Queen Sonja of Norway

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Sonja
Queen Sonja in Stavanger 2007
Queen consort of Norway
Tenure17 January 1991 – present
Benediction23 June 1991[1]
Born (1937-07-04) 4 July 1937 (age 86)
Red Cross Clinic, Oslo, Norway
Spouse
​
(m. 1968)​
IssuePrincess Märtha Louise
Crown Prince Haakon
FatherKarl August Haraldsen
MotherDagny Ulrichsen
ReligionChurch of Norway
Norwegian royal family
* Member of the Norwegian Royal House

Queen Sonja of Norway (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is the wife of King Harald V.[2]

Early life

Sonja was born in 4 July 1937 at Red Cross Clinic in Oslo, the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen (1889–1959)[3] and Dagny Ulrichsen (1896–1994).[2] Her siblings were Haakon Haraldsen (1921–2016),[4][5] Gry Henriksen (1924–1971)[6] and Karl Herman Haraldsen (1929–1936, who died in a boating accident). She grew up at Tuengen Allé 1B in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling in 1954. She received a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring at the Oslo Vocational School, and a diploma from École Professionnelle des Jeunes Filles (a finishing school) in Lausanne, Switzerland. There, she studied accounting, fashion design, and social science. She returned to Norway for further studies and received an undergraduate degree (French, English and Art History) from the University of Oslo.[2]

Marriage to Crown Prince Harald

Sonja became engaged to then Crown Prince Harald in March 1968. They had been dating for nine years, although their relationship had been kept secret because she was a commoner.[2] The Crown Prince made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried for life unless he could marry her. This would in effect have put an end to the rule of his family, and likely to the monarchy in Norway, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. Faced with having to choose one of his relatives from the Danish Royal Family, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein or even the Grand Dukes of Oldenburg as his new heir in place of his son, Olav V consulted the government for advice and, as a result, the couple was wed on 29 August 1968, at Oslo Domkirke in Oslo. She thus acquired the style of Royal Highness and the title of Crown Princess of Norway.[2]

As crown princess she represented the royal family at various engagements and travelled extensively in Norway and abroad.

Humanitarian work

In 1972 she was involved in establishing Princess Märtha Louise’s Fund, which provides assistance to disabled children in Norway. She has taken active part in large-scale initiatives to raise funds for international refugees and spent time in the 1970s visiting Vietnamese boat refugees in Malaysia.[2]

From 1987 to 1990, Crown Princess Sonja served as Vice President of the Norwegian Red Cross. She was responsible for the organisation’s international activities. She took part in a Red Cross delegation to Botswana and Zimbabwe in 1989.[2]

Queen Sonja’s School Award was established in 2006 and is awarded to schools who have "demonstrated excellence in its efforts to promote inclusion and equality".[2][7]

Music and the arts

Sonja established the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in 1988. It was originally for pianists, but in 1995 the competition became only for singers. The jury consists of diverse authoritative figures in opera and the winners receive a cash amount and prestigious engagements at Norwegian music institutions.[8][9]

She is a longtime avid photographer and has a keen interest in art.[10] She is a printmaker, and held exhibitions with artists Kjell Nupen and Ørnulf Opdahl in 2011 and 2013.[11] The Queen Sonja Nordic Art Award was established in 2011 with Tiina Kivinen from Finland being the first recipient in 2012. The prize will be awarded every other year.[12]

In 2017, The Queen Sonja Art Stable was opened, a venue which will function as a scene for arts and culture.

As Queen

Royal Monogram

Following the death of King Olav V on 17 January 1991, Sonja became Norway's first queen consort in 53 years.[2] Queen Sonja accompanied King Harald V when he swore his oath to uphold the Constitution in the Storting on 21 January 1991. It was the first time in 69 years that a Norwegian queen had been present in the Storting. Since his accession, Queen Sonja has accompanied the King to the formal opening of the autumn session of the Storting and the reading of the Speech from the Throne.[2]

In accordance with their own wishes, the King and Queen were consecrated in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on 23 June 1991.[2] Following the consecration, the King and Queen conducted a 10-day tour of Southern Norway. In 1992, the entire Royal Family conducted a 22-day tour of Norway’s four northernmost counties.[2]

The Queen accompanies the King on official state visits abroad. She acts as the hostess when foreign heads of state officially visit Norway.[2]

In 2005, Queen Sonja became the first queen ever to visit Antarctica.[2] The Queen was there to open the Norwegian Troll research station in the country's Antarctic dependency, Queen Maud Land. The Queen flew in on one of the Royal Norwegian Air Force's C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, landing at Troll Airfield.[2]

The Queen is appointed a Rear Admiral in the Royal Norwegian Navy and a Brigadier in the Norwegian army. She has undergone a basic officer training course and has participated in exercises.[13][14]

Issue

Ancestry

Family of Queen Sonja of Norway
8. Harald Gundersen Olsbrygge[20]
4. Halvor Haraldsen[15]
9. Aslaug Kirstine Halvorsdatter Jøntveit[21]
2. Karl August Haraldsen
5. Karete Josefine Nielsdatter[15]
1. Queen Sonja of Norway
12. Ulrich Schjødt Ulrichsen[22]
6. Johan Christian Ulrichsen[16][17][18]
13. Signe Asora Bakke[23]
3. Dagny Ulrichsen
7. Marie Berntine Hansen[17][18][19]

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Styles of
Queen Sonja of Norway as consort
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Alternative styleMa'am

Titles and styles

  • 4 July 1937 – 29 August 1968: Miss Sonja Haraldsen.
  • 29 August 1968 – 17 January 1991: Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Norway.
  • 17 January 1991 – present: Her Majesty The Queen of Norway.

Honours

See also: List of honours of the Norwegian Royal Family by country

In 1982 she was awarded the Nansen Refugee Award. In 2007, she received the Holmenkollen medal with Simon Ammann, Frode Estil, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, and her husband, King Harald V.

Queen Sonja also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1994 [24]

National orders

Foreign orders

Rem : The mark ° shows the honours mentioned on Queen Sonja's official website page

References

  1. ^ Coronation discarded by constitutional amendment in 1908. Harald V swore the Royal Oath in the Storting on 21 January 1991 and received the benediction in the Nidaros Cathedral on 23 June 1991. Norwegian paper Aftenposten on the royal benediction
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "The Official Website of the Royal House of Norway: Her Majesty Queen Sonja".
  3. ^ Karl August Haraldsen (b. April 5, 1889 in Solum, Skien, d. March 9, 1959 in Oslo) was a Norwegian clothing trader and department store manager. He was the son of a ship captain, Halvor Haraldsen (1854 - 1931) and wife Josefine Nielsen (1854 - 1939). He was the proprietor and manager of the renowned women's wear store Karl A. Haraldsen AS in Oslo.
  4. ^ Haakon Haraldsen (eldest brother of Queen Sonja) was the father of CEO Karl Otto Haraldsen, himself stepfather of TV personality Pia Haraldsen.
  5. ^ Dronning Sonjas bror, Haakon Haraldsen er død, 95 år gammel. Han gravlegges i Oslo fredag.
  6. ^ Gry Henriksen (elder sister of Queen Sonja) was the mother of Dag Swanstrøm, former CEO of Synnøve Finden.
  7. ^ Article from the Norwegian Directorate of Education on Queen Sonja’s School Award Template:No icon Retrieved 6 November 2007
  8. ^ Royal House web page on the Queen's areas of special interest Retrieved 6 November 2007
  9. ^ Queen Sonja International Music Competition web page Retrieved 2 September 2009
  10. ^ Jan Thomas Holmlund (27 October 2011): Her er dronning Sonjas egne kunstverk Template:No icon Verdens Gang, retrieved 6 July 2013
  11. ^ Lars Elton (6 July 2013): De tre musketêrer Template:No icon Verdens Gang, retrieved 6 July 2013
  12. ^ H.M. Dronning Sonjas kunstnerstipend Template:No icon Kongehuset.no, retrieved 6 July 2013
  13. ^ Video from NRK of Sonja participating in a winter exercise
  14. ^ Article from the Norwegian defence on Royals in the military (Norwegian)
  15. ^ a b "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  16. ^ "National Archives of Norway-listed as Joh. C. Ulrichsen". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  17. ^ a b "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Image of Grave Site". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  19. ^ "National Archives of Norway-listed as Maja Ulrichsen". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  20. ^ "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  21. ^ "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  22. ^ "National Archives of Norway-listed as Ulrich S. Ulrichsen". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  23. ^ "National Archive of Norway". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  24. ^ webperson@hw.ac.uk. "Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates". www1.hw.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  25. ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question about the Decoration of Honour" (pdf) (in German). p. 518. Retrieved November 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  26. ^ Belga Pictures, State visit of Norway in Belgium, May 2003, Group photo Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Harald V & Paola Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Albert II & Sonja
  27. ^ Noblesse et Royautés (French), State visit of President of Finland in Norway, 2012, Photo Archived 17 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c1/21/7e/c1217eeb1a75928978cbed768eaac420.jpg
  29. ^ Iceland
  30. ^ The Royal Forums, State visit of japan in Norway, May 2005, Photo
  31. ^ Lithuanian Presidency Archived 19 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Lithuanian Orders searching form
  32. ^ Photo of a State visit of Lithuania to Norway, March 2011
  33. ^ a b c Portuguese presidential website, Orders search form
  34. ^ Boletín Oficial del Estado
  35. ^ Boletín Oficial del Estado
  36. ^ "Noblesse et Royautés" Archived 22 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Guests to Victoria of Sweden's wedding, Photo Archived 8 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Norwegian royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Maud of Wales 		Queen consort of Norway
1991 – present 		Incumbent
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