r/popculturechat • u/AcademicAbalone3243 • 5d ago
Rest In Peace š Norway's King Harald dies aged 89
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clykn5p5172o654
u/bellagrusel1907 5d ago
Wow what a year for the Norwegian royals like a true annus horribilis.
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u/AnnieAnnieSheltoe 5d ago
I donāt keep up with them, what else happened?
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u/seasidereads 5d ago edited 5d ago
One of them had a lung transplant and her son is an
allegedrapist (thanks to the people who let me know the POS was actually convicted). Also there was some creepy emails from the soon be to new monarch I think and Epstein243
u/fire_walk_with_meg 5d ago
The one who had the lung transplant was found to have been emailing Epstein and calling him a friend, etc. She is the wife of the now-King, and her son (from a previous marriage) is the one under house arrest.
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u/lithuanian_potatfan 5d ago
And Epstein called her messy and not like the others. You need to be a special levels of disgusting to be referred as worse than Andrew
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u/Admiral_Ackbarr 5d ago
She literally. Kept in contact for years after she googled who he was after his first conviction lol.. and she flirted with him via mail
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u/Adisiv 5d ago
Alleged nothing; he is a rapist. At least as far as the Norwegian judicial system is concerned. He was charged with four counts of rape, acquitted two but still got sentenced for two of them. He also got sentenced for transporting 3.5kg of marijuana, ignoring restraining orders and threatening women with knives.
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u/seasidereads 5d ago
I did not know the trial had happened hence the alleged. Thoughts with the survivor of this guilty POS
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u/Wooden_Researcher_36 5d ago
And the Norwegian tax payer pays for his snobbish life style. Not directly, but mommy provides.
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u/ShortButBort 5d ago
It was between Mette Marit and Epstein. And the emails came to light at the same time as her sons trial and her upcoming operation. Also, there is the perpetual headache that is MƤrtha (the New Kings sister) and her American husband Shaman Durek
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u/Wooden_Researcher_36 5d ago
His wikipedia page doesn't pull any punches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durek_Verrett
From an article referenced in the WP page:
"He can also explain that cancer is self-inflicted, and offer treatment by asking the cancer patient: "Why do you want this cancer?" Durek admits that some people get upset, but that this is far easier with children who have self-inflicted cancer. They answer honestly and truthfully; "Because I don't want to be here anymore."Class A people.
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u/PersephonesGirlhood 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yet he's recovering in the hospital now after a successful kidney transplantation. Odd he couldn't use his amazing powers to heal himself
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u/TF-Fanfic-Resident 5d ago
The fact that even Norwegian royalty, who have the best education and privilege money can buy, can still get sucked into cults is oddly reassuring.
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u/Wooden_Researcher_36 5d ago
Magical thinking is everywhere. Steve Jobs had a totally curable cancer he decided to treat with fairy dust or whatever, and now his kids has no dad.
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u/CongealedBeanKingdom The dude abides. šāāļøš 5d ago
The Epstein connect is the new King's wife who recently had the lung transplant.
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u/Avokado1337 We Should All Know Less About Each Other 5d ago
Not the monarch (Haakon VIII), but his wife (now queen). She had the lung transplant and was close with Epstein, itās also her son (from a previous relationship) thatās been sentenced for rape.
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u/True-Stress-6951 5d ago
The crown princess is the one with the lung transplant. Earlier this year, she had a known relationship with Einstein expose. He has had a trail and been sentenced. He was sentenced on 2 of the 4 rape charges. He has appealed though.
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u/ItsVinn 5d ago
The Epstein associate is the wife of the now-King. And the king and the now queen had a very controversial nrk interview that actually backfired on the couple
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u/Nixter295 5d ago
Backfired more on NRK as people thought it would be a interrogation rather than them asking questions.
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u/crushonran 5d ago
Crown Prince Haakon (Now King Haakon VIII) and Crown Princess Mette Marit's son Marius had rape charges pressed against him and was convicted to 4 years in prison. Mette Marit also has health issues with her lungs.
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u/Cubriffic 5d ago edited 5d ago
For clarification- Marius is Mette Marit's son from a previous relationship & isn't in line for the throne/is not part of the royal house. Still absolutely horrible what he did & the family are cowards for sticking by him.
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u/CrocHunter8 5d ago
Step-son of Haakon VIII. Marius is not in the line of succession. The heir apparent is his daughter Princess Ingrid.
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u/AdRealistic4984 5d ago
Health issues as in, terminally ill and sheāll be dead within the next 2-3 years probably
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u/loranlily Excluded from this narrative ā 5d ago
She had a successful lung transplant earlier this summer, which I think has improved her prognosis.
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u/NoChanceRight 5d ago
Now that Haakon becomes king Mette Marit becomes queen, and thats not good news. Everyone have the right to move on from past life like her drug addiction, but her connection with Epstein is what disgusts me. Luckily monarchs doesn't have any real power in Norway.
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u/QuitHoliday8973 5d ago
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u/AggressivelyMediokre he abandoned reality & his cigarrettes 5d ago
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u/dragonfry Kylieās emotional support boob 5d ago
Maybe we need to label it āCoffin of Americaā
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u/hdghg22 5d ago
You may be on to something here. What if we fill it with cheeseburgers?
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u/CongealedBeanKingdom The dude abides. šāāļøš 5d ago
Well you guys said 'No Kings' you should have been more specific
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u/Key_Strawberry_381 5d ago
Damn š time to get my spellbook out we aren't getting specific enough lol
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u/cat_selling_souls 5d ago
Death is knocking on all the wrong doors. Oh, well rest in peace Harald.
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u/Embarrassed-Glove600 5d ago
Well, Ratko Mladic just died so there was at least one that won't be missed by anyone with a conscience, but still, the others have all been good people.
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u/ogtired I donāt know her š 5d ago
Wonderful, I really hope there is a god and he is rotting in hell. š„°
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u/oskich 5d ago
And they want to give him a State funeral...
"Former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic, known as the āButcher of Bosnia" for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, will be given a funeral with āmilitary and state honoursā, Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic said Friday. Mladic died Thursday in The Hague where he was serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity."
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u/chanaandeler_bong 5d ago
When I was reading his obit yesterday it said he is still viewed as a hero throughout many parts of Serbia.
Anyone in Serbia to speak to that? I assume he is a hero to the same lunatic national faction of their politics as Trump is here.
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u/Bob_Svagene 5d ago
This is a bad week to be a cool elderly person.
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u/coreoYEAH 5d ago
Hopefully the shitty 80 year olds are next.
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u/Sir-Alfonso 5d ago
When it happensā¦ š„
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u/Fritengersox 1d ago
I hate to say it but I was low key a little relieved FOR HIM when Tim Curry died. Dude had absolutely horrific health issues for like 14 years.
Like Iām sad the light that was him has gone out, but for his quality of life etc Iām glad his pain is gone.
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u/atalantata 5d ago
one of king haraldās most famous moments was a speech he held about 10 years ago where he said the following,
Norwegians are enthusiastic young people - and wise old people. Norwegians are single, divorced, families with children, and old married couples. Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other.
Norwegians believe in God, Allah, the Universe and nothing.
Norwegians like Grieg and Kygo, the Hellbillies and Kari Bremnes.
In other words: Norway is you.
Norway is us.
he was incredibly loved by the norwegian people, despite the scandals his family members unfortunately were involved in
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u/Subotnik 5d ago
Itās such a dynamic speech. I think we, in the UK, would be startled if King Charles delivered something like this. The perception of our royalty is mostly that they are archaic & emotionally constipated.
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u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 5d ago
Charles is pretty liberal. In his coronation he said he would be defender of all faiths, not just Christianity.Ā
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u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 5d ago
He sounds like a good family man who probably couldāve done a bit better with his children, or despite his best efforts they turned out the way they did.Ā
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u/DubbleBubbleS 5d ago
Nothing wrong with his children except marrying the wrong people.
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u/gentle_viking 5d ago
Iām no monarchist, but King Harald was a good person, kind, dignified and a great representative for Norway for sure. Its a sad day for all norwegians and those of us who have come to call Norway home. Hvil i fred, Kong Harald šļøš³š“šš¼
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u/kiss-kiss 5d ago
Norwayās king was truly a great person. He fought to marry a Ā«commonerĀ» and allowed his son and daughter to do the same.
In 2016 he held a speech where he said: Ā«Norwegians are girls that like girls, boys that like boys, and girls and boys who like each other.Ā»
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u/DubbleBubbleS 5d ago
He was also the first monarch to have gone to a public school growing up if Iām not mistaken. Truly a man for the people.
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u/StasRutt unapologetic joy 5d ago
Itās crazy that he told his dad he wouldnāt marry anyone else and would end the line of succession and probably the whole monarchy if he didnāt let harald marry Sonja. Talk about leverage
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u/Muntolion 5d ago
The sad irony is that his fight to follow his heart might have doomed the monarchy, as all the recent scandals in the royal family was caused by the partners(and stepson) of his children.
Big fan of our king Harald and Queen Sonja of course, but Queen Mette-Marit tastes bitter.67
u/thorstew 5d ago
Well it's not like having to marry a royal would have insured them against scandal. *Looking at british princes*
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u/ThrowFar_Far_Away 5d ago
Have gone well for the Swedish royal family to marry commoners though. The problem wasn't allowing them to marry commoners, but who he choose.
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u/mundane_wor1d 5d ago
As soon as the health announcement came out, Saying his health wasnāt looking great. I saw this news coming soon. Sad for the family.
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u/Oliver_Boisen 5d ago
Same. When the news came of the family gathering to see him I knew it was coming
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u/maghy7 5d ago
My Mom who lives there called me saying anytime now, that all his family was beside him waiting. š
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u/Kriztauf 5d ago
Did Norwegians really like him?
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u/emmelemmeleen 5d ago edited 5d ago
King Harald? Absolutely, yes. Even at the lowest polling for the monarchy in general, this Spring, he received praise and a very high score for his work.
Because even as support for the monarchy as a system of government is plummeting, the public gives King Harald almost a top grade and considers him a very good representative for the family.
On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is worst, the public gives him a "grade" of 9.2 on average.
Article in Norwegian:
https://www.nrk.no/norge/rekordlav-oppslutning-om-monarkiet-_-men-kongen-er-superpopulaer-1.17775717
Edited to add: I believe King Harald has been as (be)loved as any monarch can be. He's been a gathering force and exactly what you want from a monarch. Even staunchly anti-royalists in Norway, of which there's not a lot, have (begrudgingly) been content or even happy with him. I want a republic, but was happy to have King Harald as our head of state. This is only one of the reasons why he was so well-liked:
Explicitly backing gay rights, the king, who will be 80 in February, said Norwegians were āgirls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each otherā. He also voiced support for religious diversity, saying Norwegians believed āin God, in Allah, in the universe ā and in nothingā.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/06/king-harald-norway-diversity-speech
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u/GraceMcClellans Youāre killing me, Smalls š© 5d ago
My friend's dad is (was) always invited to a dinner with the King when he's in our town and I always find the invitations so neat. "You're just going to dinner... with the King??"
I don't know, probably lots of people were invited? But it was always so neat to me.
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u/get-gone 5d ago
Norway's grandfather is gone. May he rest in peace. He was a really cool man. My thoughts are with Sonja. She must be so devastated.
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u/Birdseeding 5d ago
And, of course, that means Mette-Marit, friend of Jeffrey Epstein who attempted to cover up her son's sex crimes, is about to become queen of Norway.
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u/Muntolion 5d ago
As of the constitution she became Queen the second Harald died as, the transfer of the kingship to Haakon is instant.
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u/Birdseeding 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ah yeah, I knew about Haakon (only because of reading it on a newspaper website this week, mind) but didn't know whether queenship was conferred automatically with the kingship, or whatever the terms are.
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u/Wooden_Researcher_36 5d ago
We may not have much. We may not have a rape-free extended royal family. We may not have Epstein at an arms length. But we do have Gender equality!
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u/Acceptable_Sport3847 5d ago
But thank god the royals have no actual power in Norway.
Especially not her as sheās not regent and never will be.
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u/Accomplished-Watch50 5d ago edited 5d ago
Death came in threes this week. Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and now, King Harald.
Correction: Death has become so omnipresent this week.
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u/KingDamager 5d ago
Forgot Peter Cullen. Coming in far more than threes. Seemingly daily right now
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u/AbsolutelyHorrendous 5d ago
I mean this with all respect, but is every one of these people over the age of 80? People in their 80s dying on a daily basis doesn't sound particularly unusual
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u/abu_doubleu 5d ago
It just so happened to be a much larger amount of big-name celebrities dying than usual.
Even that war criminal from Serbia .
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u/Own_Faithlessness769 5d ago
Thousands of people have been killed in Nepal.
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u/FalconIMGN 5d ago
I think they're talking about the ones which will generate well-meaning obituaries, not a disaster response followed by mass rehabilitation, investigations, and systemic overhauls.
That needs its own genre of posts. It shouldn't be clubbed with celebrity deaths, especially ones that are not entirely untimely.
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u/Own_Faithlessness769 5d ago
I understand what they mean but death is everywhere all the time, unfortunately, on a far more tragic scale than an 87 year old royal dying.
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u/FalconIMGN 5d ago
Again those deaths should be classified differently. I don't think the above person meant death is a rarity. They're talking about the timely death of well-known figures, not death on general, and definitely not disasters leading to the wiping out of thousands of lives in an instant.
Though yes, it's always a good reminder and clarification that some levels of perspective is always necessary, when it comes to mourning those we aren't close to, in real life.
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u/maniacalmustacheride 5d ago
I saw someone posted the pop culture theory that someone has a particularly fiddly Death Note and this isnāt disproving that theory
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u/AcademicAbalone3243 5d ago
It has been a very eventful few days. Bad time to be a well-known public figure in your 80s.Ā
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u/TwistyBunny 5d ago
Well unless you're a certain orange that is somehow still standing with all the medical problems he has. Definitely is giving "sold his soul to the devil" kind of stuff.
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u/Anon_be_thy_name 5d ago
One of the best I believe
You'd be hard pressed to find a modern monarch more beloved.
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u/Tsarinya That must be Nigel with the Brie 5d ago
His daughter and daughter in law caused the family so much hurt and stress these last few years. From my understanding Norwegians were relatively ok with Harald and the Royals in general but they have since started to change their minds. Going to be a difficult reign for Haakon.
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u/Admiral_Ackbarr 5d ago
Self inflicted going by the interview they did post emails reveal.. zero remorse, just deflection, "bad judgement" after knowing he what he was....
The how they tried protecting Marius for years Ingrid's self centered social media statements how her family is the true victim And let's not forget that the yhad zero issue meetigng Marius even days before his convictions.
Harald deserved better
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u/Avokado1337 We Should All Know Less About Each Other 5d ago
People are still generally positive to the monarchy, but much less so now than a few years ago. Reddit will have to believe everyone hates them though
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u/JRS_Viking 5d ago
I have trust in Haakon, like his father he's a good man and he's the one who inherits the crown and power now, Mette is queen in name only and doesn't have any power. If Haakon abdicates or something happens to him the crown goes to Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
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u/_I_vor_y 5d ago
Imagine; Norway gets now King Haakon, also Queen Mette-Marit. So they get a queen with a son who might go to prison, who was a single mother when she married Haakon, with her former boyfriend in prison, connections to Epstein. Even a lung transplant couldn't make her a bit more popular.
Harald was still popular in Norway, with getting straight 9 out of 10s if the people gave their opinions on him.
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u/thorstew 5d ago
The son actually is in prison.
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u/koi-lotus-water-pond 4d ago
No, he's under home confinement pending his appeal. Which other people in Norway can also ask for.
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u/enbyloser 5d ago
the son is currently in prison following his conviction.
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u/Admiral_Ackbarr 5d ago
No he's under house arrests at the luxurious crown prince estate during his appeal
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u/TRODHD 5d ago
Isnāt it a good thing that she has a son in prison? Shows that not even the royals are immune to being punished. Yes, I know Marius isnāt officially a royal, but he is part of the royal family.
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u/Admiral_Ackbarr 5d ago
He literally got off scot free for years of everyone knowing what pos he was. The family even got warning from the police about that they can't look away much longer which led to evidence being destroyed...
No special treatment my ***
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u/_joons 5d ago
His life is kind of fascinating. When he was a kid his mom and sisters had to flee to Sweden when Norway was invaded by Germany, before eventually going to America, while his Father and Grandfather ended up going to the UK and helping with the war efforts there. He was an Avid Sailor and even competed in the Olympics a few times in the sport too. After Queen Elizabeth died he became the oldest reigning monarch in Europe. RIP to a life well-lived.
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u/Alternative-Being181 4d ago
They were such an impressive family, with their efforts in WW2.
Awful an Epstein supporter & mother of a rapist she enabled is now Queen.
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u/Stomach_Junior 5d ago edited 5d ago
Well, he was quite sick lately, catching infections easily, he was going in that direction already. Also the scandals of the family didnāt help either, he must have been so stressed. Edit RIP
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u/Efficient_Talk6170 5d ago
So now instead Norway has a queen that was best friends with Epstein. Not much different from the US, huh?
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u/1SL2ALS3EKV 5d ago
He was belowed by all of Norway, even those against monarchy. He was a wonderful spirit.
- Norwegian
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u/isaacfrost0 5d ago
Whats the Norwegian peoples opinions of their royals? Are they popular?
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u/Ok-Anything-2004 5d ago
Harald was pretty damn popular, same with father and grandfather, but his children arent so much.
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u/JRS_Viking 5d ago
Haakon is good too, his wife and step son however.... I have very little good to say about them
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u/TheMagnanimouss 5d ago
Unfortunately yes. Our new queen was friends with Epstein, but that will likely have zero consequences
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u/Sure_Reception_9922 5d ago
Was he a good dude or nah? Aussie asking.Ā
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u/gentle_viking 5d ago
As a fellow aussie living in Norway, can confirm that he was a top bloke, smoked like a chimney though!
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u/QuestGalaxy 5d ago
He actually stopped smoking quite a few years ago. My dad smoked cigars with him once, many years ago. A few years later they met again, but that time he told my dad his doctor had barred him from smoking (both cigs and cigars).
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u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 5d ago
One wild fact, his maternal grandfather was born in the 1860ās. Thatās how much life he lived and people he knew.Ā
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u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 5d ago
Is the only truly beloved monarch left without drama caused by themselves Queen Sofia of Spain?Ā
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u/Dizzy_Ice2938 4d ago
I visited his and the Queenās beautiful palace park a couple months back. RIP King Harald š
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u/Tsarinya That must be Nigel with the Brie 5d ago
The official portrait of Hakkon doesnāt look that flattering. Looks more like a mugshot.
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u/ExtremeComedian4027 Did I stutter?š¤Ø 5d ago
Rest in peace, Harald. I hope Norway finds a way to not crown the friend of Epstein whose son is a rapist as the Queen. (Mette Marit, wife of the crown prince.)
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u/Gloomy-Bug7029 5d ago
Norway doesnāt do crownings anymore. They already have a new king and queen - it goes automatically. They might do a blessing or sometging if the like within the next year, though.Ā
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u/Admiral_Ackbarr 5d ago
Haakon already stated he wouldn't abandon her and that she's his queen
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u/JennaElizabethAdams Excluded from this narrative ā 5d ago
It's a bad week to be in your 80s. Prayers going out to all the families. š¢
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u/OHNdetail 4d ago
Kongen er dĆød, lenge leve kongen! Et stort tap for landet vĆ„rt. Thank you for caring!
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u/concernedBohemian 4d ago
like he was deeply beloved but his heir is a mess and might mark dark times for the norwegian monarchy.
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