Harald V
A modern monarch who has guided Norway's constitutional monarchy with quiet dignity and a deep connection to his people.
Born 1937 (age 89)·King of Norway since 1991·Birthday: February 21·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born in 1937 at the Skaugum estate, Harald V's childhood was upended by the Nazi invasion of Norway in 1940, forcing the royal family into exile. He spent formative years in Washington, D.C., before returning to a liberated homeland. His education was steeped in civic duty, culminating at the Norwegian Military Academy and Balliol College, Oxford. He ascended to the throne in 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V, inheriting a nation confident in its identity. Harald's reign has been defined by his role as a unifying symbol above politics, his steady presence through national tragedies, and his public embrace of modern values, notably in a landmark 2016 speech affirming Norway's acceptance of LGBTQ+ citizens. An avid sailor, he even competed in the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympic Games, embodying a relatable, active spirit. His marriage to Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner, was a love match that modernized the monarchy, and together they have fostered a royal house perceived as both grounded and deeply Norwegian.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Harald was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Harald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 89 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Competed as a sailor for Norway in three separate Summer Olympic Games (1964, 1968, 1972).
- Delivered a powerful 2016 New Year's speech declaring that 'Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other,' widely seen as a historic royal endorsement of LGBTQ+ rights.
- Presided over Norway's constitutional bicentennial celebrations in 2014, reinforcing the monarchy's role in the nation's democratic continuity.
- Under his reign, the Norwegian monarchy maintained consistently high public approval ratings through a period of significant social change.
Did You Know?
He was the first prince born in Norway in 567 years, since Olav IV was born in 1370.
During World War II, he and his mother and sisters lived in Washington, D.C., where his grandfather, King Haakon VII, led the Norwegian government-in-exile.
He and Queen Sonja have two children; his son, Crown Prince Haakon, also married a commoner, Mette-Marit.
He underwent major heart surgery in 2005 and bladder cancer surgery in 2003, being open about his health with the public.
“Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other.”
