Norway's King Harald V: History, Facts & Royal Duties!

Ever wondered if fairy tales still exist? In the heart of modern Europe, nestled amidst fjords and progressive policies, sits a kingdom where tradition meets contemporary governance, and at its helm is a monarch who embodies both King Harald V of Norway, a figure whose reign is a testament to the enduring appeal of royalty in a rapidly changing world.

Born Harald den femte on February 21, 1937, at the Skaugum estate, a royal residence in Asker, southwest of Oslo, his arrival was a landmark event. Olav IV Haakonsson, who was born in 1370, was the last Norwegian King to be born in Norway before Harald V was born in 1937. The significance of his birth wasn't just personal; it was national. He was the first Norwegian prince born on Norwegian soil in centuries, a symbol of a nation finding its feet after years of union with Denmark and Sweden. His grandfather, Haakon VII, was the king at the time, and he was the first king the country had after gaining independence from Sweden in 1905. Harald's lineage is deeply rooted in European royalty, being the son of King Olav V and Crown Princess Mrtha of Sweden. The royal house of Norway belongs to the house of Glcksburg.