Support for Norwegian Monarchy Declines Amid Royal Family Scandals

Oslo, Norway – Support for the Norwegian monarchy has fallen to its lowest level ever recorded, according to a recent opinion poll conducted by Norstat for NRK. While a majority of Norwegians still favor retaining the monarchy, the decline raises concerns within the royal household and prompts scrutiny of recent controversies surrounding members of the royal family.

Declining Public Approval

The poll, carried out between February 17–19, 2026, with 1009 respondents, reveals that 60 percent of Norwegians currently support the monarchy. This represents a significant drop of ten percentage points from 70 percent just one month prior. The previous low was 62 percent in September 2024, following a princess’s wedding and an arrest related to a member of her family.

King Harald Remains Popular

Despite the overall decline in support for the monarchy, King Harald V maintains remarkably high personal approval ratings. Respondents rated the King an average of 9.2 out of 10 as a representative of the royal family. Queen Sonja received an average score of 8.6. This contrasts sharply with the ratings of other royal family members.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit Faces Criticism

Crown Prince Haakon received an average rating of 7.9, a slight decrease from 8.8 a year and a half ago. However, the most significant decline in approval is seen with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose rating has plummeted from 7.4 to 3.7. This dramatic decrease is widely attributed to recent revelations regarding her past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Increased Royal Duties for King Harald

Even as the monarchy faces scrutiny, King Harald V, who turned 89 on February 21, 2026, has demonstrably increased his official duties. In 2025, the King carried out 233 official engagements, a 40-engagement increase from the 193 engagements in 2024. He also significantly increased his travel throughout Norway, with 67 of his 2025 engagements taking place outside the capital city of Oslo, compared to 34 in 2024.

“Yellow Card” for the Royal House

Political commentators describe the decline in support as a “yellow card” for the royal house. Harald Stanghelle, a commentator for Aftenposten, noted the speed of the decline is particularly concerning. Yngve Kvistad of VG echoed this sentiment, stating that while support remains solid, the current trend serves as a warning.

Parliamentary Support Remains Strong

Despite the declining public opinion, the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) recently voted by a clear majority to retain the monarchy as the country’s form of government, demonstrating continued institutional support for the royal house.

The Royal House has declined to comment on the opinion poll results.