Harald V
CountryNorway 
GenderMale
BirthdayFeb. 21, 1937
BiographyHarald V (Norwegian: Harald den femte, Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈhɑ̂rːɑɫ dɛn ˈfɛ̂mtə]; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway, having reigned since 17 January 1991.
A member of the House of Glücksburg, 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 at the time of his birth, behind his father. In 1940, as a result of the 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 Norwegian Military Academy, and Balliol College, Oxford. A keen sportsman, Harald represented Norway in sailing at the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympic Games, and later became patron of World Sailing.
Following the death of his paternal grandfather King Haakon VII in 1957, Harald became crown prince as his father became King Olav V. He married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968; their relationship having initially been controversial due to her status as a commoner. They have two children, their elder child Märtha Louise and their younger child Haakon, who is heir apparent due to the male-preference primogeniture used in Norway at the time of his birth. In 1990, when his father's health started declining, Harald became regent and thus took most of the powers of the monarchy while Olav remained the de jure monarch. Following his father's death in 1991, Harald officially ascended to the throne. He was the first Norwegian monarch born in Norway since Olav IV in 1367, a span of nearly 600 years.
During his reign, he has also suffered from health problems, with his son, Crown Prince Haakon, acting as regent five times between 2003 and 2026. Since 2024, Harald has been Norway's oldest-reigning monarch, surpassing his father; since the death of Elizabeth II in 2022, he is also the oldest-reigning monarch in Europe.
Biography from the Wikipedia article Harald V. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
A member of the House of Glücksburg, 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 at the time of his birth, behind his father. In 1940, as a result of the 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 Norwegian Military Academy, and Balliol College, Oxford. A keen sportsman, Harald represented Norway in sailing at the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympic Games, and later became patron of World Sailing.
Following the death of his paternal grandfather King Haakon VII in 1957, Harald became crown prince as his father became King Olav V. He married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968; their relationship having initially been controversial due to her status as a commoner. They have two children, their elder child Märtha Louise and their younger child Haakon, who is heir apparent due to the male-preference primogeniture used in Norway at the time of his birth. In 1990, when his father's health started declining, Harald became regent and thus took most of the powers of the monarchy while Olav remained the de jure monarch. Following his father's death in 1991, Harald officially ascended to the throne. He was the first Norwegian monarch born in Norway since Olav IV in 1367, a span of nearly 600 years.
During his reign, he has also suffered from health problems, with his son, Crown Prince Haakon, acting as regent five times between 2003 and 2026. Since 2024, Harald has been Norway's oldest-reigning monarch, surpassing his father; since the death of Elizabeth II in 2022, he is also the oldest-reigning monarch in Europe.
Biography from the Wikipedia article Harald V. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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