Norwegian Royal Family

Norwegian Royal Family
HM The King * HM The Queen * HRH The Crown Prince * HRH The Crown Princess * HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra * HH Prince Sverre Magnus Marius Borg Høiby HH Princess Märtha Louise Ari Behn Maud Angelica Behn Leah Isadora Behn Emma Tallulah Behn
Extended royal family HH Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner Johan Ferner
* Member of the Norwegian Royal House

The Norwegian Royal Family is the family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes only the King and his spouse, the Queen, the King's eldest son with spouse, being the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the eldest child of the Crown Prince, being Princess Ingrid Alexandra. The remaining Royal Family includes also all other children, grandchildren, siblings of the King, and their spouses, not being part of the more restricted Royal House.

Members of the Royal House hold the style of either Majesty (HM) or Royal Highness (HRH) and their birthday is an official flag flying day. The princes and princesses of the Royal Family hold the style of Highness (HH).

History of the monarchy

Harald I was the son of one of Norway's regional rulers, descended from Sweden's Yngling royal family. He defeated the other rulers to unite the country and become its first King. The Hereditary Kingdom of Norway, established by at least three separate genealogical lines of monarchs each allegedly descending from Harald I the Fairhair, was the only realm of medieval Scandinavia which was officially hereditary, not elective.

After the death of Haakon V of Norway, the crown passed to his grandson Magnus IV of Sweden. In 1397, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formed the Kalmar Union under Queen Margaret I of Denmark who was married to Haakon VI of Norway and Sweden. She unofficially ruled all three countries until her death.

Sweden seceded from the Kalmar Union ultimately in 1523. In 1469, the Norwegian King pledged Orkney and Shetland to the crown of Scotland as mortgage for a dowry debt. In 1814, Denmark ceded Norway (but not its dependencies Iceland, Greenland and the Faroese) to Sweden; in 1905, Norway became independent. Its new government offered the crown to Prince Carl, second son of Frederick VIII of Denmark. After being approved in a popular vote, Carl was crowned Haakon VII of Norway.

Norway is a constitutional monarchy.

The current King's ancestry is displayed at Ahnentafel of Harald V of Norway.

List of members

Royal House

• HM King Harald V, born on (1937-02-21) 21 February 1937
  HM Queen Sonja, born on (1937-07-04) 4 July 1937
  • HRH Crown Prince Haakon, born on (1973-07-20) 20 July 1973 (The King's eldest and only son)
    HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit, born on (1973-08-19) 19 August 1973
    • HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born on (2004-01-21) 21 January 2004 (The Crown Prince's eldest child and daughter)

Royal Family

Besides the Royal House, the Royal Family also includes:

• The son and step-son of the Crown Prince:
  • HH Prince Sverre Magnus, born on (2005-12-03) 3 December 2005 (The Crown Prince's son)
  • Marius Borg Høiby, born on (1997-01-13) 13 January 1997 (The Crown Prince's step-son)
• The King's daughter, her spouse and children:
  • HH Princess Märtha Louise¹, born on (1971-09-22) 22 September 1971
    Ari Behn, born on (1972-09-30) 30 September 1972
    • Maud Angelica Behn, born on (2003-04-29) 29 April 2003 (Märtha Louise's elder daughter)
    • Leah Isadora Behn, born on (2005-04-08) 8 April 2005 (Märtha Louise's middle daughter)
    • Emma Tallulah Behn, born on (2008-09-29) 29 September 2008 (Martha Louise's youngest daughter)
• The King's sisters and their spouses:²
  • Erling Lorentzen, born on (1923-01-28) 28 January 1923 (widower of Princess Ragnhild of Norway)
  • HH Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, born on (1932-02-12) 12 February 1932
    Johan Ferner, born on (1927-07-22) 22 July 1927

See also

• Kings of Norway family tree
• Line of succession to the Norwegian throne
• List of Norwegian monarchs

Notes

¹In 2002, the King (with Princess Märtha Louise's consent) removed Princess Märtha Louise's style of Her Royal Highness. This was meant to loosen connections with the Royal Family and her business life. However, she retains her title as a Norwegian princess and her place in the line of succession and still carries out royal duties on behalf of the King (although they are reduced).

²The children of Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid are not members of the Norwegian Royal Family (see Kongehuset: The Royal Family).

External links

• The Royal Family and the Royal House of Norway - Official Site of the Norwegian Royal Family (in English)
• Aftenposten News: The Royals