King Harald of Norway, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world, turned 86-years-old on 21 February 2023. The King, who has been on the throne for over 30 years, is known for his role as a creator of unity and a unifying force in Norway. His birthday was celebrated throughout the country and many wished him well on his day.
To mark the occasion, a 21-gun-salute will be fired at noon from the cannons at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. It is tradition in Norway to have a gun salute from 11 fortresses in Norway for the birthdays of King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The Norwegian King’s birthday is only marked in public when it is a special anniversary, otherwise it is only a private celebration.
King Harald was the first King of Norway born on Norwegian soil in 567 years. He was born at the Skaugum Estate on 21 February 1937 and is the son of King Olav of Norway and his wife, Märtha, who was Crown Princess of Norway and was born a Princess of Sweden.
The last few years have been very special when it came to the celebrations of King Harald’s birthday. On his birthday in 2017, King Harald celebrated with his family on a private holiday in South Africa. Since the King and Queen were born in the same year, it has been a practice that the two mark their birthdays in one joint celebration. This celebration took place in May 2017 when most of Europe’s royals gathered in Oslo to celebrate the King and Queen both turning 80.
