King Harald on crutches: Sympathetic appearance despite breakdowns!

King Harald on crutches: Sympathetic appearance despite breakdowns!

On June 18, 2025, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja made a special trip to the Bear Islands. King Harald, although temporarily dependent on crutches, shows signs of improvement in his health. This first time that the royal family visited the Bear Islands was a great honor for Harald. During the excursion, the king was picked up from the ship by tractor and driven to the Meteorological Institute, while Queen Sonja explored the island on her own.

However, the weather during the visit was changeable and caused some difficulties. The king humorously noted that his wife is usually the first in such places. Ironically, Queen Sonja reached solid ground first and insisted on pointing this out to her husband, which caused a few laughs. Despite these small mishaps, such as the Norwegian royal flag getting tangled in a line, the visit was ultimately positive.

The status of the monarchy in Norway

Norway has been an independent kingdom since 1905, and King Harald V has ruled since 1991. He will one day be succeeded by his son Crown Prince Haakon, whose family, consisting of Mette-Marit and her children Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus, is closely involved in royal activities. Norway, a constitutional monarchy, ensures that the monarchy has strong popular support. Over 80% of Norwegians are in favor of preserving the monarchy.

The official residence of the royal family is at the Royal Castle in Oslo. King Harald has primarily representative and ceremonial tasks, supported by Queen Sonja and the Crown Prince Couple. The succession to the throne has been gender-equal since 1991, meaning that male and female descendants have equal rights. Princess Ingrid Alexandra could become the country's first reigning queen, while Prince Sverre Magnus is next in line to the throne.

The popularity of the royals

King Harald V and Queen Sonja are very popular with the population. Harald's sister, Princess Astrid, is also held in high regard. In Norway's history, the country was under Danish rule from 1389 to 1814 and then under Swedish rule until 1905. On November 18, 1905, Prince Carl of Denmark was coronated as King Haakon VII of Norway.

King Harald has the right to sign laws but has not vetoed them since independence in 1905. He was also the head of the Lutheran Church in Norway until 2012. There are interesting developments in the royal family: Princess Märtha Louise was born in 1971 and married Ari Behn. As a result of this marriage, she lost the title of “Royal Highness” and renounced her appanage, while she has three daughters who do not have the title of princess.

Today, in the midst of challenges, the Norwegian monarchy continues to demonstrate a remarkable level of connection with the people and ongoing support for the royal family.

For more information about royal life in Norway, you can Explosive visit. You can also find details about the royal family and their history at 24Royal.