Bodø affair

The Bodø affair was a diplomatic scandal involving Sweden-Norway (then a dual monarchy) and the United Kingdom, which lasted from 1818 to 1821. The affair arose over the illegal trading activities of an English company in the Norwegian port of Bodø, where Norwegian officials in 1818 seized a large cargo belonging to the company and arrested one of its owners, who later escaped. The Stockholm foreign ministry, which handled the foreign affairs of Norway at that time, seemed unreasonably favorable to British claims over the Bodø incident, thereby angering Norwegians and arousing their nationalism. In 1821 compensation was paid to the British company over Norwegian objections. While of minor importance in itself, the incident led to a lasting distrust among Norwegians of the Swedish foreign ministry.