Yahoo Lifestyle King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway’s Once ‘Forbidden Romance’ Subject of New TV Series: ‘Something Out of a Fairytale’
The King and Queen of Norway’s nine-year courtship threatened the Norwegian monarchy — but producers said their 1968 nuptials show “love would win in the end”
Royal Court via Getty
King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja of Norway pose for an official photograph from the Royal Court on Jan. 15, 2016 in Oslo, NorwayThe royal family of Norway will soon be the latest to have their real life stories depicted onscreen.
The love story of King Harald and Queen Sonja will be the subject of a new drama on Prime Video, specifically their “nine-year battle for their forbidden romance,” according to The Daily Mail. Harald and Sonja is set for a Feb. 14 release on the streaming service.
King Harald, 87, and Queen Sonja, also 87, have been married since 1968 — 57 years! — and fell in love at first sight upon meeting. But, as with many royal love stories, their quest to be together wasn’t easy, as Harald’s father King Olav insisted Harald must marry a lady of royal birth, “and Sonja was but the daughter of a merchant,” The Daily Mail reported.
Related: Meet Norway's Royal Family: All About the 1,000-Year-Old Monarchy
“This led to a nine-year battle for their love, and the series will depict their 60-year relationship, telling ‘a true story of love so powerful it threatened the Norwegian monarchy,’ ” the outlet continued.
In the series, Sonja (played by Gina Bernhoft Gørvell) is warned to not fall in love with Harald (played by Sindre Strand Offerdal), because Olav (played by Anders Baasmo) is demanding that he marry a princess.
“The story is like something out of a fairytale,” producers said in 2023. “Society took time to accept the new Crown Prince and Princess, but love would win in the end.”
“Harald and Sonja has all the ingredients to become a major international viewer favorite for anyone who likes unique and genuine love stories,” they continued.
STIAN LYSBERG SOLUM/NTB/AFP via Getty
(L-R) King Harald V of Norway (front, R), and Queen Sonja of Norway (front, L) poses with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway in the Red Salon at the Palace in Oslo for the Christmas photo in Oslo, on Dec. 19, 2024The two finally married in 1968 after keeping their romance a secret for the better part of nine years, according to The Daily Mail. They met in 1959 after meeting at a dinner party hosted by Harald’s friend Johan Stenerse. Speaking to Norway’s national broadcaster NRK in 2015, the King and Queen agreed that it was a “case of love at first sight.”
At the time, Harald was a cadet in the Norwegian Military Academy, and Sonja was a student at the University of Oslo, where she was studying English, French and art history. Like her father — who was a clothing merchant — she had also obtained a degree in dressmaking and tailoring, as well as attending finishing school in Switzerland.
Despite being a commoner, Harald broke his father’s rule and began dating Sonja, but Olav ordered Harald to cut off contact with her once he was made aware of their relationship. Five years after their meeting, in 1964, the palace issued a statement that said that Crown Prince Harald was not going to marry a “commoner” after reports began to emerge of Harald and Sonja’s relationship in the media. In particular, according to The Daily Mail, Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen was opposed to the prospect of the marriage, “and warned it could plunge the monarchy into a constitutional crisis,” the outlet wrote.
The couple broke up several times between 1959 and 1968 because of the mounting pressure, and in 1965 Harald issued Olav an ultimatum: either he would marry Sonja or remain single for the rest of his life, thereby ensuring the monarchy would be shaken.
“We just kept waiting and hoping they’d all finally back down,” King Harald told NRK.
In 1968, King Olav finally gave the couple his blessing, and the two married at Oslo Cathedral on Aug. 29 of that year in front of 850 guests. “In a heartwarming show of support, King Olav walked his daughter-in-law down the aisle, as her own father had passed away in 1959,” The Daily Mail reported.
Related: King Harald of Norway to Permanently Reduce Royal Duties Following Lengthy Sick Leave
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After King Olav’s death in 1991, King Harald and Queen Sonja took the throne on Jan. 17 of that year and have served for 34 years this month. Despite both Harald and Sonja experiencing health setbacks in recent years, Harald has repeatedly said that he has no plans to abdicate the throne.
Harald and Sonja will drop on Amazon Prime Norway on Valentine’s Day.
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