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 relationship a secret due to the controversy of Sonja's status as a
commoner. Harald had told his father,
King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried if his father did not grant consent to marry Sonja. Upon their marriage, Sonja became crown princess and later the queen of Norway upon her husband's accession to the throne in 1991. The couple have two children together:
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 s ...
and
Crown Prince Haakon.
As queen, Sonja holds patronage with up to fifteen organisations. Sonja has also served as Vice President of the
Norwegian Red Cross
The Norwegian Red Cross (''Norges Røde Kors'') was founded on 22 September 1865 by prime minister Frederik Stang. In 1895 the Norwegian Red Cross began educating nurses, and in 1907 the Norwegian Ministry of Defence authorized the organization fo ...
from 1987 to 1990. She is also known for her interest in music, art and culture, having founded the
Queen Sonja International Music Competition
The Queen Sonja International Music Competition is a music competition for young singers taking place every two years in Oslo, Norway. The competition was arranged for the first time in 1988. Participants are selected by a screening committee on t ...
and the Queen Sonja Print Award. She is also a
graphic artist and
ceramicist, with many of her works being featured in exhibitions across Norway and other countries.
Early life
Sonja Haraldsen was born on 4 July 1937 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 of ...
, the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen (1875–1959) and Dagny Ulrichsen (1898–1994).
She had three siblings, Haakon Haraldsen (1921–2016), Gry Henriksen (1924–1971) and Karl Herman Haraldsen (1929–1936, who died in a boating accident). She grew up at Tuengen Allé 1B in the district of
Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling in 1954. She received a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring at the Oslo Vocational School, and a diploma from École Professionnelle des Jeunes Filles (a
finishing school) in
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. There, she studied accounting, fashion design, and social science. She returned to Norway for further studies and received an undergraduate degree (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
and
Art History
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today, ...
) from 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 ...
.
Marriage
In June 1959 she first met Crown Prince Harald (the future King Harald V) at a party hosted by Johan H. Stenersen. Later in August the Crown Prince invited her to his graduation ball, where they were photographed together for the first time. They dated for nine years, although their relationship had been kept secret because she was a commoner.
The Crown Prince made it clear to his father, King
Olav V, that he would remain unmarried for life unless he could marry her. This would in effect have put an end to the rule of his family, and likely to the monarchy in Norway, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. Faced with having to choose one of his relatives from the
Danish royal family, the
Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein or even the
Grand Dukes of Oldenburg
The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (, also known as Holstein-Oldenburg) was a grand duchy within the German Confederation, North German Confederation and German Empire that consisted of three widely separated territories: Oldenburg Land, Oldenburg, ...
as his new heir in place of his son, Olav V consulted the government for advice; as a result, Sonja became engaged to Crown Prince Harald on 19 March 1968. The couple married on 29 August 1968, at
Oslo Cathedral. She thus acquired the style of ''
Royal Highness'' and the title of Crown Princess of Norway.
Public life
Following the death of
King Olav V on 17 January 1991, Sonja became Norway's first
queen consort in 52 years.
Queen Sonja accompanied
King Harald V when he swore his oath to uphold the Constitution in the
Storting
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years ...
on 21 January 1991. During
Haakon VII of Norway's reign, his wife
Queen Maud died in 1938 and his son Olav V was then crown prince when his wife
Princess Märtha of Sweden died in 1954 before he became king three years later. It was also the first time in 69 years that a Norwegian queen had been present in the Storting. Since his accession, Queen Sonja has accompanied the King to the formal opening of the autumn session of the Storting and the reading of the Speech from the Throne.
In accordance with their own wishes, the King and Queen were
consecrated in
Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on 23 June 1991.
Following the consecration, the King and Queen conducted a 10-day tour of Southern Norway. In 1992, the entire Royal Family conducted a 22-day tour of Norway's four northernmost counties.
The Queen accompanies the King on official state visits abroad. She acts as the hostess when foreign heads of state officially visit Norway.
In 2005, Queen Sonja became the first queen ever 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 ...
.
The Queen was there to open the Norwegian
Troll research station in the country's Antarctic dependency,
Queen Maud Land. The Queen flew in on one of the
Royal Norwegian Air Force's C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, landing at
Troll Airfield.
In 2017 Queen Sonja was awarded the
Trysil-Knut Prize. She is the first woman to ever receive the award.
The Queen was appointed a Rear Admiral in the
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, ...
and a Brigadier in the
Norwegian Army. She has undergone a basic officer training course and has participated in exercises.
On 17 January 2021, Queen Sonja celebrated 30 years as
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, 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 ...
's queen consort.
Activities
In 1972 she was involved in establishing Princess Märtha Louise's Fund, which provides assistance to disabled children in Norway. She has taken active part in large-scale initiatives to raise funds for international refugees and spent time in the 1970s visiting
Vietnamese boat refugees in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
.
From 1987 to 1990, Crown Princess Sonja served as Vice President of the
Norwegian Red Cross
The Norwegian Red Cross (''Norges Røde Kors'') was founded on 22 September 1865 by prime minister Frederik Stang. In 1895 the Norwegian Red Cross began educating nurses, and in 1907 the Norwegian Ministry of Defence authorized the organization fo ...
. She was responsible for the organisation's international activities. She took part in a Red Cross delegation to
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kal ...
and
Zimbabwe in 1989.
Queen Sonja's School Award was established in 2006 and is awarded to schools who have "demonstrated excellence in its efforts to promote inclusion and equality".
In 2021,
Frank Rossavik said that now she is starting an
rtgallery, to sell works by artists that she has given her prestigious prizes to.
Personal interests
Sonja established the
Queen Sonja International Music Competition
The Queen Sonja International Music Competition is a music competition for young singers taking place every two years in Oslo, Norway. The competition was arranged for the first time in 1988. Participants are selected by a screening committee on t ...
in 1988. It was originally for pianists, but in 1995 the competition became only for singers. The jury consists of diverse authoritative figures in opera and the winners receive a cash amount and prestigious engagements at Norwegian music institutions.
[Royal House web page on the Queen's areas of special interest](_blank)
Retrieved 6 November 2007
She is a longtime avid photographer and has a keen interest in art. She is a
printmaker, and held exhibitions with artists
Kjell Nupen
Kjell Nupen (September 5, 1955 – March 12, 2014) was a Norwegian contemporary artist. He was a painter, sculptor and graphic artist.
Early years
Kjell Nupen had his professional breakthrough very early.
At just 17 years old, he was admitted to ...
and
Ørnulf Opdahl in 2011 and 2013. The Queen Sonja Nordic Art Award was established in 2011 with Tiina Kivinen from Finland being the first recipient in 2012. The prize will be awarded every other year.
In 2017,
The Queen Sonja Art Stable was opened, a venue which will function as a scene for arts and culture. Together with King Harald, the queen has for decades attempted to establish a
palace museum 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 of ...
.
The Queen is a keen hiker, and this was marked by a sculpture unveiled for her 80th birthday as a gift from the
Norwegian Trekking Association.
Issue
Arms
File:Coat of arms of Queen Sonja of Norway.png, Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
File:Royal Monogram of Queen Sonja of Norway.svg, Monogram
Honours
In 1982 she was awarded the
Nansen Refugee Award. In 2007, she received 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 th ...
,
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 her husband, King Harald V.
Queen Sonja also received an Honorary Doctorate from
Heriot-Watt University in 1994
National orders
* : Grand Cross with Collar of the
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 II ...
°
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit °
*
The Royal House Centenary Medal °
*
Haakon VIIs Centenary Medal °
*
Olav Vs Commemorative Medal of 30. January 1991
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" ...
°
*
Olav Vs Jubilee Medal 1957-1982 °
*
Olav Vs Centenary 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 ...
°
*
Harald Vs Jubilee Medal 1991-2016 °
*
Royal Family Order of King Olav V of Norway
The Royal Family Order of Olav V of Norway is a decoration awarded to female members of the Norwegian royal family. It was established in 1958 and has not been awarded since the death of King Olav V.
The ribbon of the Order was red, bordered wh ...
°
*
Royal Family Order of King Harald V of Norway
The Royal Family Order of Harald V of Norway ( no, Kong Harald Vs Husorden) is a Royal Family Order bestowed by the King of Norway upon female members of the Norwegian royal family. Unlike the other two Royal family orders, it is currently awar ...
°
* Norwegian Red Cross Badge of Honour °
*
The Nansen Medal °
* Oslo Military Society Badge of Honour in Gold °
Foreign orders
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of May °
* : Grand Star of the
Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1978) °
* : Grand Cordon of the
Order of Leopold °
* : Grand Cross 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 1 ...
°
* : Sash of the
Order of the Balkan Mountains °
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit °
*:
Grand Order of Queen Jelena
The Grand Order of Queen Jelena ( hr, Velered kraljice Jelene), or more fully the Grand Order of Queen Jelena with Sash and Morning Star (''Velered kraljice Jelene s lentom i Danicom''), is an order of the Republic of Croatia. It was established ...
(12 May 2011)
* : Knight of the
Order of the Elephant (12 February 1973) °
*: Member 1st Class 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 t ...
(24 August 1998) °
*: Member 1st Class of the
Order of the White Star (2 September 2014)
*: Commander Grand Cross of the
Order of the White Rose of Finland °
* : Grand Cross of the
Ordre national du Mérite
*: Grand Cross Special Class of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany °
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of the Redeemer °
*: Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary °
*
IOC: Recipient of the Gold
Olympic Order °
*: Grand Cross of the
Order of the Falcon (21 October 1981) °
* : Knight Grand Cross 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-rankin ...
(19 October 2001) °
* : Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of the
Order of the Precious Crown °
* : Grand Cordon of the
Supreme Order of the Renaissance ° (Order of Al-Nahda)
* : Commander Grand Cros of the
Order of the Three Stars (2 September 1998) °
* : Recipient of the 1st Class of
Cross of Recognition (12 March 2015) °
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Vytautas the Great (3 September 1998) °
* : 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 a ...
°
* : Grand Cross 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 Walramia ...
°
* : Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Netherlands Lion °
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of the Crown °
* : Recipient of Queen Beatrix's Inauguration Medal °
* : Knight of the
Order of the White Eagle °
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of Portugal (2 January 1981)
[Portuguese presidential website]
Orders search form
/ref> °
* : Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (13 February 2004) °
* : Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (26 May 2008) °
* : Member 2nd Class of the Order of the White Double Cross (2010)
* : Member of the Order for Exceptional Merits (2011) °
* : Member 1st Class (Grand Gwanghwa Medal) of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit °
* : Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (21 April 1995) °
* : Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...
(12 April 1982)Boletín Oficial del Estado
/ref> °
* : Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Seraphim °
*: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (30 April 1996)
* : Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (15 September 2013)
''Rem : The mark ° shows the honours mentioned on Queen Sonja'
official website page
'
Notes
References
2007 Holmenkollen medalists announced
- Accessed 18 March 2007.
Holmenkollen medal presented to Estil and Hjelmeset
- Accessed 21 March 2007
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonja Of Norway, Queen
1937 births
Living people
Norwegian expatriates in Switzerland
Holmenkollen medalists
House of Glücksburg (Norway)
Norwegian royal consorts
Crown Princesses of Norway
Norwegian Lutherans
Norwegian Army generals
Royal Norwegian Navy admirals
Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown
Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite
Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)
Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit (Portugal)
Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry
Recipients of the Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Grand Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great
Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil)
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
Recipients of the Olympic Order
Norwegian printmakers
Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Cross of Recognition
Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 1st Class
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
20th-century Norwegian women
21st-century Norwegian women
Princesses by marriage
Nansen Refugee Award laureates