List of Norwegian monarchs

Coronation of Charles III John in Nidaros Cathedral 1818

Members of Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish royal families have been Norwegian monarchs. Norwegian territories were not united until about 860 and were ruled by jarls. Harald Fairhair united the territories about 860, creating the Kingdom of Norway and founding the Fairhair dynasty, which, however, became patrilineally extinct with Harald's grandson King Harald II Eiriksson († 970).

Norway was under the control of Danish monarchs from 1380 until 1814. During this time, several political entities were created which included both Norway and Denmark. Margaret I of Denmark created the Union of Kalmar in 1397, merging the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In 1481, after the death of Christian I, Sweden abandoned the Union and a two-year interregnum in Norway resulted. Many Norwegians wished to remain in union with Denmark; others preferred to join with Sweden. In 1536, after the Swedish secession, the Kingdom of Denmark–Norway was formed; it included the dependencies of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands and lasted until 1814. In that year, Norway briefly regained independence but, after several months, was forced into union with Sweden. Since 1905, Norway has been a constitutional monarchy ruled by a cadet line of the Danish House of Glücksburg.

Early regnal dates are traditional and of uncertain accuracy. Before the Norwegian Law of Succession was introduced in 1163, inheritance of the throne was an affair filled with deep conflicts; in many cases, brothers would initially share it. Early Viking kings are listed using the name common in historic sources, with the Old Norwegian name in parentheses.

Key

P	Period of rulership
I	Independent period
D	Union with Denmark
S	Union with Sweden
DS	Union with Denmark and Sweden
R	Interregnum

Rulers of Norway

Fairhair dynasty

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
I	Harald I Fairhair (Haraldr hárfagri) 872–930		c. 850s son of Halfdan the Black and Ragnhild Sigurdsdotter	various	c. 930s Rogaland aged 80
I	Eric Bloodaxe (Eiríkr blóðøx) 931–933 (deposed)		c. 895 son of Harald I and Ragnhild Eriksdotter	Gunnhild Gormsdóttir c. 922 eight children	c. 954 aged 59
I	Haakon I the Good (Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri) 934–961		c. 920 Håkonshella son of Harald I and Thora Mosterstong	never married	c. 961 Håkonshella aged 40–41
I	Harald II Greycloak (Haraldr gráfeldr) 961–970 (murdered)	–	c. 930s son of Eric Bloodaxe and Gunnhild Gormsdóttir	never married	c. 970 Hals, Denmark aged 40

House of Gorm

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
D	Harald Bluetooth (Harald Blåtand) 970–985/86 (de jure) with Haakon Sigurdsson (regent)		c. 925/35 son of Gorm the Old and Thyra	Gyrid of Sweden by 950 four or six children Tove of the Obotrites c. 970 no issues	1 November 985/86 Jomsborg aged about 50-60
D	Sweyn I Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 986–995 (de jure) with Haakon Sigurdsson (regent)		c. 960 son of Harald Bluetooth and Gyrid of Sweden	(1 & 2) Gunhild of Wenden or Sigrid the Haughty eight or more children	3 February 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire aged 53–54
R	jarl Haakon Sigurdsson (Hákon Sigurðsson) 975–995 (de facto) (murdered)		winter of 937 Trondheim son of Sigurd Haakonsson, Jarl of Lade and Bergljot Toresdatter	Thora Skagesdatter & others? nine children total	February 995 Rimul aged 57–58

Fairhair dynasty

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
I	Olaf I Tryggvason (Óláfr Tryggvason) 995–1000 (defeated)		c. 960s son of Tryggve Olafsson and Astrid Eiriksdottir	(1) Geira c. 982 (2) Gyda of Dublin c. 988 (3) Gudrun Skeggesdatter c. 995 (4) Tyra of Denmark c. 998	c. 1000 Svolder aged 40

House of Gorm

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
D	Sweyn I Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 1000–1014 with Eiríkr Hákonarson (regent), Sveinn Hákonarson (regent), & Håkon Eiriksson (regent)		c. 960 son of Harald Bluetooth and Gyrid of Sweden	(1 & 2) Gunhild of Wenden or Sigrid the Haughty eight or more children	3 February 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire aged 53–54

Fairhair dynasty

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
I	Saint Olaf II (Óláfr Haraldsson) 1015–1028 (exiled)		c. 995 Ringerike son of Harald Grenske and Åsta Gudbrandsdatter	Astrid Olofsdotter February 1019 one daughter	29 July 1030 Stiklestad aged 44–45

House of Gorm

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
D	Cnut the Great (Knud den Store) 1028–1035 with Håkon Eiriksson (regent) later Sweyn II Alfífuson (junior king)		c. 985/95 younger son of Sweyn I Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid	(1) Ælfgifu of Northampton two children (2) Emma of Normandy 2/31 July1017 two children	12 November 1035 Shaftesbury aged about 40-50
D	Sweyn II Knutsson (Sveinn Knútsson) 1030–1035 with Cnut (senior king) and Queen Ælfgifu (regent) (deposed)	–	c. 1016 eldest son of Cnut and Ælfgifu of Northampton	never married	c. 1035 aged 19

Fairhair dynasty

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
I	Magnus I the Good (Magnus den gode) 1035–1047		April/June 1024 illegitimate son of Olaf II and Alfhild	never married	25 October 1047 Zealand aged 23
I	Harald III Hardrada (Haraldr Harðráði) 1047–1066		c. 1015 youngest son of Sigurd Syr and Åsta Gudbrandsdatter	(1) Elisiv of Kiev c. 1044 two daughters (2) Tora Torbergsdatter c. 1048 (bigamously) two sons	25 September 1066 Stamford Bridge, England aged 50–51
I	Magnus II Haraldsson (Magnús Haraldsson) 1066–1069 with Olaf III		c. 1048 eldest son of Harald III and Tora Torbergsdatter	never married	28 April 1069 Nidaros aged 20–21
I	Olaf III the Quiet (Óláfr inn kyrri) 1067–1093 with Magnus II (1066–1069)		c. 1050 youngest son of Harald III and Tora Torbergsdatter	Ingerid of Denmark c. 1067 no issues	22 September 1093 Håkeby, Sweden aged 42–43
I	Haakon (II) Magnusson Toresfostre (Håkon Magnusson Toresfostre) 1093–1094 with Magnus III	–	c. 1068 illegitimate son of Magnus II	never married	c. 1094 Dovrefjell aged 25–26
I	Magnus III Barefoot (Magnús Berfœttr) 1093–1103 with Haakon Magnusson (1093–1094)		c. 1073 illegitimate son of Olaf III and Thora	Margaret Fredkulla c. 1101 no issues	24 August 1103 Ulster aged 29–30
I	Olaf (IV) Magnusson (Ólafr Magnússon) 1103–1115 with Eystein I and Sigurd I	–	c. 1099 illegitimate son of Magnus III and Sigrid Saxesdatter	never married	22 December 1115 Nidaros aged 15–16
I	Eystein I Magnusson (Øystein Magnússon) 1103–1123 with Olaf Magnusson and Sigurd I		c. 1088 illegitimate son of Magnus III	Ingebjørg Guttormsdatter two children	29 August 1123 Hustad, Romsdal peninsula aged 34–35
I	Sigurd I the Crusader (Sigurðr Jórsalafari) 1103–1130 with Olaf Magnusson and Eystein I		c. 1090 illegitimate son of Magnus III and Thora	(1) Blathmin Ní Briain c. 1102 Ireland no issues (2) Malmfred of Kiev c. 1116-20 one daughter (3) Cecilia c. 1128 no issues	26 March 1130 Oslo aged 39–40
I	Magnus IV Blind (Magnús inn blindi) 1130–1135 with Harald IV		c. 1115 son of Sigurd I and Borghild Olavsdatter	Christina of Denmark c. 1133 no issues	12 November 1139 Holmengrå aged 23–24
I	Harald IV Gille (Haraldr gilli) 1130–1136 with Magnus IV (1130–1135)		c. 1103 Ireland/Hebrides alleged illegitimate son of Magnus III	Ingrid of Sweden c. 1134 one son	14 December 1136 Bergen aged 32–33
I	Sigurd II Munn (Sigurðr Haraldsson) 1136–1155 with Inge I (1136–1155) and Eystein II (1142–1157)		c. 1133 illegitimate son of Harald IV and Thora Guttormsdotter	never married	6 February 1155 Bergen aged 21–22
I	Inge I the Hunchback (Inge Krokrygg) 1136–1161 with Sigurd II (1136–1155) and Eystein II (1142–1157) and Haakon II (1157–1161)		c. 1135 only son of Harald IV and Ingrid of Sweden	never married	3 February 1161 Oslo aged 25–26
I	Eystein II Haraldsson (Øystein Haraldsson) 1142–1157 with Sigurd II (1142–1155) and Inge I (1142–1157)		c. 1125 Scotland/Ireland illegitimate son of Harald IV and Bjaðök	Ragna Nikolasdatter no issues	21 August 1157 Bohuslän aged 31–32
I	Haakon II the Broadshouldered (Hákon herðibreiðr) 1157–1162 with Inge I (1157–1161) and Magnus V (1161–1162)		c. 1147 illegitimate son of Sigurd II and Thora	never married	7 July 1162 Romsdalen aged 14–15
I	Magnus V Erlingsson (Magnús Erlingsson) 1161–1184 with Haakon II (1161–1162)		c. 1156 Etne son of Erling Skakke and Kristin Sigurdsdatter	Estrid Bjørnsdotter c. 1170 two daughters	15 June 1184 Fimreite aged 27–28
I	Sverre Sigurdsson (Sverrir Sigurðarson) 1184–1202		c. 1145/51 alleged illegitimate son of Sigurd II and Gunnhild	Margaret of Sweden c. 1189 one daughter	9 March 1202 Bergen aged 50–57
I	Haakon III Sverresson (Hákon Sverrisson) 1202–1204	–	c. 1182 second illegitimate son of Sverre and Astrid Roesdatter	never married	1 January 1204 Bergen aged 21–22
I	Guttorm Sigurdsson (Guthormr Sigurðarson) 1204	–	c. 1199 illegitimate son of Sigurd Lavard	never married	11 August 1204 Nidaros aged 4–5
I	Inge II Baardson (Inge Bårdsson) 1204-1217	–	c. 1185 Rissa son of Bård Guttormsson and Cecilia Sigurdsdotter	never married	23 April 1217 Nidaros aged 31–32
I	Haakon IV the Old (Håkon IV Håkonsson) 1217–1263 with Haakon the Young (1240–1257) later Magnus VI (1257–1263)		c. 1204 Varteig illegitimate son of Haakon III and Inga of Varteig	Margrét Skúladóttir 25 May 1225 Bergen four children	16 December 1263 Kirkwall aged 58–59
I	Haakon the Young (Håkon Håkonsson Unge) 1240–1257 with Haakon IV		10 November 1232 Bergen second son of Haakon IV and Margrét Skúladóttir	Rikissa Birgersdotter c. 1251 Oslo one son	5 May 1257 Tunsberg aged 24
I	Magnus VI the Law-Mender (Magnus VI Lagabøte) 1257–1280 with Haakon IV (1257–1263) later Eric II (1273–1280)		1 May 1238 Tønsberg third son of Haakon IV and Margrét Skúladóttir	Ingeborg of Denmark 11 September 1261 Bergen four sons	9 May 1280 Bergen aged 42
I	Eric II Magnusson (Eirik II Magnusson) 1273–1299 with Magnus VI (1273–1280)		c. 1268 Bergen third son of Magnus VI and Ingeborg of Denmark	(1) Margaret of Scotland September 1281 Bergen one daughter (2) Isabel Bruce bef. 25 September 1293 Bergen one daughter	15 July 1299 Bergen aged 30–31
I	Haakon V Magnusson (Håkon V Magnusson) 1299–1319		10 April 1270 Tönsberg fourth son of Magnus VI and Ingeborg of Denmark	(1) Isabelle de Joigny 1295 no issues (2) Euphemia of Rügen c. 1299 one daughter	8 May 1319 Tunsberg aged 49

House of Bjelbo

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
S	Magnus VII Eriksson (Magnus VII Eriksson) August 1319– 15 August 1343 (deposed)		c. 1316 Norway or Stockholm only son of Eric, Duke of Södermanland and Ingeborg of Norway	Blanche of Namur 5 November 1335 Bohus Castle two sons	1 December 1374 Lyngholmen aged 58
S	Haakon VI Magnusson (Håkon VI Magnusson) 1343–1380		15 August 1340 Sweden second son of Magnus IV and Blanche of Namur	Margaret of Denmark 9 April 1363 Church of Our Lady one son	11 September 1380 Akershus Castle aged 40
I
D	Olaf IV Haakonsson (Olav IV Håkonsson) 1380–1387		December 1370 Akershus Castle only son of Haakon VI of Norway and Margaret I	never married	23 August 1387 Falsterbo Castle aged 16

House of Estridsen

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
DS	Margaret (Margrete) 1380–1412 (de facto)	File:Roskilde 3 20101110.JPG	c.  1353 Vordingborg Castle youngest daughter of Valdemar IV and Helvig of Schleswig	Haakon VI of Norway 9 April 1363 Church of Our Lady one son	28 October 1412 Ship on Flensburg Fjord aged 58–59

House of Pomerania

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
DS	Eric III (Eirik av Pommern) 8 September 1389–1442 (deposed) with Sigurd Jonsson		c. 1381/82 Rügenwalde Castle only son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Mary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Philippa of England 26 October 1406 Lund Cathedral no issue	3 May 1459 Rügenwalde Castle aged 76–78

House of Palatinate-Neumarkt

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
DS	Christopher (Kristoffer av Bayern) 4 June1442– 5/6 January 1448		26 February 1416 Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz fifth son of John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt and Catherine of Pomerania	Dorothea of Brandenburg 12 September 1445 Copenhagen no issue	5/6 January 1448 Kärnan Castile aged 31
R	Interregnum (1448–1449) Sigurd Jonsson as regent

House of Bonde

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
S	Charles I (Karl Knutsson Bonde) 20 November 1449– June 1450 (abdicated)		5 October 1409 Ekholmen Castle only son of Knut Tordsson Bonde and Margareta Karlsdotter Sparre	(1) Birgitta Bielke before 1 March 1429 two children (2) Katarina Gumsehuvud 5 October 1438 Stockholm nine children (3) Christina Abrahamsdotter c. 1470 Stockholm Castle two children	14 May 1470 Stockholm Castle aged 60

House of Oldenburg

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
DS	Christian I 2 August 1450– 21 May 1481		February 1426 Oldenburg eldest son of Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg and Helvig of Schauenburg	Dorothea of Brandenburg 28 October 1449 Church of Our Lady five children	21 May 1481 Copenhagen Castle aged 55
R	Interregnum (1481–1483) Jon Svaleson Smør as regent
DS	John 20 July 1483– 20 February 1513		2 February 1455 Aalborghus Castle third son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg	Christina of Saxony 6 September 1478 Copenhagen five children	20 February 1513 Aalborghus Castle aged 58
DS	Christian II 22 July 1513–1523 (deposed)		1 July 1481 Nyborg Castle second son of John and Christina of Saxony	Isabella of Austria 12 August 1515 Copenhagen six children	25 January 1559 Kalundborg Castle aged 77
D
D	Frederick I 1523–1533		7 October 1471 Haderslevhus Castle fourth son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg	(1) Anna of Brandenburg 10 April 1502 Stendal two children (2) Sophie of Pomerania 9 October 1518 Kiel Castle six children	10 April 1533 Gottorp Castle aged 61
R	Interregnum (1533–1537) Olav Engelbrektsson as regent
D	Christian III 1537– 1 January 1559		12 August 1503 Gottorp Castle only son of Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg	Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg 29 October 1525 Lauenburg Castle five children	1 January 1559 Koldinghus Castle aged 55
D	Frederick II 1559–1588		1 July 1534 Haderslevhus Castle eldest son of Christian III and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg	Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 20 July 1572 Copenhagen eight children	4 April 1588 Antvorskov Castle aged 53
D	Christian IV 4 April 1588– 28 February 1648		12 April 1577 Frederiksborg Palace eldest son of Frederick II and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow	(1) Anne Catherine of Brandenburg 27 November 1597 Haderslevhus Castle seven children (2) Kirsten Munk 31 December 1615 Copenhagen twelve children	28 February 1648 Rosenborg Castle aged 70
D	Frederick III 1 May 1648– 9 February 1670		18 March 1609 Haderslevhus Castle third son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg	Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1 October 1643 Glücksburg Castle eight children	9 February 1670 Copenhagen Castle aged 60
D	Christian V 9 February 1670– 25 August 1699		15 April 1646 Duborg Castle eldest son of Frederick III and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg	Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel 25 June 1667 Nykøbing Castle eight children	25 August 1699 Copenhagen Castle aged 53
D	Frederick IV 25 August 1699– 12 October 1730		11 October 1671 Copenhagen Castle eldest son of Christian V and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel	(1) Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 5 December 1695 Copenhagen five children (2) Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg 6 September 1703 one son (3) Anne Sophie Reventlow 4 April 1721 Copenhagen three children	12 October 1730 Odense Palace aged 59
D	Christian VI 12 October 1730– 6 August 1746		30 November 1699 Copenhagen Castle second son of Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow	Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 7 August 1721 Pretzsch Castle three children	6 August 1746 Hirschholm Palace aged 46
D	Frederick V 6 August 1746– 14 January 1766		31 March 1723 Copenhagen Castle only son of Christian VI and Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach	(1) Louise of Great Britain 11 December 1743 Altona five children (2) Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 8 July 1752 Frederiksborg Palace one son	14 January 1766 Christiansborg Palace aged 42
D	Christian VII 14 January 1766– 13 March 1808		29 January 1749 Christiansborg Palace second son of Frederick V and Louise of Great Britain	Caroline Matilda of Wales 8 November 1766 Christiansborg Palace two children	13 March 1808 Rendsburg aged 59
D	Frederick VI 13 March 1808– 7 February 1814 (abdicated)		28 January 1768 Christiansborg Palace only son of Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales	Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel 31 July 1790 Gottorp Castle eight children	3 December 1839 Amalienborg Palace aged 70
I	Christian Frederick 17 May 1814– 14 August 1814 (abdicated)		18 September 1786 Christiansborg Palace eldest son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	(1) Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 21 June 1806 Ludwigslust Castle two sons (2) Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg 22 May 1815 Augustenborg Palace no issues	20 January 1848 Amalienborg Palace aged 61

House of Holstein-Gottorp

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
S	Charles II 4 November 1814– 5 February 1818		7 October 1748 Stockholm Palace second son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia	Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp 7 July 1774 Stockholm Cathedral two children	5 February 1818 Stockholm Palace aged 69

House of Bernadotte

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
S	Charles III John 5 February 1818– 8 March 1844		26 January 1763 Pau son of Jean Henri Bernadotte and Jeanne de Saint Vincent	Désirée Clary 17 August 1798 Sceaux one son	8 March 1844 Stockholm Palace aged 81
S	Oscar I 8 March 1844– 8 July 1859		4 July 1799 Paris only son of Charles III John and Désirée Clary	Josephine of Leuchtenberg 19 June 1823 Stockholm Cathedral five children	8 July 1859 Stockholm Palace aged 60
S	Charles IV 8 July 1859– 18 September 1872		3 May 1826 Stockholm Palace eldest son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Louise of the Netherlands 19 June 1850 Stockholm Cathedral two children	18 September 1872 Malmö aged 46
S	Oscar II 18 September 1872– 26 October 1905		21 January 1829 Stockholm Palace third son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Sophia of Nassau 6 June 1857 Biebrich Palace four children	8 December 1907 Stockholm Palace aged 78

House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
I	Haakon VII 18 November 1905– 21 September 1957		3 August 1872 Charlottenlund Palace second son of Frederick VIII of Denmark and Louise of Sweden	Maud of Wales 22 July 1896 Buckingham Palace one son	21 September 1957 Royal Palace aged 85
I	Olav V 21 September 1957– 17 January 1991		2 July 1903 Sandringham House only son of Haakon VII and Maud of Wales	Märtha of Sweden 21 March 1929 Oslo Cathedral three children	17 January 1991 Royal Lodge Kongsseteren aged 87
I	Harald V 17 January 1991– present		21 February 1937 Skaugum only son of Olav V and Märtha of Sweden	Sonja Haraldsen 29 August 1968 Oslo Cathedral two children	Incumbent

Succession to the Norwegian Throne

Main article: Line of succession to the Norwegian Throne

1. HRH Crown Prince Haakon Magnus (b. 1973)
2. HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra (b. 2004)
3. HH Prince Sverre Magnus (b. 2005)
4. HH Princess Märtha Louise (b. 1971)
5. Maud Angelica Behn (b. 2003)
6. Leah Isadora Behn (b. 2005)
7. Emma Tallulah Behn (b. 2008)

See also

• List of Norwegian consorts
• Royal mottos of Norwegian monarchs
• Viceroy of Norway
• Prime Minister of Norway
• Lists of incumbents
• Kings of Norway family tree
• Scandinavian royal lineage chart for the time around the founding of the Kalmar Union
• Sudreim claim
• List of Danish monarchs
• List of Swedish monarchs
• List of Finnish monarchs
• List of Greenlandic rulers
• List of Icelandic rulers

Notes and references

General references

• "List of Norwegian kings" (in Norwegian). The Royal Court. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
• Carlyle, Thomas (1875). The Early Kings of Norway: Also an Essay on the Portraits of John Knox. Chapman and Hall. ISBN 978-1-4068-4287-6. Retrieved 2008-06-15.

Notes

External links

• Official site of the Royal Norwegian House
• The Royals – Regularly updated news coverage of the Norwegian royal family (Aftenposten)