{"id":339293,"date":"2026-09-06T11:32:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/339293\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T11:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:32:19","slug":"king-haralds-love-ultimatum-to-marry-queen-sonja","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/339293\/","title":{"rendered":"King Harald\u2019s Love Ultimatum to Marry Queen Sonja"},"content":{"rendered":"

On that June day in 2006, the doors of the Bird Room at the Royal Palace in Oslo opened wide to welcome \u00a1HOLA! for a historic meeting with King Harald\u00a0and\u00a0Queen Sonja of Norway. Filled with excitement over the then-imminent state visit of their \u201cgood and old friends,\u201d King Juan Carlos\u00a0and\u00a0Queen Sof\u00eda of Spain, the royal couple opened their hearts and looked back over nearly four decades of marriage. It was a warm and relaxed conversation that touched on everything from the King\u2019s recent health issues, thankfully overcome, to the joy of spoiling grandchildren, along with the truth behind their youthful legends, the Queen\u2019s difficult early challenges in shaping her role, and an unshakable commitment to serve their country for as long as their people wish.<\/p>\n

You may also likeContinue reading<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES
\nThe King\u2019s health<\/p>\n

After successfully overcoming bladder cancer and undergoing heart bypass surgery, King Harald faced that conversation with an extraordinary sense of humor and infectious optimism. Asked about his health, he explained: \u201cThe operation, which was described as a success, went exactly as planned. So I could say I\u2019m very well, thank you. And besides, when they operate on you, you don\u2019t feel a thing. What I do know is that now I\u2019m better than I was before.\u201d Looking ahead to the near future and the approach of their respective 70th birthdays, he admitted: \u201cWe have some ideas, but we haven\u2019t made any plans about that. Next year still feels a bit far away, but something will be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

The truth about their \u201cforbidden\u201d courtship<\/p>\n

Looking back to remember how their love story began, he pointed out that \u201cthirty-eight years of marriage have allowed us to get to know each other very well,\u201d to which the Queen added: \u201cLove and marriage are always based on that, aren\u2019t they?\u201d Recalling their first encounter at a mutual friend\u2019s birthday party and the subsequent military academy ball, the Queen reminisced: \u201cIt was destiny. Yes, I remember it very well. The King was about to leave the military academy and he invited me to the final ball. It was quite exciting, of course. And afterwards I met all his friends from the academy, and that\u2019s how it all began.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When asked about the promises and dreams of their youth, the monarch reflected: \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone sees all their dreams come true. In our case, at least, not all of them have, but we can\u2019t complain. The result is good,\u201d while Queen Sonja added that life had brought them \u201cquite a few pleasant surprises.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

King Harald took the opportunity to firmly debunk the famous legend surrounding their courtship and his father\u2019s opposition, King Olav V: \u201cWhat I actually said to King Olav, my father, was that I was going to marry Sonja or that I would never marry at all.\u201d When recalling the most painful episode in their lives, both immediately agreed it was Olav V\u2019s death in 1991.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Queen Sonja described the difficulty of that ordeal: \u201cIt was a hard experience because you live out your grief in front of the public. You can\u2019t hide or stick your head in a hole in the ground. You have to be present at the funeral and live through your sorrow together with the people who share your pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watching TV alone together<\/p>\n

In the privacy of the Palace, the King and Queen clearly enjoyed the simplest routines. The Queen revealed what they most like to do when they\u2019re on their own: \u201cDay to day, we like watching television. We have a great time. Since we\u2019re always surrounded by people, it\u2019s wonderful and relaxing to be able to sit down and watch others entertain you.\u201d Speaking of how proud he is of his family, Harald did not hide his devotion to the youngest ones, and confessed with a laugh: \u201cI feel very satisfied with my children and my grandchildren, and although I feel very similar love for both, I enjoy myself more with the grandchildren, because you can spoil them and then hand them back to their parents.\u201d The Queen admitted that she likes \u2018giving advice\u2019 as a grandmother, to which the King joked: \u201cI\u2019m not a grandmother\u2026 I really like my role as a grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

Asked about dynastic decisions and the reason his grandson Sverre Magnus was not given the style of Royal Highness, the King explained the institutional logic with complete ease: \u201cBecause only the eldest will inherit the Throne, and if something were to happen to Ingrid\u2026 Let\u2019s hope not, then Sverre would get the title. Well, he wouldn\u2019t get it back, because he never had it, but if it were necessary, it could be given to him at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haakon\u2019s courage for love<\/p>\n

Regarding the wedding of his son, Crown Prince Haakon<\/a>, to Mette-Marit<\/a>, Queen Sonja praised her eldest child\u2019s determination: \u201cI think he was very brave in facing reality and that he did it very well. Thanks to his intervention, everyone understood how he felt\u2026 Besides, marriages between princes or princesses and citizens without royal ancestry are becoming more and more common,\u201d while the King added: \u201cIt\u2019s only natural to share your life with someone you choose yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

They both categorically denied that Haakon had threatened to give up the throne for love: \u201cNo, that\u2019s not true.\u201d After the periods of regency<\/a> during which the heir assumed state duties throughout his father\u2019s convalescences, King Harald reaffirmed his complete confidence in him: \u201cI\u2019m sure he will be a good King. He did very well and he will do very well\u2026 The whole family worked together because in that situation we all had to help one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queen Sonja\u2019s difficult beginnings<\/p>\n

In one of the most candid moments of the interview, Queen Sonja reflected on the tough early days of her institutional role when she married and found herself in a predominantly male court following Queen Maud\u2019s death: \u201cOf course, there have been periods in my life when the task has been difficult. And of course there have been challenges, because when I got married, my father-in-law was surrounded only by men, and it was very hard to be a woman in such a male-dominated environment\u2026It took time for them to understand that I also wanted to have a job and that I wanted to do it my way, and be respected for that. Over the years those problems disappeared, although, of course, there were other challenges. The main thing is not to let yourself be defeated. Sometimes you have to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

Their close friendship with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sof\u00eda<\/p>\n

Finally, the Norwegian Monarchs expressed their excitement about the state visit of King Juan Carlos<\/a> and Queen Sof\u00eda. King Harald highlighted the deep personal bond that unites them: \u201cThe truth is that we\u2019re very good friends, and I don\u2019t say that lightly\u2026I met his Queen first, back in the fifties. And I\u2019ve known King Juan Carlos for forty years, at least for four decades. We know each other very well. That\u2019s why we\u2019re so excited about Their Majesties\u2019 visit and why we\u2019re going to try to make it a visit that benefits both countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 \u00a1HOLA! ARCHIVES<\/p>\n

Queen Sonja took the opportunity to reflect on the cultural exchange between the two nations, noting that nearly a million Norwegians (out of a population of five and a half million) travel to Spain every year in search of sunshine, while also encouraging Spaniards to visit Norway: \u201cFor you it should also be exotic to travel here. There is so much to see in this country\u2026 I can give you a map to help.\u201d The Queen recommended everything from cruises through the fjords departing from Bergen to expeditions in the far north: \u201cWe\u2019ve just been in Spitsbergen, in Svalbard, the far North, and it is so beautiful and there is so much to do\u2026I\u2019ve been riding a snowmobile across the countryside.\u201d To conclude, when asked what kings talk about when they\u2019re alone together, King Harald summed up the closeness he feels with his Spanish counterparts by saying: \u201cAlthough we\u2019re friends, it\u2019s like being with family.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On that June day in 2006, the doors of the Bird Room at the Royal Palace in Oslo…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":339294,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,70330,63,122,124,123,4259],"class_list":["post-339293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-norwegian-royals","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-royals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/339294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}