by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

 

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby were married on August 25, 2001, at the Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway.

Haakon’s Early Life

Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway was born on July 20, 1973, at the Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway. Haakon is the son of King Harald V and Sonja Haraldsen and has an older sister, Princess Märtha Louise. He was born during the reign of his grandfather, King Olav V of Norway.

Haakon was raised at the Skaugum Estate in Asker, which is the traditional home of the Crown Prince, and attended primary and secondary school in Oslo. He enrolled in the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, graduating in 1995. The following year, he moved to the United States to attend the University of California at Berkeley, graduating in 1999 with his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He served as a member of Norway’s third delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 and then enrolled in a program for diplomats at the Foreign Ministry. He completed his education in 2003, graduating from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a Master’s Degree in development studies, specializing in International Trade and Africa.

• Unofficial Royalty: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

Mette-Marit’s Early Life

Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was born August 19, 1973, in Kristiansand, Norway, the daughter of Sven Høiby, a journalist, and Marit Tjessem. Mette-Marit has an older sister Kristin and two older brothers, Espen and Per. Her parents divorced when she was 11 years old and they both remarried. After her parents’ divorce, Mette-Marit lived with her mother, stepfather, and siblings and visited her father regularly on weekends.

Mette-Marit attended secondary school in Kristiansand and Australia, followed by some courses at Agder University College. After her marriage, Mette-Marit studied for a Masters Degree in Executive Management which she received in 2012. She has a son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, born in 1997.

• Unofficial Royalty: Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

The Engagement

 

Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit first met in the mid-1990s at a garden party during the Quart Festival, Norway’s largest music festival, in her hometown of Kristiansand. The two met at the Quart Festival again in 1999 and began a relationship. On December 1, 2000, the couple’s engagement was announced, but it was not without controversy. Mette-Marit was a commoner, had a child born out of wedlock, and was surrounded by rumors of a party-girl past and alleged drug use. The couple was living together which did not sit well with the Church of Norway. Surveys at that time reported that most Norwegians did not mind the couple living together or that she was a single mother. However, public support for the monarchy suffered as the details emerged about Mette-Marit’s drug past and there were calls for Haakon to relinquish his place in succession if he chose to marry Mette-Marit. The couple did, however, have the support of the King and Queen, and after a series of public interviews, they also regained the support of the Norwegian people.

The diamond and ruby ring that Haakon gave to Mette-Marit originally belonged to his paternal grandmother Crown Princess Märtha, who died before her husband became King Olav V. It was the same ring Haakon’s father King Harald V gave to his fiancée Sonja Haraldsen. Queen Sonja continued the tradition, giving the ring to her son when he proposed to Mette-Marit. The ring was composed of diamonds and two crescent-shaped rubies set in yellow gold.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

 

On August 23, 2001, Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby held a private party at the Skaugum Estate in Asker near Oslo attended by many royal guests. King Harald gave the estate as a wedding gift to his son Haakon, and his soon-to-be wife Mette-Marit, and the estate became their family home.

 

In the afternoon of August 24, 2001, Haakon and Mette-Marit invited royal, Norwegian, and foreign guests for a boat trip around the Oslo Fjord on the Royal Yacht Norge. Later in the evening, the Norwegian government held a dinner for the bride and groom at the Akershus Castle in Oslo attended by 300 guests including many royal guests, heads of state, and Norwegian politicians.

The Wedding Guests

Approximately 800 guests attended the wedding ceremony at Oslo Cathedral.

 

Crown Prince Haakon’s Family

• King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, parents of the groom
• Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, sister of the groom
• Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen and Erling S. Lorentzen, aunt and uncle of the groom
• Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner and Johan Martin Ferner, aunt and uncle of the groom

Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby’s Family

• Marit Tjessem and Rolf Berntsen, mother of the bride and her second husband
• Sven O. Høiby, father of the bride and his partner Jorunn Wold who was a singing star in the 1960s
• Espen Høiby and Hege Skatvig Høiby, brother of the bride and his wife
• Per Høiby and Wenche Lindal Høiby, brother of the bride and his wife
• Kristin Høiby Bjørnøy and Per Olav Bjørnøy, sister of the bride and her husband

 

Royal Guests

• King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians
• Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant
• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
• Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
• Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra of Denmark
• Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
• Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson-Friedrich von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth
• Hereditary Prince Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
• Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
• Count Flemming and Countess Ruth of Rosenborg
• King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
• Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Morales Quintana
• Prince Nikolaos of Greece
• Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
• Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg
• Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
• Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg
• Willem-Alexander, The Prince of Orange and his fiancée Máxima Zorreguieta
• Hereditary Prince Albert of Monaco
• Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
• Queen Sofia of Spain
• Felipe, Prince of Asturias
• King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
• Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
• Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
• Princess Madeleine of Sweden
• Prince Carl and Princess Kristine Bernadotte
• The Prince of Wales
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex

Other guests

• President Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson of Iceland and his fiancée Dorrit Moussaieff
• President Tarja Halonen of Finland and her husband Pentti Arajärvi

The Wedding Attendants

Best Man

• Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, third cousin and friend of the groom

 

Bridesmaid

• Linda Tånevik, a close friend of the bride

Flower Girls

• Betina Swanstrøm, age 8, twin of Emilie, daughter of Queen Sonja’s nephew Dag Swanstrøm
• Emilie Swanstrøm, age 8, twin of Betina, daughter of Queen Sonja’s nephew Dag Swanstrøm
• Kamilla Bjørnhøy, age 12, niece of the bride
• Anniken Bjørnhøy, age 7, niece of the bride
• Tuva Høiby, age 4, niece of the bride

 

Pageboy

• Marius Borg Høiby, age 4, son of the bride

The Wedding Attire

 

Mette-Marit’s wedding gown was designed by the Norwegian designer Ove Harder Finseth and sewn by seamstress Anna Bratland. The gown was a simple and romantic full-length ecru-colored silk crepe dress with fitted long sleeves, a modest neckline, a corset waist and a 6 1/2 foot/2 meter train. The gown was nearly a replica of the dress Queen Maud, Prince Haakon’s great-grandmother, wore at her wedding to King Haakon VII.

The bride’s hair was pulled back in a simple chignon. Mette-Marit wore a 20 foot/6 meter long veil of silk tulle and a diamond tiara dating back to 1910, a gift from King Harald and Queen Sonja. Instead of a traditional bouquet, Mette-Marit carried a long garland of green leaves woven with purple and white flowers, also similar to the bouquet Queen Maud carried on her wedding day.

Crown Prince Haakon wore the gala uniform of the Norwegian Army with the sash of the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav with Atar, the star of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim and the Star of the Danish Order of the Elephant. Around his neck, he wore the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

The Crown Prince wore the following medals:

• The Knight’s Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
• The Knight’s Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
• The Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch
• Olav V’s Commemorative Medal
• Olav V’s Jubilee Medal
• The National Service Medal (Navy)

The Wedding Ceremony

 

The Lutheran wedding ceremony was held on August 25, 2001, at 5:00 pm in the Oslo Cathedral (Oslo-Dom), the main church for the Church of Norway Diocese of Oslo, and conducted by Gunnar Stålsett, Bishop of Oslo.

The music was provided by:

• Organist: Kåre Nordstoga
• Choir: Oslo Dom-Choir, conductor Terje Kvam
• Trumpets: Arnulf Naur Nilsen, Jonas Haltida, Hans Petter Stangnes and Terje Mitgård
• Trombones: Thorbjørn Lønmo and Ola Rønnow
• Tuba: Arild Ovrum

Order of service

• Introductory organ music by L.M. Lindeman, Oscar Borg, J. Haarklou and J. G. Wernicke
• Entrance – Bridal March, Composer: Nils Henrik Aasheim
• Psalm, Norwegian Psalmbook nr. 698
• Introductory speech
• God’s word about marriage
• Jan Garbarek, Norwegian jazz musician, plays «Eg vil binda blomekransa» on his saxophone
• Speech by the Bishop
• Exchanging of the vows
• Mari Boine sings «Mitt hjerte alltid vanker» (My heart always wanders) in the Samish language, the language of Sami people, the indigenous people traditionally known in English as Lapps or Laplanders, accompanied by Roger Ludvigsen on guitar
• Reading from Isaiah, chapter 58, verse 5-8 by Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
• The Lord’s Prayer
• Psalm, Norwegian Psalmbook nr.710
• Crown Princess Victoria reads the prayer of Francis of Assisi (in Swedish)
• Choir: Versikkel for choir and organ, Composer: Trond Kverno
• Psalm, Norwegian Psalmbook nr. 733
• Blessings
• Departure: Utmars Gamal wedding march from northern Gudbrandsdal, performed and arranged for saxophone by Jan Garbarek, arrangement for organ by Kåre Nordstoga

Breaking with tradition, Haakon did not wait for his bride at the altar. Instead, he waited outside the door of the church because Mette-Marit wanted to walk down the aisle alongside Haakon instead of on her father’s arm. After bowing to Haakon’s parents, the couple took their seats and the Bishop of Oslo welcomed not just the guests in the cathedral but also the Norwegian people. During his speech, Bishop Stålsett moved Mette-Marit to tears when he said, “You are beginning a new chapter, with pages still unwritten. You do this with dignity. Today you are better equipped to understand others, young and old, who are in pain. Your love for your son shows both tenderness and determination. As a single mother, you have set an example in the way you have cared for your child.”

Tears could be seen on Haakon’s face just before he had to say “I do” to Mette-Marit and slip the wedding band onto her finger. When he finally did say, “I do,” the crowd outside the cathedral cheered. The newlyweds left the cathedral around 5:55 p.m. They kissed several times  In front of the cathedral, watched by a very enthusiastic crowd. Then the couple left in an open limousine and drove back to the Royal Palace, slowly passing thousands of cheering people along the route.

The Wedding Reception

 

At 6:45 pm, Haakon and Mette-Marit appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace, and to the delight of the thousands of people in the square below, they kissed each other several times. Also appearing on the balcony were the parents of the couple and the wedding party.

Four hundred guests were divided into two groups: the royal guests had dinner with other important guests at the Royal Palace while the others ate at the Oslo Militære Samfund (Oslo Military Society). After dinner, the guests at the Oslo Militære Samfund joined the other guests at the Royal Palace.

At 11:00 pm, the bride, groom, and their families appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace to watch the fireworks. The other guests watched from the windows of the Royal Palace. At 11:15 pm, Haakon and Mette-Marit cut the wedding cake and then they opened the ball with the bridal waltz, “Around the World.”

Menu

• Grilled scallops on Norwegian bacon
• Truffle honey vinaigrette
• Rucola salad and toasted pumpkin seeds
• Peregrine pie
• Oven-baked turbot with soy and ginger
• Cauliflower purée sprinkled with finely chopped chives
• Lamb fillet and creamy cantaloupe
• Baked mini-squash
• Snowy yogurt ice parfait with raspberry, blueberries, and blackberries

The Honeymoon

Haakon and Mette-Marit spent their honeymoon in the United States and they were in the USA on September 11, 2001, when a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks with airplanes by Islamic terrorists occurred. The couple had left for the United States shortly after their wedding but fortunately were not in New York City at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Haakon and Mette-Marit had spent time in New York City with Mette-Marit’s son Marius and were photographed in a Manhattan sidewalk café on August 29. Then they went to stay at Gurney’s Inn, a luxury spa-hotel in Montauk, New York on Long Island, just over 100 miles outside of New York City. It was at Gurney’s Inn that they first heard the news about the terrorist attacks. Haakon and Mette-Marit, along with thousands of other dazed, shocked, and stranded travelers (including the author of this article), waited several days until the United States opened its airports and allowed air travel to resume.

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Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. Wedding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Haakon,_Crown_Prince_of_Norway,_and_Mette-Marit_Tjessem_H%C3%B8iby [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Gibbs, W. Uncommon Royal Couple Exchange Vows in Norway. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/26/world/uncommon-royal-couple-exchange-vows-in-norway.html [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Hoge, W. (2017). Norway’s Thoroughly Modern Royal Pair. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/05/world/norway-s-thoroughly-modern-royal-pair.html [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Kongehuset.no. Kongeleg bryllaup 2001. [online] Available at: http://www.kongehuset.no/artikkel.html?tid=29240 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Nettyroyal.nl. Netty Royal. [online] Available at: http://www.nettyroyal.nl/en/non_pro/specials_weddings_2001_haakon_mettemarit.html [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Unofficial Royalty. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/crown-prince-haakon-of-norway/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Unofficial Royalty. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/featured-royal-date-august-19-1973-birth-of-mette-marit-tjessem-hoiby-crown-princess-of-norway/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Us.hellomagazine.com. A MODERN FAIRYTALE AS CROWN PRINCE HAAKON MARRIES HIS METTE-MARIT. [online] Available at: http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2001/08/25/norwegianmarriage/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].
• Us.hellomagazine.com. PRINCE HAAKON AND HIS BRIDE WELCOMED HOME AFTER HONEYMOON IN U.S.. [online] Available at: http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2001/09/18/haakon/ [Accessed 2 Jul. 2017].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Crown Prince Harald of Norway (the future King Harald V of Norway) and Sonja Haraldsen were married on August 29, 1968, at the Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway.

King Harald V’s Early Life

King Harald V of Norway was born on February 21, 1937, at Skaugum, the residence of the Crown Prince, in Asker, Norway. His parents were Crown Prince Olav of Norway (later King Olav V) and Princess Märtha of Sweden. At the time of Harald’s birth, his grandfather, King Haakon VII (born Prince Carl of Denmark, son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark) was the monarch and his grandmother, Queen Maud (born Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) was his consort. King Harald is closely related to several European monarchs: King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are his first cousins once removed, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark are his second cousins, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is his second cousin once removed. King Harald has two older sisters: Princess Ragnhild (1930 – 2012) and Princess Astrid (born 1932).

In 1940, when Harald was just three years old, Germany invaded Norway. To avoid being taken into custody by the Germans, the Norwegian Royal Family along with many members of the Government and the Storting (legislature) left Norway. Crown Princess Märtha and her three children, Princess Ragnhild, Princess Astrid, and Prince Harald, fled to Sweden, Märtha’s native country. King Haakon VII (Queen Maud had died in 1938) and Crown Prince Olav fled to London where they stayed with the Norwegian government in exile for the duration of World War II.

After staying in Sweden for several months, Crown Princess Märtha and her three children traveled to the United States by ship. President Franklin Roosevelt offered refuge to Crown Princess Märtha and her children. They stayed briefly at Roosevelt’s Hyde Park estate in New York State and then at the White House. Eventually, they settled into a Tudor-style mansion in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. Crown Princess Märtha worked quietly behind the scenes to support the war effort. The family members were special favorites of President Roosevelt and when he took his fourth and final oath of office at the White House, an 8-year-old Prince Harald was standing behind him.

Harald returned to Norway in June 1945 with his mother and his sisters. That autumn, he began to attend Smestad School in Oslo. In 1955, Harald graduated from the Oslo Cathedral School. He then entered the Norwegian Cavalry Officers’ Training School and went on to finish his military education at the Norwegian Military Academy in 1959. After Harald finished his compulsory military service, he studied social science, history, and economics at Balliol College, Oxford University in Oxford, England from 1960 – 1962.

Harald’s mother Crown Princess Märtha died of cancer in 1954 at the age of 53. On September 21, 1957, when Harald’s grandfather King Haakon VII died, Harald’s father became King Olav V, and Harald became Crown Prince. Harald attended the Council of State and acted as Regent in the King’s absence. He worked closely alongside his father and carried out an increasing number of official tasks, such as traveling with trade delegations to promote the Norwegian industry abroad.

When he was Crown Prince of Norway, Harald’s father King Olav V had won an Olympic Gold Medal for Sailing Mixed 6 Meters in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Although he did not win a medal, Harald followed in his father’s footsteps and represented Norway in Sailing events in three Summer Olympics: 1964/Tokyo, 1968/Mexico City, 1972/Munich.

Harald became King of Norway upon the death of his father on January 17, 1991.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Harald V of Norway

Sonja Haraldsen’s Early Life

Sonja Haraldsen was born on July 4, 1937, in Oslo, Norway, the youngest of the four children of Karl August Haraldsen (1889 – 1959) and Dagny Ulrichsen (1898 – 1994). Her three siblings were Haakon Haraldsen (1921 – 2016), Gry Henriksen (1924 – 1971) and Karl Herman Haraldsen (1929 – 1936, who died in a boating accident).

Sonja grew up at 1B Tuengen Allé in Vinderen, Oslo, Norway, one of the wealthiest areas of Oslo. After her elementary education, Sonja received her secondary education at Oslo Vocational School where she studied dressmaking and tailoring. This was a useful course of study as her family owned a clothing store. Sonja then attended a finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland, École Professionelle des Jeunes Filles, where she studied social science, accounting, and fashion design. When she returned to Norway, Sonja attended the University of Oslo where she studied French, English, and Art History and received an undergraduate degree.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Sonja of Norway

The Engagement

In June 1959, Crown Prince Harald attended a party hosted by a friend, Johan Stenersen. At this party, he met another friend of Johan Stenersen, Sonja Haraldsen. In August 1959, when the Crown Prince graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy, he invited Sonja to attend the graduation ball, and the couple was photographed together.

The relationship between the Crown Prince and Sonja was controversial as many people including politicians and journalists, felt the Crown Prince should marry a princess and not a Norwegian commoner. The controversy continued for years as did the relationship despite the media’s attempts to promote a royal marriage with either of the Greek princesses Sophia and Irene. Crown Prince Harald made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried if he could not marry Sonja. This would have resulted in a succession crisis as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. At that time, Norway did not allow female succession, so his two sisters Ragnhild and Astrid were not in the line of succession.

Finally, in 1968, when King Olav felt the position of the Norwegian people had changed to favor Sonja, he consulted with parliamentary leaders and other government leaders and gave his consent for the Crown Prince to marry a commoner. The engagement of the couple was announced on March 19, 1968, with this announcement from King Olav V: “It is with pleasure that I inform you, Mr. President and Members of the Storting, that I, after seeking advice from the Prime Minister, members of the Government, you, Mr. President, and the parliamentary leaders of the political parties, have today given my consent to my dear son, Crown Prince Harald, to take as his wife Miss Sonja Haraldsen, daughter of the late Mr. Karl August Haraldsen and Mrs. Dagny Haraldsen née Ulrichsen.”

Harald gave Sonja an unusual diamond and ruby ring that belonged to his late mother, Crown Princess Märtha. Queen Sonja carried on the tradition, giving the ring to her son Crown Prince Haakon when he proposed to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

Unfortunately, two sad events put a damper on the wedding celebrations. On the night of August 20-21, 1968, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia. Then, on August 27, 1968, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, a close friend of King Olav V, and born a Princess of Greece and Denmark, suddenly died. The previous month, Princess Marina spent several days in the hospital, where it was discovered that she was suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. Sadly, her condition diminished very quickly. It was only several hours before her death that the severity of her condition became public when Kensington Palace issued a statement that her condition “was giving rise to anxiety.” When the news of the death of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, arrived in Oslo, some press questioned whether King Olav would decide to postpone the wedding due to his closeness to the British Royal Family. Princess Marina was the widow of Prince George, Duke of Kent. a first cousin of King Olav. Olav’s mother Queen Maud and George’s father King George V of the United Kingdom were siblings. However, it was decided that the scheduled event for August 27, 1968, would be canceled in protest of the Soviet invasion and in memory of Princess Marina. The first day’s event, a grand ball, was instead, a smaller dinner held at the Royal Palace for the royal guests that had arrived during the day.

On August 28, 1968, King Olav, Crown Prince Harald, Sonja Haraldsen, and their guests attended a modern art exhibition in the Høvikodden Art Center in Bærum, outside Oslo. Next, ship-owner Niels Werring and his wife, the Mistress of the Robes, Else Werring hosted a luncheon for the members of the European royal families that had gathered to celebrate the wedding. In the evening, the Government of the Kingdom of Norway hosted a gala state banquet for 350 guests in honor of the Crown Prince and Miss Haraldsen at Akershus Castle.

Wedding Guests

850 guests attended the wedding ceremony. Queen Elizabeth The Queen-Mother of the United Kingdom was set to attend the wedding. However, the unexpected death of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent on August 27, 1968, made the attendance of any member of the British Royal Family impossible. Six heads of state attended the wedding: four monarchs and two presidents. Below is a partial guest list.

• Princess Ragnhild of Norway, the groom’s sister, and her husband Mr. Erling Lorentzen
• Princess Astrid of Norway, the groom’s sister, and her husband Mr. Johan Martin Ferner
• Mrs. Dagny Haraldsen, the bride’s mother
• King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark
• Princess Margrethe of Denmark (the future Queen Margrethe II) and her husband Prince Henrik
• King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
• King Baudouin of the Belgians
• Grand-Duke Jean and Grand-Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
• Prince Claus of the Netherlands, representing his mother-in-law Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
• Princess Margaretha of Denmark, born Princess of Sweden, maternal aunt of the groom
• Prince George of Denmark, maternal first cousin of the groom and his wife Princess Anne
• Countess Ruth of Rosenborg, wife of Count Flemming (younger son of Princess Margaretha of Denmark), supporter to Crown Prince Harald
• Prince Carl Bernadotte, maternal uncle of the groom
• Countess Madeleine Ullens de Schooten, maternal first cousin of the groom, and her husband Count Charles Ullens de Schooten
• President Urho Kekkonen of Finland and Mrs. Kekkonen
• President Kristján Eldjárn of Iceland and Mrs. Eldjárn
• The Government of the Kingdom of Norway and the Diplomatic Corps

Wedding Attendants

• Groom’s Supporter: Count Flemming of Rosenborg, son of Princess Margaretha of Denmark, sister of the groom’s mother, and the late Prince Axel of Denmark
• Maid of Honor: Miss Ilmi Riddervold
• Bridesmaids: Miss Ian Henriksen, Miss Anita Henriksen, Miss Ingeborg Lorentzen, and Miss Lis Haraldsen

Wedding Attire

Crown Prince Harald wore the black gala uniform of the Norwegian Army, with the sash of the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav with star, the Star of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim, and the Star of the Danish Order of the Elephant. The Crown Prince’s supporter, his first cousin, Count Flemming of Rosenborg, wore his Danish naval uniform with the sash of the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav with star and the Star of the Danish Order of the Elephant.

Sonja Haraldsen’s bridal gown, created by Oslo clothing store Molstad, was simple and classically styled, with three-quarter length sleeves and a long train, and was decorated with white pearls and embroidery. She wore a long tulle veil and carried a bouquet in shades of white, with white roses, freesias, lilies of the valley, and orchids. The bride chose not to wear a tiara.

Wedding Ceremony

The wedding was held on August 29, 1968, at 5:00 PM at the Oslo Cathedral in the presence of 850 guests. Crown Prince Harald, accompanied to the cathedral by his supporter Count Flemming of Rosenborg, was loudly cheered as he traveled from the Royal Palace to the cathedral. Because the bride’s father was deceased and to show his support for his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, King Olav accompanied the bride to the cathedral and then escorted her down the aisle to Henry Purcell’s “Trumpet Tune and Air.”

Dr. Fridtjov Birkeli, Bishop of Oslo conducted the traditional, brief Lutheran wedding ceremony. The ceremony began with the psalm “Herre Gud, ditt dyre navn og ære” (Our Lord God, Your Precious Name and Honor) sung by the “Den Norske Studentersangforening” (The Norwegian Student Choir) and continued with the congregation singing Bernt Støylen’s psalm “Til kjærleik Gud oss skapte, til kjærleik hjarta trår” (In Love God Created Us).  Next, the Bishop of Oslo gave his sermon where he said that “a new and very strong link has been created between the royal family and the Norwegian people,” referring to the bride and future queen being a Norwegian commoner.

The exchanging of vows came next. The couple knelt to exchange rings and receive the bishop’s blessing. The new Crown Princess of Norway curtseyed to her father-in-law, King Olav of Norway, and returned with her husband to their seats. The ceremony continued with a reading from the Bible and a prayer. The Norwegian opera singer Aase Nordmo Løvberg then sang Grundtvig’s psalm “Alt står i Guds Faderhånd” (Everything Rests in God the Father’s Hand) which concluded the ceremony.

The bride and groom exited the cathedral to Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Prelude in E Major” and were met with jubilation and cheers of congratulations by the large crowds waiting outside. Two 21-gun salutes were fired from Akershus Fortress. King Olav V and Mrs. Dagny Haraldsen followed their children down the aisle and watched, with the royal guests, as the couple left the cathedral in an open car, driving through the streets of Oslo and being cheered by large crowds lining the streets.

The Wedding Reception

King Olav V hosted 225 guests at a wedding banquet and dance in the Oslo Royal Palace. The newlyweds arrived at 7:00 PM and appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace, delighting the enormous crowd. King Olav V joined the couple on the balcony, again to the great pleasure of the crowd. The banquet took place in the grand dining room. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway sat at the main table, decorated with pink roses, with the King of Norway on the right of the new Crown Princess and Princess Margaretha of Denmark on the left of Crown Prince Harald. The six heads of state and their spouses joined them at the main table. During the banquet, King Olav V, Crown Prince Harald, and Bernt Ingvaldsen, President of the Storting (legislature) all gave speeches.

After the end of the banquet, the guests moved to the beautiful ballroom. To the music of a waltz specially composed for the occasion, Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja opened the wedding ball while their guests looked on. Moments later, their guests joined them in the dance.

Children

Harald and Sonja had two children:

• Princess Märtha Louise, born 1971, married Ari Behn, divorced 2017, had three daughters
• Crown Prince Haakon Magnus, born 1973, married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, had one daughter and one son

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Works Cited

• Arkivverket – Riksarkivet, statsarkivene og Samisk arkiv. “1968 – Crown Prince Harald And Sonja Haraldsen – Arkivverket”. Arkivverket.no. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
• “King Harald V Of Norway”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
• “Norway’s Prince Harald Weds Commoner In Oslo”. Timesmachine.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
• “Queen Sonja Of Norway”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
• “The Royal Wedding In 1968”. Royalcourt.no. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
• “The Wedding Of HRH Crown Prince Harald Of Norway And Miss Sonja Haraldsen”. Angelfire.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.