King Harald and Queen Sonja wed on Aug. 29, 1968, nine years after they first met
Credit: Odd ANDERSEN / AFP;Wolfgang Veerman/David Schwab/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Queen Sonja of Norway attended her late husband King Harald’s memorial service with her children, King Haakon and Princess Märtha Louise, on Aug. 30, one day after what would have been the royal couple’s 58th wedding anniversary
- The anniversary was marked by the Royal Palace, which shared a social media tribute
- The Royal Palace confirmed that King Harald died “peacefully” at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet on Aug. 28
Queen Sonja of Norway is marking a somber anniversary amid the death of her husband, King Harald V.
The 89-year-old royal was photographed attending her late husband’s memorial service in Asker, Norway, on Sunday, Aug. 30, one day after what would have been the couple’s 58th wedding anniversary.
Sonja was accompanied to the service by her children, the newly-named King Haakon and daughter Princess Märtha Louise. The family could be seen greeting Dean Oyvind Stabrun and Reverend Ida Buen Hanevold before heading into Asker Church.
Credit: Cornelius Poppe / NTB / AFP via Getty
King Harald and Queen Sonja wed on Aug. 29, 1968, nine years after they first met. The couple welcomed their daughter in 1971 and their son in 1973.
The Royal Palace in Oslo marked their wedding anniversary with a special Instagram post, sharing a quote from the late King along with photos of the couple throughout the decades.
“ ‘I believe no one can live a life without love,’ ” the palace captioned the post, attributing the quote to King Harald in 2013. “Today King Harald and Queen Sonja would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary. Throughout a long life, they stood by each other. Today we also remember the love they shared through six decades.”
Credit: Getty
The couple’s romance was the subject of much media attention over the decades due to Queen Sonja’s status as a commoner. This year, Prime Video Norway released Harald & Sonja, which depicted a fictionalized version of the couple’s nine-year early romance as they fought royal tradition and Harald’s father, King Olav V, to marry.
On Aug. 28, the Royal Palace confirmed that King Harald died “peacefully” that day at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet. He was 89.
“It is with deep grief that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away,” the palace said in a statement.
Following Sunday’s memorial service, the Royal Palace shared a statement on social media, along with photos taken inside the service of Queen Sonja and King Haakon, along with his two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
Credit: Ole Hagen/Getty
“[They] were present during the funeral service in Asker Church, following the passing of King Harald. The service was open to all, and many came to remember King Harald,” the statement read. “Today, the Church of Norway invites people to funeral services in all of the country’s cathedrals and in many churches throughout the country.”
Hello! reported that the newly-named Queen Consort Mette-Marit would not be in attendance amid her recovery after a lung transplant in June. The palace told the outlet that Mette-Marit, 53, “has limited participation in official events” following her surgery for pulmonary fibrosis.
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Tens of thousands of mourners gathered outside the Royal Palace as the period of national mourning for King Harald began. People could be seen placing flowers and condolence cards on the ground, along with photos of the late monarch.
The news of the King’s death came after several years of health issues and weeks of hospitalization as his condition deteriorated.
The King was hospitalized for the second time this year on Aug. 17, with the Royal House announcing at the time that it was due to side effects from other ongoing medical treatment. At the time, it was said that the King would be on sick leave for two weeks. Harald’s son, Haakon, was declared the regent in his stead.
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