King Harald of Norway met up with an old friend as he hosted the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, at his summer home.
The King of Norway was joined by his daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mette Marit, for the meeting. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was also there.
The Norwegian king welcomed President Obama to his official summer home, Bygdø Kongsgård. The manor house is on a larger estate on the Bygdøy peninsula.
President Obama has headed to Norway to give a lecture at the Oslo Spektrum. He took part in a discussion where he shared his thoughts on the challenges and difficulties that democracies across the globe are facing in an increasingly complex time. The event was hosted by podcaster and former member of Norwegian parliament, Sofie Høgestøl.
King Harald and Barack Obama famously met in 2009 for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Ahead of that, they enjoyed a famously jokey encounter and appeared to develop a strong friendship.
That was on show again as the two chatted during this latest meeting which comes just weeks after Donald Trump spoke of his admiration for King Harald during discussions with Norway’s Prime Minister at the White House.
International relations have been an important theme for King Harald in recent times. On May 8 2025, as the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe was marked, King Harald gave a passionate speech about peace and diplomatic relations in which he said “when we talk about protecting freedom and our values, what does that really mean?…In the world it means showing respect for countries’ borders. That we respect international laws and regulations. That we can cooperate with and rely on one another within a fellowship of allied nations, a fellowship that was built on the ruins of the Second World War, to prevent new World Wars.”
The meeting was also important for Crown Princess Mette-Marit who has been criticised after her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was arrested by police late last summer. It was reported that the Crown Princess had warned her son about his impending arrest.
