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 kingd ...

. 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

line of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.German occupation 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. Following the death of his grandfather

Haakon VII Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick ...

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 Patriarc ...

, 1968, and 1972 Olympic Games, and later became patron of

World Sailing World Sailing (WS) is the world sport governing body, governing body for the sailing (sport), sport of sailing recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). History The creation of the Inter ...

. Harald married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968, their relationship having initially been controversial due to her status as a commoner. 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 estate during the reign of his grandfather

King Haakon VII Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick VI ...

and was baptised in the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace in

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 ...

on 31 March 1937 by Bishop Johan Lunde. His godparents were: his paternal grandparents King Haakon VII and

Queen Maud of Norway Maud of Wales (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria; 26 November 1869 – 20 November 1938) was the Queen of Norway as the wife of King Haakon VII. The youngest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, she was known as P ...

; his maternal grandparents Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden; King Leopold III of Belgium; Queen Mary and

King George VI of the United Kingdom George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Indi ...

; 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 The line of succession to the Norwegian throne consists of people entitled to become head of state of Norway. The succession is currently governed by Article 6 of the Constitution, altered most recently in 1990 to introduce absolute primogen ...

following his father, Crown Prince Olav. He is also in the line of succession to the British throne, 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 and ...

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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Second World War

In 1940 the entire royal family had to flee Oslo because of the

German invasion German invasion may refer to: Pre-1900s * German invasion of Hungary (1063) World War I * German invasion of Belgium (1914) * German invasion of Luxembourg (1914) World War II * Invasion of Poland * German invasion of Belgium (1940) * G ...

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

Sälen Sälen () is a locality situated in Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden with 652 inhabitants in 2010. Despite its small population, Sälen receives many tourists every winter. Sälen is best known for hosting the start of Vasaloppet ...

before moving to Prince Carl Bernadotte's home in Frötuna on 16 April. On 26 April the group moved to

Drottningholm Drottningholm, literally "Queen's Islet", is a locality situated in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, with 398 inhabitants in 2010. It is on the island Lovön in lake Mälaren on the outskirts of Stockholm. Drottningholm Palace, the ...

in Stockholm. King Gustaf V has been accounted to have had an amicable relationship with his Norwegian guests, but the topic of the war in Norway was not to be raised. However, influential Swedish politicians, including Minister of Justice Westman, wanted the Crown Princess and Prince Harald to be sent back to Norway so he could be proclaimed King by the Germans. After the King and Crown Prince had to leave Norway on 7 June they felt Sweden might not be the best place for the rest of the family, 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, 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 ...

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 d ...

''. 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, 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 Little Norway ( no, Lille Norge), officially (FTL, "Air Force Training Camp"), was a Norwegian Army Air Service/Royal Norwegian Air Force training camp in southern Ontario during the Second World War. Origins When Nazi Germany attacked Norway o ...

" 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 birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

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.

Crown Prince

In 1955 he graduated from Oslo katedralskole and in the autumn of that year, Harald began studies at the

. He later attended the Cavalry Officers' Candidate School at Trandum, 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 A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

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 Balliol College, Oxford where he studied history, economics and politics. He was a keen

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

during his student days at Oxford and was taught to row by fellow student and friend Nick Bevan, later a leading British school rowing coach. In 1960, he also made his first official journey abroad, visiting the United States in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the American Scandinavian Foundation. An avid sailor, Harald represented Norway in the

yachting Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called ''yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboats, ...

events of the Summer Olympics 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. Harald is an honorary president of the

International Soling Association The International Soling Association, ISA, was founded as soon as the Soling became an International class in 1967. Originally an "Owners Club" became a very self-supporting organization who provided great support for the whole Soling community and ...

Marriage

Harald married Sonja Haraldsen at Oslo Domkirke in Oslo on 29 August 1968. The pair had dated for nine years, but Olav was reluctant to allow his son to marry a commoner. 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 and

Crown Prince Haakon Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (; Haakon Magnus; born 20 July 1973) is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Haakon represents the fourth generation of the sitting Norwegian royal fa ...

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 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 Greycloak (Old Norse: ''Haraldr gráfeldr'', lit. "Harald Grey-hide"; Norwegian: ; Danish: ; c. 935 – c. 970) was a king of Norway from the Fairhair dynasty. Harald acquired his nickname "Gray-hide" after an encounter with the crew of ...

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. ...

, Harald Hardrada, and

Harald Gille Harald Gille (Old Norse: ''Haraldr Gilli'' or ''Haraldr Gillikristr'', c. 1102 − 14 December 1136), also known as Harald IV, was king of Norway from 1130 until his death. His byname Gille is probably from Middle Irish ''Gilla Críst'' "servant o ...

. 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". The King also chose to continue the tradition of royal

benediction A benediction ( Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposit ...

, a tradition that had been introduced with his

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

, and was consecrated together with Queen Sonja in the Nidaros Cathedral 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. King Harald's decision to accept two more commoners into the royal family, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and

Ari Behn Ari Mikael Behn (; , or ; 30 September 1972 – 25 December 2019) was a Norwegian author, playwright, and visual artist. Known as Mikael Bjørshol until 1996, Behn achieved early literary success with his 1999 short story collection ''Trist so ...

, 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, the Royal Palace, the royal stables and

Oscarshall Oscarshall Palace is a ''maison de plaisance'' located in the small fjord Frognerkilen on Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. History The palace was built from 1847 to 1852 by the Danish architect Johan Henrik Nebelong on commission from King Oscar ...

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 in

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

(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 i ...

–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: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

. 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 Royal Palace 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 co ...

. He receives foreign envoys, and formally opens parliament every October delivering a speech from the throne 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 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 A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these prin ...

status as

holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

was dissolved, while leaving his

sovereign immunity Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a legal doctrine whereby a sovereign or state cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution, strictly speaking in modern texts in its own courts. A similar, stronger ...

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 Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually-reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic ...

as Olympians. The King has also represented Norway at opening ceremonies of Olympic Games, among them Torino 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 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 cont ...

, specifically the Norwegian dependency

Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land ( no, Dronning Maud Land) is a roughly region of Antarctica claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20° west and the Australian Antarctic Territory 45° east. In addi ...

. 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 ...

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 anch ...

. The king came second in the classic fleet category. He was dubbed "Sailor-King" by Canada's '' National Post'' 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 fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

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 ma ...

, from April to early June 2005 due to

aortic stenosis Aortic stenosis (AS or AoS) is the narrowing of the exit of the left ventricle of the heart (where the aorta begins), such that problems result. It may occur at the aortic valve as well as above and below this level. It typically gets worse ov ...

, and in 2020 he was in hospital for cardiac surgery (replacement of a

heart valve A heart valve is a one-way valve that allows blood to flow in one direction through the chambers of the heart. Four valves are usually present in a mammalian heart and together they determine the pathway of blood flow through the heart. A heart ...

). 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 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 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 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 the ...

. On 11 September 2022, King Harald visited Denmark to celebrate the Golden Jubilee 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 File:Royal Monogram of King Harald V of Norway.svg, Royal monogram

Honours and medals

The King is a

four-star general A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army ge ...

, an admiral, and formally the Supreme Commander of the

Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvaret, , The Defence) is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Royal ...

. The infantry battalion His Majesty the King's Guard are considered the King's and the Royal Family's bodyguards. They guard the Royal residences, including the Royal Palace, the Crown Prince Residence at Skaugum, and the Royal Mausoleum at

Akershus Castle Akershus Fortress ( no, Akershus Festning, ) or Akershus Castle ( no, Akershus slott ) is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress ...

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 ...

and the

Royal Norwegian Order of Merit The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: ''Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden'' (Bokmål) or ''Den Kongelege Norske Fortenesteordenen'' (Nynorsk)) was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens livi ...

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

° * – Grand Master of

the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: ''Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden'' (Bokmål) or ''Den Kongelege Norske Fortenesteordenen'' (Nynorsk)) was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens livi ...

– Grand Cross° * – St Olav's medal° * – Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch° * – Royal House Centennial Medal° * – King Haakon VII Commemorative Medal 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° * – Olav Vs Centenary Medal° * – Defence Service Medal 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. He is also an honorary Colonel in the British Royal Marines. He is patron of the Anglo-Norse Society in London, 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 succession to the British throne, because of his descent from King

of the United Kingdom. He is a Stranger

Knight 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 ...

, 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, or ...

, and a Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain, as well as numerous other orders of chivalry.

Northern European countries

* – Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon ( is, Hin íslenska fálkaorða) is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. N ...

° * – Knight with Collar of the

Order of the Seraphim The Royal Order of the Seraphim ( sv, Kungliga Serafimerorden; ''Seraphim'' being a category of angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the P ...

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

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. ...

° * – Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ° * – Collar of the Order of the White Star * – Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars ° * – Grand Cross of the Order of Viesturs ° * – Grand Cross (1998) with Golden Chain (2011) of the Order of Vytautas the Great ° * – Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain (1994) ° * – Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

(1955) ° * – Stranger Knight of the Order of the Garter (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 * – Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1964) ° * – Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold ° * – Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross ° * – Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains ° * – Collar of the Order of Merit ° * – Grand Order of King Tomislav ° * – 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 Royal House of Greece Centenary Medal ° * – Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary The Hungarian Order of Merit ( hu, Magyar Érdemrend) is the fourth highest State Order of Hungary. Founded in 1991, the order is a revival of an original order founded in 1946 and abolished in 1949. Its origins, however, can be traced to the O ...

° *

IOC – 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 is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously. Apart fr ...

° * – Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali ° * –

Order of the Yugoslav Great Star The Order of the Yugoslav Star sr, Орден југословенске звезде, ''Orden jugoslovenske zvezde'' sl, Red jugoslovanske zvezde mk, Орден на југословенската ѕвезда, ''Orden na jugoslovenskata zvezda'' ...

° * – Grand Cross of the Order of Adolph of Nassau ° * – Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau° * – Medal to commemorate the wedding of

Grand Duke Jean Jean (Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano; 5 January 1921 – 23 April 2019) was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He was the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg of French agnatic ...

and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte ° * – Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...

° * – Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown ° * – Commander of the Order of the Golden Ark ° * – 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 (05/11/1980) °Portuguese presidential website
Orders search form
* – Grand Collar of the

Order of Infante Dom Henrique The Order of Prince Henry ( pt, Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique) is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of ...

(13 February 2004) ° * – Grand Collar of the Order of St. James of the Sword (26 May 2008) ° * – Sash Rank of the Order of the Star of Romania ° * – Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross (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 (21 April 1995) ° * – Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

(12/04/1982) ° * – Collar of the

(30 June 2006) ° * – Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope ° * – Recipient of the

Grand Order of Mugunghwa The Grand Order of Mugunghwa ( ko, 무궁화대훈장) is the highest order awarded by the government of South Korea. It is awarded to the President of South Korea, and it may be awarded to their spouse, heads or former heads of state of South Ko ...

° * – Knight of the

Order of the Royal House of Chakri The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri ( th, เครื่องขัตติยราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติคุณรุ่งเรืองยิ่งมหาจัก� ...

(19 September 1960)° * – Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Order of Chula Chom Klao ° * – First Class of the Order of the State of Republic of Turkey ° 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 Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; la, Legis Civilis Doctor or Juris Civilis Doctor) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees. At Oxford, the degree is a higher ...

from Oxford University in 2006 (as did his father, King Olav, in 1937, and his grandfather, King Haakon, in 1943). The King also received honorary doctorates from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland in 1994, the University of Strathclyde in Scotland in 1985,

Waseda University , mottoeng = Independence of scholarship , established = 21 October 1882 , type = Private , endowment = , president = Aiji Tanaka , city = Shinjuku , state = Tokyo , country = Japan , students = 47,959 , undergrad = 39,382 , postgrad ...

in Japan in 2001, and

Pacific Lutheran University Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) is a private Lutheran university in Parkland, Washington. It was founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants in 1890. PLU is sponsored by the 580 congregations of Region I of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ame ...

in Tacoma, Washington, in 2015. He is also an honorary fellow at Balliol College, Oxford. * – Freedom of the City of Cork. *Spirit of Luther Award, awarded by Luther College of Decorah, IA *A 230,000 km² area in

is named Prince Harald Coast in his honour. *In 2007 King Harald was awarded the Holmenkollen medal with Simon Ammann,

Frode Estil Frode Estil (born 31 May 1972 in Lierne, Nord-Trøndelag) is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier. He lives in Meråker with his wife Grete whom he married in the summer of 2001. They have two sons, Bernhard, born in August 2002, and Konrad ...

, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, and his wife Queen Sonja. * – Key of Honor to the City of Lisbon, on 28 May 2008 *In 2013, a 6,500 km² area in Svalbard was named Harald V Land.

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 milli ...

'')
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 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)