King Haakon reaches for grieving mother Queen Sonja’s hand in emotional moment

King Haakon VIII stood by Queen Sonja’s side as his mother arrived at Oslo Cathedral to attend the funeral of her beloved husband, King Harald V.

The grieving widow arrived in a black dress paired with a pearl necklace and a black veil over her face, and stepped out of the car that took her from the Royal Palace to the cathedral.

As Sonja began to walk in, Haakon grabbed her hand and squeezed it in a brief moment of affection before the ceremony, imbuing her with strength for funeral.

The Queen sent off her husband alongside the Norwegian royal family and a slew of other royals, like Prince William, Princess Anne and King Frederik X of Denmark. 

Just days before his funeral, Sonja had left a parting message for Harald, who passed away on August 28 aged 89 from a blood infection.

While his coffin was lying in state in the Palace Chapel at the Royal Palace, she left a wreath with a ribbon that read, “Thank you for a good life” in Norwegian, pointing to their long-lasting romance.

​​​​A romance for the ages

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Harald and Sonja first met at a party in 1959 and dated in secret for several years, as she was a commoner and Norway did not allow the intermarriage of royals and non-royals at the time.

Harald was determined to make Sonja his bride, and issued an ultimatum to his father, King Olaf V, stating that he would become king, but would refuse to marry, effectively ending the line.

“What I actually said to King Olav, my father, was that I was going to marry Sonja or that I would never marry at all,” Harald recalled to HOLA! After nine years of dating, Olaf finally relented and announced their engagement to the world on March 18, 1968.

“It is with pleasure that I inform you, Mr President and Members of the Storting [Norwegian parliament], 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,” he said in a statement.

Building a life together

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After their wedding on August 29, 1968, the pair went on to welcome Princess Märtha Louise in 1971 and her brother, Haakon, two years later.

When asked about their favourite activity to do together, Harald and Sonja shared with HOLA! that they loved to unwind by watching TV. “Day to day, we like watching television,” the king said. “We have a great time. Since we’re always surrounded by people, it’s wonderful and relaxing to be able to sit down and watch others entertain you.”