Harald V of Norway died this Friday at 89, closing a chapter of almost half a century of proximity between the royal houses of Spain and Norway. The young Norwegian heir was paired with Sofía of Greece, the future queen of Spain, in the late 1950s, at a time when royal marriages were studied almost as diplomatic agreements between nations.
The idea of uniting Harald and Sofía was part of the marriage strategies that characterized the European Gotha, the set of lineage and protocol norms that regulated European royalty. This potential union never materialized, but kept the contact between both royal houses alive for more than five decades.
Harald ended up marrying Sonia Haraldsen, with whom he shared his life for decades, but the closeness with the Spanish royal family remained over the years. The death of the Norwegian monarch now brings back this story of proximity between the two royal families.
The article also mentions Juan Carlos's connection to the regattas in Mallorca, where he maintained a friendship with Harald V that extended over time, reinforcing the bonds between the two European royal houses.
