In the days following the death of King Harald V, those who knew the Norwegian monarch personally have been looking back on the man behind the crown and the moments that shaped his extraordinary life.
Among them is Countess Brita Ahlefeldt-Laurvig, 87, a longtime friend who knew Harald before he even became heir to the Norwegian throne. Their friendship began when they were teenagers and later extended to Queen Sonja after she began dating the then Prince Harald.
© Sjöberg BildbyrÃ¥Their bond endured through decades of change, including Harald's accession to the throne and Brita's move to Denmark. Speaking to BILLED-BLADET following the King's death, the Countess reflected on losing a friend who had been part of her life for decades.
"It is sad. A lifelong good friend is gone. He will leave a void, because he was such a good friend for so many years," she said. She remembered Harald as someone who was always cheerful, adding that whenever they met, there would be "a big hug" and a good conversation.
© Sjöberg BildbyrÃ¥/ullstein bild vTheir friendship began as teenagers:
Brita explained that she and Harald belonged to the same social circle when they were young, long before royal life placed him at the center of the Norwegian monarchy.
"Our friendship went back a very long way. We had been friends since our youth and were part of the same group of friends," she recalled.
© Leopald Joseph/ANL/ShutterstockWith no nightclubs to go to at the time, the friends would gather at one another's homes. Prince Harald naturally became part of the close-knit group, which Brita remembered as having plenty of fun together.
On occasion, they would even rent venues and throw larger parties, though she said those celebrations were relatively rare.
© Fox PhotosBrita remembers the young Prince as charming but somewhat shy. As their friendship deepened, however, she was given a front-row seat to some of the most consequential moments of his personal life, including his dramatic reconciliation with Sonja Haraldsen.
The dramatic night Harald and Sonja reunited:
Harald and Sonja's path to marriage was famously complicated. Sonja was not of royal or noble birth, and their relationship faced resistance from King Olav V and more traditional circles surrounding the monarchy.
© Sjöberg BildbyrÃ¥At one point, the couple briefly separated. According to Brita, the reconciliation that would ultimately change the course of their lives took place at the home of Harald's best friend after Sonja returned from studying abroad.
"This friend decided that they had to meet again," Brita recalled. Several of their closest friends were there that evening, and the reunion was anything but quiet.
© Stephane Cardinale - Corbis"There was drama, slamming doors, tears and shouting," she said. "But that night, they decided that they had to be together." The couple refused to give up on their relationship and became officially engaged not long afterward.
"We thought it would work," Brita said. It did. Harald and Sonja married on August 29, 1968, with the Ahlefeldt-Laurvigs among their wedding guests. Their marriage would go on to span nearly six decades and become one of the defining partnerships of the modern Norwegian monarchy.
© BettmannIn a poignant twist, King Harald died at Oslo University Hospital on August 28, 2026, just one day before what would have been the couple's 58th wedding anniversary.
A friendship that lasted a lifetime:
Brita and her husband, Count Preben Ahlefeldt-Laurvig, remained close to Harald and Sonja through the years and joined them for some of the biggest milestones of their lives, including the celebrations marking the royal couple's 80th birthdays.
© Getty ImagesThat support went both ways. When Preben died, Queen Sonja was there to support her longtime friend at his funeral last November. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who had herself been a childhood friend of the Count, was also among those who attended.
For Brita, Harald was far more than a King. He was a friend she had known since they were teenagers, long before the crown, the historic reign, and the decades of royal duty that followed.
