Norway mourns the loss of King Harald V, a monarch who championed inclusion

King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89, closing a 35-year reign that helped reshape what a modern monarch can be.

Harald became king in 1991 after the death of his father, King Olav V. Over the decades, he grew into a deeply familiar figure for Norwegians: a steady presence during crises, a sports fan and outdoorsman, and a king who seemed more interested in people’s everyday lives than in royal pomp. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, now succeeds him.

Harald’s life story was itself a quiet revolution. For years he refused to give up his relationship with Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner, despite resistance inside the royal establishment. Their eventual marriage in 1968 helped soften the image of the monarchy, and the couple came to symbolize a more open, human royal family.

Beyond Norway, Harald became best known for one speech. In September 2016, at a garden party in Oslo, he delivered a simple but powerful message about who “counts” as Norwegian. He spoke of Norwegians as “girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other,” and as people with roots “in all corners of the world,” with different beliefs and backgrounds. The speech went viral and was widely shared as a rare example of a head of state speaking so plainly in support of LGBTQ+ people and social inclusion.

That moment captured what many Norwegians admired about him: a king willing to use a ceremonial role to argue for kindness, dignity, and the idea that everyone should feel at home in their own country. He often returned to the theme of trust and community, urging Norwegians to look after one another across social and political divides.

Norway has now entered a period of national mourning. Flags are at half-mast, church bells are ringing, and candles have begun to appear outside royal residences. As official ceremonies are planned, many here are remembering Harald V as a reassuring voice who tried, in his own words, to build a Norway “with bricks of trust, fellowship, and generosity.”