Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen

Her Royal Highness The Princess Ragnhild of Norway is the eldest daughter of His Majesty King Olav V of Norway and his wife, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, born Princess of Sweden.

Princess Ragnhild Alexandra was born on 9 June 1930 and married Erling Sven Lorentzen, a commoner, on 15 May 1953. The couple live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and have three children: Haakon Lorentzen, Ingeborg Lorentzen (Mrs Paulo Ribeiro), and Raghnild Lorentzen, who lives in San Francisco, owns two tapas bars, and is married to an American, Aaron Matthew Long.

Princess Ragnhild, a staunch conservative, publicly criticized her niece and nephew, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise, their commoner spouses, and their love lives, on TV2, a Norwegian television network, in 2004. Among her comments was her belief that the younger generation's controversial marriages could bring down the Norwegian monarchy and her hope that she would be dead before her nephew's wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit became queen. In a fruitless effort at damage control, the princess's husband reportedly approached TV2, asking that his wife's scathing comments be edited.

How many of her negative comments can be traced to sour grapes regarding her own position and the popularity of her nephew and niece in Norway is unknown. There was great controversy when the princess married Lorentzen, her former bodyguard, with the result that the couple went to live in Brazil. Soon after the couple's wedding, it was announced that the flag of Norway would no longer be flown on the princess's birthday (9 June). Reportedly, it was the first time that a princess of a ruling European family had married a commoner.

Preceded by: Maud Angelica Behn

Line of Succession to the British throne

Followed by: Olav Lorentzen