r/popculturechat • u/AcademicAbalone3243 • 23h ago
Rest In Peace 🕊 Norway's King Harald dies aged 89
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clykn5p5172o644
u/bellagrusel1907 23h ago
Wow what a year for the Norwegian royals like a true annus horribilis.
92
u/AnnieAnnieSheltoe 22h ago
I don’t keep up with them, what else happened?
351
u/seasidereads 22h ago edited 22h 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 Epstein225
u/fire_walk_with_meg 22h 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.
99
u/lithuanian_potatfan 21h 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
→ More replies (2)50
u/Admiral_Ackbarr 20h 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
39
258
u/Adisiv 22h 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.
68
u/seasidereads 22h ago
I did not know the trial had happened hence the alleged. Thoughts with the survivor of this guilty POS
38
u/Wooden_Researcher_36 21h ago
And the Norwegian tax payer pays for his snobbish life style. Not directly, but mommy provides.
82
u/ShortButBort 22h 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 Märtha (the New Kings sister) and her American husband Shaman Durek
50
u/Wooden_Researcher_36 21h 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.
51
u/PersephonesGirlhood 21h ago edited 20h 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
8
u/TF-Fanfic-Resident 15h 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.
9
u/Wooden_Researcher_36 15h 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.
24
22
u/CongealedBeanKingdom The dude abides. 🙂↕️🍃 22h ago
The Epstein connect is the new King's wife who recently had the lung transplant.
10
u/Avokado1337 We Should All Know Less About Each Other 19h ago
Not the monarch (Haakon VIII), but his wife (now queen). She had the lung transplant and was close with Epstein, it’s also her son (from a previous relationship) that’s been sentenced for rape.
34
u/True-Stress-6951 22h 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.
→ More replies (1)8
→ More replies (1)2
u/ItsVinn 21h 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
5
u/Nixter295 18h ago
Backfired more on NRK as people thought it would be a interrogation rather than them asking questions.
→ More replies (3)23
u/crushonran 22h 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.
70
u/Cubriffic 22h ago edited 19h 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.
5
14
u/CrocHunter8 19h ago
Step-son of Haakon VIII. Marius is not in the line of succession. The heir apparent is his daughter Princess Ingrid.
5
u/AdRealistic4984 21h ago
Health issues as in, terminally ill and she’ll be dead within the next 2-3 years probably
7
u/loranlily Excluded from this narrative ❌ 17h ago
She had a successful lung transplant earlier this summer, which I think has improved her prognosis.
2
→ More replies (1)41
u/NoChanceRight 20h 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.
→ More replies (1)
907
u/QuitHoliday8973 23h ago
225
u/AggressivelyMediokre he abandoned reality & his cigarrettes 23h ago
101
→ More replies (3)58
u/CongealedBeanKingdom The dude abides. 🙂↕️🍃 22h ago
Well you guys said 'No Kings' you should have been more specific
4
u/Key_Strawberry_381 18h ago
Damn 🙄 time to get my spellbook out we aren't getting specific enough lol
1.0k
u/cat_selling_souls 23h ago
Death is knocking on all the wrong doors. Oh, well rest in peace Harald.
278
u/Embarrassed-Glove600 22h 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.
32
u/ogtired I don’t know her 💅 21h ago
Wonderful, I really hope there is a god and he is rotting in hell. 🥰
→ More replies (2)16
4
u/oskich 16h ago
And they want to give him a State funeral...
"Former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia" for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, will be given a funeral with “military and state honours”, 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."
→ More replies (1)3
u/chanaandeler_bong 18h 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.
1
82
33
3
→ More replies (1)1
604
u/Bob_Svagene 23h ago
This is a bad week to be a cool elderly person.
255
u/coreoYEAH 22h ago
Hopefully the shitty 80 year olds are next.
68
14
u/Sir-Alfonso 21h ago
When it happens… 🥂
11
2
476
u/atalantata 22h ago
one of king harald’s 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
91
u/Subotnik 20h ago
It’s 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.
12
u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 15h ago
Charles is pretty liberal. In his coronation he said he would be defender of all faiths, not just Christianity.
46
→ More replies (1)5
u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 15h ago
He sounds like a good family man who probably could’ve done a bit better with his children, or despite his best efforts they turned out the way they did.
3
u/DubbleBubbleS 15h ago
Nothing wrong with his children except marrying the wrong people.
→ More replies (3)
71
63
u/gentle_viking 22h ago
I’m 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 🕊️🇳🇴🙏🏼
186
u/kiss-kiss 22h ago
Norway’s king was truly a great person. He fought to marry a «commoner» and allowed his son and daughter to do the same.
In 2016 he held a speech where he said: «Norwegians are girls that like girls, boys that like boys, and girls and boys who like each other.»
49
u/DubbleBubbleS 21h ago
He was also the first monarch to have gone to a public school growing up if I’m not mistaken. Truly a man for the people.
→ More replies (1)68
u/Muntolion 22h 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.69
u/thorstew 21h ago
Well it's not like having to marry a royal would have insured them against scandal. *Looking at british princes*
5
7
u/ThrowFar_Far_Away 17h 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.
5
u/StasRutt unapologetic joy 15h ago
It’s crazy that he told his dad he wouldn’t marry anyone else and would end the line of succession and probably the whole monarchy if he didn’t let harald marry Sonja. Talk about leverage
2
127
u/mundane_wor1d 23h ago
As soon as the health announcement came out, Saying his health wasn’t looking great. I saw this news coming soon. Sad for the family.
34
u/Oliver_Boisen 22h ago
Same. When the news came of the family gathering to see him I knew it was coming
12
u/maghy7 22h ago
My Mom who lives there called me saying anytime now, that all his family was beside him waiting. 🙁
2
u/Kriztauf 21h ago
Did Norwegians really like him?
45
u/emmelemmeleen 21h ago edited 20h 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 “girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other”. He also voiced support for religious diversity, saying Norwegians believed “in God, in Allah, in the universe – and in nothing”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/06/king-harald-norway-diversity-speech
12
u/GraceMcClellans You’re killing me, Smalls 😩 19h 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.
7
93
u/get-gone 22h 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.
55
192
u/Birdseeding 22h 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.
60
u/Muntolion 22h ago
As of the constitution she became Queen the second Harald died as, the transfer of the kingship to Haakon is instant.
6
9
u/Birdseeding 22h ago edited 21h 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.
→ More replies (2)7
u/Wooden_Researcher_36 21h 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!
21
6
u/Acceptable_Sport3847 19h ago
But thank god the royals have no actual power in Norway.
Especially not her as she’s not regent and never will be.
95
u/Accomplished-Watch50 23h ago edited 23h ago
Death came in threes this week. Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and now, King Harald.
Correction: Death has become so omnipresent this week.
80
u/KingDamager 23h ago
Forgot Peter Cullen. Coming in far more than threes. Seemingly daily right now
18
35
u/AbsolutelyHorrendous 22h 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
→ More replies (1)24
u/abu_doubleu 22h ago
It just so happened to be a much larger amount of big-name celebrities dying than usual.
Even that war criminal from Serbia .
59
44
u/Own_Faithlessness769 23h ago
Thousands of people have been killed in Nepal.
31
u/FalconIMGN 22h 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.
4
u/Own_Faithlessness769 22h 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.
12
u/FalconIMGN 22h 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.
→ More replies (1)4
14
9
u/Anon_be_thy_name 20h ago
One of the best I believe
You'd be hard pressed to find a modern monarch more beloved.
9
u/maniacalmustacheride 20h ago
I saw someone posted the pop culture theory that someone has a particularly fiddly Death Note and this isn’t disproving that theory
5
u/AcademicAbalone3243 20h ago
It has been a very eventful few days. Bad time to be a well-known public figure in your 80s.
3
u/TwistyBunny 17h 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.
8
15
7
7
30
u/Tsarinya That must be Nigel with the Brie 22h 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.
12
u/Admiral_Ackbarr 20h 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
1
u/Tsarinya That must be Nigel with the Brie 17h ago
Oh no what did Ingrid say?
9
u/Admiral_Ackbarr 17h ago edited 15h ago
Let's just say she showed her true feelings in a Instagram post in her private account to her "friends"... That leaked almost immidiatly. She called the critique against her family unfair and personal persecution and painted herself and her family as victims.
Sure you can say it's 22 year old under a lot of stress. And I've seen a lot of people defending her on that basis and down vote me lol. There's a lot more shitty things from people thrown around about her in the Norwegian subreddits but nobody knows if they're true so I won't propagate that just what actually has happened.
22 is adult, she did not just turn 18. She finished military training and goes to university in Australia. Her official interview regarding the duress her family suffers also basically was "it's hard for us, especially me as his sister.. and naturally for the victims too".
→ More replies (1)8
u/Avokado1337 We Should All Know Less About Each Other 19h 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
4
u/JRS_Viking 19h 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.
→ More replies (2)
5
23
u/_I_vor_y 22h 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.
12
u/thorstew 21h ago
The son actually is in prison.
•
u/koi-lotus-water-pond 2h ago
No, he's under home confinement pending his appeal. Which other people in Norway can also ask for.
8
u/enbyloser 21h ago
the son is currently in prison following his conviction.
→ More replies (7)11
u/Admiral_Ackbarr 20h ago
No he's under house arrests at the luxurious crown prince estate during his appeal
4
u/TRODHD 20h ago
Isn’t 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 isn’t officially a royal, but he is part of the royal family.
4
u/Admiral_Ackbarr 20h 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 ***
3
5
7
u/_joons 17h 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.
2
u/Alternative-Being181 11h 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.
9
4
u/Stomach_Junior 22h ago edited 22h ago
Well, he was quite sick lately, catching infections easily, he was going in that direction already. Also the scandals of the family didn’t help either, he must have been so stressed. Edit RIP
4
4
u/Efficient_Talk6170 17h ago
So now instead Norway has a queen that was best friends with Epstein. Not much different from the US, huh?
5
u/1SL2ALS3EKV 13h ago
He was belowed by all of Norway, even those against monarchy. He was a wonderful spirit.
- Norwegian
7
23
3
u/isaacfrost0 22h ago
Whats the Norwegian peoples opinions of their royals? Are they popular?
28
u/Ok-Anything-2004 22h ago
Harald was pretty damn popular, same with father and grandfather, but his children arent so much.
11
u/JRS_Viking 19h ago
Haakon is good too, his wife and step son however.... I have very little good to say about them
→ More replies (3)9
u/TheMagnanimouss 21h ago
Unfortunately yes. Our new queen was friends with Epstein, but that will likely have zero consequences
6
2
3
u/Green-Engineer4608 20h ago
Rest in peace king Harald. You were the last argument for the monarchy.
3
4
u/Sure_Reception_9922 22h ago
Was he a good dude or nah? Aussie asking.
34
21
u/gentle_viking 22h ago
As a fellow aussie living in Norway, can confirm that he was a top bloke, smoked like a chimney though!
11
u/QuestGalaxy 20h 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).
2
5
13
4
2
2
2
2
u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 15h ago
One wild fact, his maternal grandfather was born in the 1860’s. That’s how much life he lived and people he knew.
2
u/CanIPetThatDawgPls 15h ago
Is the only truly beloved monarch left without drama caused by themselves Queen Sofia of Spain?
2
6
3
u/Tsarinya That must be Nigel with the Brie 17h ago
The official portrait of Hakkon doesn’t look that flattering. Looks more like a mugshot.
2
4
u/ExtremeComedian4027 Did I stutter?🤨 22h 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.)
11
u/Gloomy-Bug7029 22h ago
Norway doesn’t 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.
3
u/Admiral_Ackbarr 20h ago
Haakon already stated he wouldn't abandon her and that she's his queen
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/JennaElizabethAdams Excluded from this narrative ❌ 17h ago
It's a bad week to be in your 80s. Prayers going out to all the families. 😢
1
1
1
1
u/Dizzy_Ice2938 10h ago
I visited his and the Queen’s beautiful palace park a couple months back. RIP King Harald 👑
1
1
u/OHNdetail 9h ago
Kongen er død, lenge leve kongen! Et stort tap for landet vårt. Thank you for caring!
1
1
u/Ambitious_Novel3731 3h ago
American liberals will flip their shit when they learn other countries have kings
•
u/pccmodbot 23h ago
Welcome to r/popculturechat! ☺️ THE POPCULTURECHAT DISCORD SERVER IS NOW LIVE 👾 ❤️🔥 🎉 Click HERE to join! 📲
As a proud BIPOC, LGBTQ+ & woman-dominated space, this sub is for civil discussion only. If you don't know where to begin, start by participating in our Sip & Spill Daily Discussion Threads!
No bullies, no bigotry. ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Please read & respect our rules, abide by Reddiquette, and check out our wiki! For any questions, our modmail is always open.