The group photo showing three generations of monarchs, a change from the traditional solo portrait, is widely believed to be a subtle message of the institution’s strength and continuity amid the ongoing scandals. The royal household of Norway wrote while sharing the photograph on social media: “Happy birthday to His Majesty King Harald! Today the King turns 89 – we congratulate him and wish him a truly wonderful celebration.
“The photo of the King together with Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra was taken earlier this winter in connection with the celebration of the Princess’s birthday.”
The news of his birthday came days before the King was rushed to the hospital with dehydration and an infection in Tenerife. The palace confirmed shortly afterwards that “his condition is, under the circumstances, good.”
Recent weeks saw a series of revelations about Harald’s relatives, including embarrassing details about his daughter-in-law’s links to Jeffrey Epstein and her son’s rape trial.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit dominated headlines after her various conversations with the US financier emerged in the newly released files by the US Department of Justice.
The Epstein files contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who, according to local media, already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein.
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The documents, which include email exchanges, showed that Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013.
The Crown Princess expressed her “profound regret” and apologised for her friendship with Epstein.
Meanwhile, her 29-year-old son, Marius Borg Høiby, is on trial facing 38 charges, including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm.
He has pleaded not guilty to the four charges of rape. However, he pleaded guilty to several driving offences, to an aggravated drugs offence and breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault.