Birthday of Queen Dowager Sonja of Norway Date in the current year: July 4, 2026

Queen dowager Sonja was born Sonja Haraldsen on July 4, 1937, to clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Haraldsen (née Ulrichsen). She met Crown Prince Harald at a party and began dating him in 1959 but had to keep their relationship secret because she was a commoner.

The crown prince made it clear that he would only marry Sonja. If he remained unmarried, it would likely put an end to the monarchy in Norway, as there were no other heirs to the throne. Eventually, the king consulted the government and gave the couple permission to marry.

Harald and Sonja became engaged in March 1968 and were married in Oslo Cathedral on August 29, 1968. On January 17, 1991, King Olav V died. Harald succeeded to the throne, and Sonja became the first queen consort in Norway in more than 50 years. The king and queen were consecrated on June 23, 1991.

Queen Sonja has been actively engaged in numerous charitable activities. In 1988, she established a music competition that is now known as the Queen Sonja International Music Competition. In 2005, she became the first queen to ever visit Antarctica.

King Harald V died on August 26, 2026. Crown Prince Haakon ascended the throne, and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit became the new Queen consort of Norway, while Sonja became the queen dowager.