Royal House of Oldenburg

Country: Norway

Royal House Name:  Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderbourg-Glucksburg

Current Head: King Harald V (born: February 21, 1937)
Reigned: January 1991 
Consort: Queen Sonja
Successor: HRH Crown Prince Haakon 

King Harald V

Norway linked to Denmark in 1380 under the same ruler and in 1814, Denmark ceded the country to Sweden forming a federation between two countries, though Norway retained its constitution, the Norwegian people swore allegiance to the Swedish royal family, hence, the two countries had the same sovereign until 1905.

When Norway declared its independence, the Norwegian assembly elected, Prince Carl of Denmark, son of King Frederick VII and Princess Lovisa of Sweden, as its new King. He took the name Haakon VII, his wife was his first cousin, Princess Maud of England and had an only child, Prince Olaf.

King Harald V and Queen Sonja

When Germany invaded Norway in 1940 during World War II, King Haakon VII and his son, fled the country and settled in London where he set up a government-in-exile. They returned to Oslo at the end of the war. Queen Maud died in 1938 from a brain tumor but the King never remarried and devoted his time running the monarchy. He died in 1957 and his son, who was a commander of the armed forces during the war, became King Olaf V without a Queen, his wife, Princess Martha of Sweden, his second cousin, died in 1956, a year before he ascended the Norwegian throne. He ruled Norway until1991 and was succeeded by his only son, Harald V.

During his youth, King Harald V, was reportedly romantically linked to Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, younger sister of Queen Sofia of Spain and King Constantine II of Greece. Harald, however, married his commoner girlfriend, Sonja Haraldsen. They have two children: Prince Haakon and Princess Martha Louise. Haakon’s courtship to Mette-Merit received much controversy in Norway as the woman has a scandalous past: a single mother and partied aimlessly all her life. But the King gave his permission to Haakon and wed Mette-Merit on June 2001.

Just like Sweden and Belgium, Norway changed its rule of succession allowing the first born child of the monarch to succeed the throne. Prince Haakon and Mette-Merit’s first born, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (born in 2004), will be the first female monarch in Norway.

Royal Family of Norway

HM King Harald V

HM Queen Sonja

HRH Prince Haakon

HRH Princess Mette-Merit

      Princess Ingrid

      Prince Magnus

HRH Princess Martha Louise