Bonus Episode: Thank You, King Harald

Today was supposed to be a very different podcast episode.

But on the morning of August 28, 2026, King Harald V of Norway passed away after 35 years on the throne.

Before you listen, two little corrections from me. This was a very spontaneous conversation recorded on an emotional day, and somewhere between my brain and my mouth, the royal numbers got muddled. Throughout the conversation I call King Harald V “King Harald VII”. He was, of course, King Harald V.

You will also hear us talk about a “coronation”. Norway no longer has coronations – the ceremony we are talking about is a consecration, as King Harald V and Queen Sonja had in Nidaros Cathedral in 1991. This one was partly me reaching for the right vocabulary in English while we were talking.

With that cleared up...

Steph and I had planned a completely different episode for today. But when we sat down to record, it didn't feel right to simply carry on as planned.

So instead, we talked about King Harald, the Norwegian monarchy, what the Royal Family means to many Norwegians, what happens when a king dies and another takes his place – and a little of the long history behind it all.

This isn't a history lesson. It is simply a conversation recorded on a day when history was happening around us.

Takk, Kong Harald.

Alt for Norge.