Harald V (21 February 1937 – 28 August 2026) was King of Norway from 1991 until his death in 2026.
Born in Skaugum, Asker, during the reign of his paternal grandfather, King Haakon VII, Harald was the third child and only son of Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav V) and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway. Harald 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 where Harald spent parts of his childhood in Sweden and subsequently the United States.
After World War II ended in 1945, Harald returned to Norway, and later studied for periods at the University of Oslo, the Norwegian Military Academy, and Balliol College, Oxford. An active sportsman, Harald represented Norway in sailing at the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympic Games. In 1970, Harald was named the founding president of the Norwegian Sailing Federation. He went on to serve as President of Honour for World Sailing starting in 1994, a position he held until his death, while remaining an active competitor in World Championships until 2022.
Following King Haakon's death in 1957, Harald became crown prince as his father became King Olav V. He married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968; their relationship was initially controversial due to her status as a commoner. They had two children, Märtha Louise and Haakon. In 1990, when his father's health declined, Harald became regent and took most of the powers of the monarchy while Olav remained the de jure monarch.
Following his father's death in 1991, Harald acceded to the throne. He was the first Norwegian-born monarch to inherit the throne since Olav IV in 1380. Harald's leadership during major Norwegian national crises earned him widespread acclaim both domestically and internationally. His presence during events such as the 1992 New Year's Day Storm, the 2011 Norway attacks, the 2020 Gjerdrum landslide, and the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway earned him the popular nickname "grandfather of the nation" (nasjonens bestefar).
During his reign, Harald suffered from several health issues, with his son acting as regent several times between 2003 and 2026. He became Norway's oldest reigning monarch in 2024, surpassing his father. Following the death of Elizabeth II, his paternal second cousin, in 2022, he became Europe's oldest reigning monarch. Harald died in 2026 in Oslo, aged 89, and was succeeded by his son Haakon VIII.
Harald was born on 21 February 1937 at the Skaugum estate during the reign of his grandfather, King Haakon VII. His parents were Crown Prince Olav (later Olav V) and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He had two older sisters, Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid. Harald was baptised in the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo on 31 March 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; his maternal uncle, King Leopold III of Belgium; his paternal grandaunt Queen Mary and King George VI of the United Kingdom; and Crown Princess Ingrid of Denmark.
At the time of Harald's birth, he was second in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne, after his father.
In 1940, the entire royal family fled Oslo because of the German invasion. It was deemed safer for the family to split up. The King and Olav remained in Norway, and Märtha made her way to Sweden with Ragnhild, Astrid, and Harald. They reached Sweden on the night of 10 April, but although Märtha was Swedish-born, they encountered problems at the border station. According to 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. When the King and Olav asked 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 before moving to his maternal uncle Prince Carl Bernadotte's home in Frötuna on 16 April. On 26 April, the group moved to Drottningholm in Stockholm. King Gustaf V, Märtha's paternal uncle, is accounted to have had an amicable relationship with his Norwegian guests, but the topic of the war in Norway was not to be raised. Influential Swedish politicians, including Minister of Justice Karl Gustaf Westman, wanted Märtha and Harald to be sent back to Norway so he could be proclaimed King by the Germans.
After the King and Olav had to leave Norway on 7 June, they felt Sweden might not be the best place for the rest of the family, and began planning for them to go to the United States. On 17 August, Märtha and her children left for the United States from Petsamo, Finland, aboard the United States Army transport ship American Legion.
Harald, his mother, and his sisters lived in Washington, D.C., during the war, while his father, 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 when he was sworn in for his fourth term on the South Portico of the White House in 1945. Such childhood experiences were reflected in a trace of an American accent when he spoke English.
Harald visited Norwegian servicemen training in the United States. He also made visits outside the United States, travelling north to visit Norwegian personnel at the training base Little Norway in Ontario, Canada. He attended The White Hall Country School from 1943 with his sisters. Harald returned to Norway with his family after the war's end in 1945.
In the autumn of 1945, Harald was enrolled at Smestad School. He was confirmed in May 1953 by bishop Eivind Berggrav at Slottskapellet, the royal chapel.
Harald's mother died in 1954, and his maternal grandmother in 1958.
Harald studied at Oslo katedralskole from 1950 to 1955. He attended Befalsskolen for kavaleriet at Trandum from January 1956 to May 1957. He studied at the Norwegian Military Academy from 1957 to 1959. On the death of his grandfather on 21 September 1957, Harald became crown prince at the age of 20. He attended the Council of State for the first time on 27 September. Harald reached the age of majority on 21 February 1958 when he became 21, and took the oath to the Constitution of Norway on the same day. In March, he served as regent in the King's absence for the first time.
In 1960, Harald entered Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied history, economics, and politics. He was a keen rower during his student days and was taught 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 for the 50th anniversary of the American Scandinavian Foundation. An avid sailor, Harald represented Norway in the yachting events of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968, and Munich in 1972. He carried the Norwegian flag at the 1964 Games.