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Queen Sonja of Norway

Sonja
Queen Sonja of Norway.jpg
Queen Sonja in Stavanger 2007
Queen consort of Norway
Tenure 17 January 1991 – present
Consecration 23 June 1991
Born (1937-07-04) 4 July 1937 (age 79)
Red Cross Clinic, Oslo, Norway
Spouse Harald V of Norway (m. 1968)
Issue Princess Märtha Louise
Crown Prince Haakon
Father Karl August Haraldsen
Mother Dagny Ulrichsen
Religion Church of Norway
Styles of
Queen Sonja of Norway as consort
Coat of arms of Queen Sonja of Norway.png
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Ma'am

Queen Sonja of Norway (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is the wife of King Harald V.

Sonja was born in 4 July 1937 in Red Cross Clinic in Oslo, the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen (1889–1959) and Dagny Ulrichsen (1896–1994). Her siblings were Haakon Haraldsen (1919–2016), Gry Henriksen (1924–1971) and Karl Herman Haraldsen (1929–1936). She grew up at Tuengen Allé 1B in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling in 1954. She received a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring at the Oslo Vocational School, and a diploma from École Professionnelle des Jeunes Filles (a finishing school) in Lausanne, Switzerland. There, she studied accounting, fashion design, and social science. She returned to Norway for further studies and received an undergraduate degree (French, English and Art History) from the University of Oslo.

Sonja became engaged to then Crown Prince Harald in March 1968. They had been dating for nine years, although their relationship had been kept secret because of her non-royal status. The Crown Prince made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried for life unless he could marry her. This would in effect have put an end to the rule of his family, and likely to the monarchy in Norway, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. Faced with having to choose one of his relatives from the Danish Royal Family, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein or even the Grand Dukes of Oldenburg as his new heir in place of his son, Olav V consulted the government for advice and, as a result, the couple was wed on 29 August 1968, at Oslo Domkirke in Oslo. She thus acquired the style of Royal Highness and the title of Crown Princess of Norway.


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