King Harald of Norway 1937-2026

On August 28, 2026, the popular King Harald of Norway passed away.

Harald had been king since 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. The stamp below was issued on the 25th anniversary of this in 2016.

Harald married Sonja in 1968.

Both his father Olav V and Harald were avid competitive sailors. Both competed in the Olympic Games in this sport. Both have also been immortalized as sailors on postage stamps.

Harald is succeeded by his son Haakon, with his wife, Princess Mette-Marit, becoming queen.

Olav V's father was also named Haakon and was King Haakon VII (see below). The new king is therefore expected to be inaugurated as Haakon VIII.

Click here to view Norwegian royalty stamps in the Freestampcatalogue.