Queen Sonja of Norway’s battle to be accepted as a royal bride

King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway have just celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. While the royal couple are now beloved in Norway, Sonja faced a tough journey to become queen. 

Sonja Haraldsen was born in July 1937 to Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen. After completing her secondary schooling, she studied French, English, and art history at the University of Oslo. 

In June 1959, the 22 year old met Crown Prince Harald at a party and the two hit it off. Two months later, she was photographed attending his graduation party. 

The couple got along well, but as a commoner, Sonja was considered an inappropriate choice for the heir to the throne. The couple dated for nearly a decade, and Harald refused to marry a royal bride, going against his father’s wishes. 

His father, King Olav, went to the government when Harald proclaimed that he would marry Sonja or he wouldn’t marry anyone, as this would have effectively ended the line of succession. 

On 19 March 1968, King Olav announced the couple’s engagement. 

Sonja walked down the aisle a commoner and returned a Crown Princess when the couple married at Oslo Cathedral on 29 August 1968. 

In 1991, Sonja became the first Norwegian royal consort in over half a century and has remained a popular public figure for decades.