29 August 2018 – Royal Golden Wedding Anniversary

This year the Royal Couple is celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. In August 1968, then Crown Prince Harald finally wed his love, Sonja – and Norway gained a new Crown Princess. But it took nine years before their relationship was accepted.

There is a price to following your heart when love is not a private matter. It was not a given that the Norwegian Royal Couple would be able to one day celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.

In Europe at that time, royalty was supposed to marry royalty. But the popular bachelor at the Palace in Oslo was secretly dating one of his friends. King Olav was of the opinion that duty comes first. Because it was the King who would have the final say, it seemed unthinkable that he would allow his son to marry a commoner.

The first sign that the King might be changing his mind was on Sonja’s 30th birthday, when she was invited to attend a gathering on the Royal Yacht. Crown Prince Harald stood his ground and declared to his father that he wanted to marry Sonja Haraldsen and no one else. King Olav then granted his son and Sonja permission to wed.

The engagement was announced on 19 March 1968, and they married on 29 August 1968. Oslo was decorated with flags and flowers for the celebration, and many store windows carried the monogram and pictures. People turned out in droves for the celebration, while others watched on TV. Around 850 guests were invited to the wedding. It was King Olav who walked his future daughter-in-law up the aisle to Harald.