Viking Magazine - April 2021 - 28

Clockwise from top left: King Haakon
VII, Queen Maud and Crown Prince
Olav pose for a portrait, 1921; King Olav
V and Princess Märtha pictured with
bridesmaids on their wedding day, 1929;
King Olav V and Princess Märtha raised
their family just outside Oslo at an estate
called Skaugum.
Oscar II, had abandoned his claim to
the Norwegian throne after 1905 when
Norway and Sweden ended their union.
Therefore, the subsequent marriage
of King Olav V and Princess Märtha
served as a sign that Norway and
Sweden were becoming amicable once
again.
Having grown up as first cousins
(which was not unusual for couples at
the time) the pair knew each other well
and spent time together as children.
They eventually began a private
romance in the 1920s, and became
secretly engaged in 1928 during the
Amsterdam Olympic Games. The news
was more widely shared in January
of 1929, with much excitement and
celebration in each of their home
countries. On March 21, 1929, they
were married at Oslo Cathedral-
Norway's first royal wedding in 340
years.
This couple later had three children
together: Princess Ragnhild, Princess
Astrid and Prince Harald, who would
eventually become King. They lived and
raised their family just outside Oslo at
an estate called Skaugum, which Olav
had recently purchased.
28 VIKING APRIL 2021
sonsofnorway.com
However, the family was separated
during World War II. For several years,
Princess Märtha lived in the United
States with the children, while King
Olav V spent time in London along with
other Norwegian government officials.
He became head of Norway's armed
forces while there and later became
regent.
Over the course of her time in the
United States, Princess Märtha grew
sick with cancer. When she eventually
passed away in 1954, the Bishop of
Oslo famously gave a testament to her
character and lasting impact, stating:
" For a long time she has been the queen
of our hearts, and this position she will
never lose. "
3
KING HARALD V AND
QUEEN SONJA
Born in 1937 to parents King
Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha,
King Harald V went on to become the
crown prince in 1957 when his father
took the throne. Sonja Haraldsen,
also born in 1937, was originally a
commoner and the daughter of a cloth
merchant, which would eventually lead
to controversy surrounding their union.
The pair had different educational
pursuits and interests as well as different
social backgrounds. Crown Prince
Harald enrolled in the Norwegian
Military Academy and Balliol College,
Oxford, eventually becoming captain
within three branches of Norway's
armed forces. Meanwhile, Sonja
attended the Oslo Vocational School to
study dressmaking and tailoring before
receiving degrees in French, English and
Art History from the University of Oslo.
Though they may have been an
unlikely duo, when the future King and
Queen met at a party in 1959, they
had an instant romantic connection.
However, King Olav V wanted his son
to marry a royal. This would ensure
that tradition and expectations would
be upheld, preventing criticism from
Norway's monarchy.
Despite their differences and
challenges regarding traditional
protocol, the couple was set on being
together. King Harald V could not
be convinced otherwise, explaining
to his father that he would refuse to
marry anyone if he couldn't marry
Sonja-which meant there would
be no heir to the throne. With their
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT): ANDERS BEER WILSE / NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NORWAY, ANDERS BEER WILSE / NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NORWAY, UNKNOWN / NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NORWAY

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Viking Magazine - April 2021

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