Recipients of the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana Recipients of the Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Recipients of the Olympic Order Recipients of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Sons of kings Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)