Viking Magazine - April 2021 - 27

The Norwegian monarchy
symbolizes bravery, grace and
leadership-but each member
has a unique story. Get to
know the royal family through
four generations.
F
For more than 1,000 years,
the Norwegian monarchy
has set an example for the
country, leading the nation through
times of trial and celebration while
also navigating their own personal
lives. Since Norway's first king, Harald
Fairhair, there have been more than 60
named sovereigns, each with unique
stories to tell. From world wars to
public criticism, these four royal
couples-King Haakon VII and Queen
Maud, King Olav V and Princess
Märtha, King Harald V and Queen
Sonja, and Crown Prince Haakon and
Crown Princess Mette-Marit-have
dealt with significant challenges and
made great achievements, creating a
lasting legacy for the monarchy.
1
KING HAAKON VII AND
QUEEN MAUD
Originally given the name
Prince Carl, King Haakon VII was born
August 3, 1872, at Charlottenlund
Palace. His wife, Queen Maud,
was born in the United Kingdom
to parents King Edward VII and
Queen Alexandra. King Haakon VII
was eventually chosen to be King
of Norway in 1905, following the
dissolution of the union between
Norway and Sweden. The couple and
their son, Olav V, became the official
Norwegian Royal Family on November
25 of that same year.
Although both King Haakon VII and
Queen Maud's fathers had been trained
for royal life and leadership, neither
of the two had grown up expecting to
reign over the country. King Haakon VII
had instead trained for a naval career,
while Queen Maud had an informal
upbringing and enjoyed the freedom of
traveling on her own schedule in her
young adulthood.
Despite the relatively unexpected
nature of his position, King Haakon
VII successfully held his role as a leader
through two world wars. Germany
invaded Norway in April 1940 during
World War II, causing Norway to end
up under German control. Although
Germany prevailed in its invasion,
Norway managed to sink Germany's
Blücher cruiser and damage the
Lützow battleship during a battle at
the Oscarsborg fortress, preventing the
royal family from being captured.
Later that year, Haakon VII was
exiled to London. However, he
remained connected to a unified
Norway, inspiring successful resistance
efforts. During that time, Norway also
sabotaged a German heavy water plant
containing materials that otherwise
would have been used to conduct
research for the atomic bomb.
King Haakon VII famously returned
to Norway in June of 1945, where he
remained an influential figure for the
rest of his life. Queen Maud passed
away just before the war began and was
buried in Oslo's Royal Mausoleum in
November of 1938.
KING OLAV V AND
PRINCESS MÄRTHA
Married in 1929, King Olav
V and Princess Märtha were a strong
match that symbolized a peaceful union
between Norway and Sweden.
King Olav V was an only child
born as Prince Alexander in Norfolk,
England, to parents Prince Carl of
Denmark (later known as King Haakon
VII) and Princess Maud. When King
Olav V was two years old, his father
became King of Norway. Princess
Märtha was also a royal from birth; her
parents were Prince Carl and Princess
Ingeborg, both hailing from Sweden.
Princess Märtha's grandfather, King
sonsofnorway.com VIKING APRIL 2021 27
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Viking Magazine - April 2021

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