Queen Sonja's childhood home -The 1930s house

An Iconic 1930s house at Maihaugen

The home is open for visitors in the summer season only.

Queen Sonja's childhood home is the 1930s house in the Residential Area at Maihaugen, an excellent example of functionalism architecture from the 1930s. The functionalist villa, originally located in Vinderen, Oslo, was moved to Maihaugen and opened to the public on the King and Queen's golden wedding anniversary, August 29, 2018. The house was fully restored by autumn 2020, and has been returned to how it looked when Sonja Haraldsen lived there from 1937 to 1968.

The house was completed in 1935, designed by architect Ernst Motzfeldt, and represents typical 1930s architecture. It was built for the Haraldsen family and was located at Tuengen allé 1B. Sonja lived there until she married Crown Prince Harald in 1968.

During the nine years they were together before receiving King Olav’s approval to marry, Tuengen allé 1B, Sonja’s mother's home, was one of the few places where they could meet in private. The iconic photograph of the couple walking down the stairs in her childhood home when their engagement was announced has become a part of our national narrative. The home connects a significant private story with the public and national sphere.

When Sonja Haraldsen married Crown Prince Harald on August 29, 1968, she became the first commoner in modern times to marry a European heir to the throne.

Visit Queen Sonja’s childhood home at Maihaugen to experience a piece of Norwegian history and architecture, and to gain insight into an era when the private life of a young woman from Oslo became a part of Norway’s national history.

• The house was built in 1935.
• It was originally located at Tuengen allé 1B at Vinderen in Oslo.
• The house has a distinct functionalistic style, with hipped roof, horizontal cladding, windows by the corners and balconies with steel rails.
• The inside of the home is decorated like it was between 1937–1968.