Haakon VII of Norway
Encyclopedia
Haakon VII (3 August 1872 21 September 1957), known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway
after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union
with Sweden
. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. As one of the few elected monarchs, Haakon quickly won the respect and affection of his people and played a pivotal role in uniting the Norwegian nation in its resistance
to the attack and five-year-long Nazi occupation
during World War II
.
In Norway, Haakon is regarded as one of the greatest Norwegians of the twentieth century and is particularly revered for his courage during the German invasion—he threatened abdication if the government cooperated with the invading Germans—and for his leadership and preservation of Norwegian unity during the Nazi occupation. He died at the age of 85 on 21 September 1957, after having reigned for nearly 52 years.
of Denmark
and his wife Louise. Furthermore, he was a younger brother of Christian X
, a paternal grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark
(during whose reign he was prince of Denmark), and a maternal grandson of King Charles XV of Sweden
(who was also king of Norway as Charles IV). He became king of Norway before his father and older brother became kings of Denmark. During his reign, he saw his father, his brother and his nephew, Frederick IX, ascend the throne of Denmark, respectively in 1906, 1912 and 1947.
Prince Carl was born at Charlottenlund Palace near Copenhagen
. He belonged to the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
branch of the House of Oldenburg
. The House of Oldenburg had been the Danish royal family
since 1448; between 1536–1814 it also ruled Norway when it was part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. The house was originally from northern Germany, where the Glucksburg (Lyksborg) branch held their small fief. The family had permanent links with Norway beginning from the late Middle Ages. Several of his paternal ancestors had been kings of independent Norway (Haakon V of Norway
, Christian I of Norway, Frederick I, Christian III
, Frederick II
, Christian IV, as well as Frederick III of Norway who integrated Norway into the Oldenburg state with Denmark, Slesvig
and Holstein
, after which it was not independent until 1814). Christian Frederick, who was King of Norway briefly in 1814, the first king of the Norwegian 1814 constitution and struggle for independence, was his great-granduncle.
Prince Carl was raised in the royal household in Copenhagen and educated at the Royal Danish Naval Academy
, from which he graduated near the bottom of his class. He was a key witness in the scandal following the suicide of Kai Simonsen.
At Buckingham Palace
on 22 July 1896, Prince Carl married his first cousin Princess Maud of Wales
, youngest daughter of the future King Edward VII
of the United Kingdom
and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark
, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel
(or Hesse-Cassel). Their son, Prince Alexander, the future Crown Prince Olav (and eventually king Olav V of Norway
), was born on 2 July 1903.
After the Union between Sweden and Norway
was dissolved in 1905, a committee of the Norwegian government identified several members of European royalty as candidates for Norway's first King of its own in several centuries. Gradually, Prince Carl became the leading candidate, largely because he was descended from independent Norwegian kings. He also had a son (and hence an heir to the throne), and Princess Maud's ties to the British Royal Family were viewed as advantageous to the newly independent Norwegian nation.
The democratically minded Carl, aware that Norway was still debating whether to retain its monarchy or to switch to a republic
an system of government, was flattered by the Norwegian government's overtures, but declined to accept the offer without a referendum to show whether monarchy was truly the choice of the Norwegian people.
After the referendum
overwhelmingly confirmed by a 79 percent majority (259,563 votes for and 69,264 against) that Norwegians desired to retain a monarchy, Prince Carl was formally offered the throne of Norway by the Storting (parliament) and elected on 18 November 1905. When Carl accepted the offer that same evening (after the approval of his grandfather Christian IX of Denmark
), he immediately endeared himself to his adopted country by taking the Old Norse
name of Haakon, a name used by previous Kings of Norway. In so doing, he succeeded his grand-uncle, Oscar II of Sweden
, who had abdicated the Norwegian throne in October following the agreement between Sweden and Norway on the terms of the separation of the union.
The new Royal Family of Norway left Denmark on the Danish Royal yacht "Dannebrog" and went sailing up Oslofjord. At Oscarsborg Fortress
they boarded the Norwegian naval ship "Heimdal". After the three-day journey they arrived in Kristiania (Oslo
) early on the morning of 25 November 1905. Two days later, Haakon took the oath as the Norwegian King.
The coronation of Haakon and Maud took place in Nidaros Cathedral
in Trondheim
on 22 June 1906.
is known as a friend of the Royal Family.
Haakon, Maud and Crown Prince Olav became interested in skiing
. This sport is often viewed as typically Norwegian. They were often seen while being on tour with their skis. Olav later became a champion in ski jumping
.
In 1927 he stated: "I am also the King of the Communists" . He participated in the political process after the first prime minister from the labour party
was chosen in 1928, a process that caused a special parliamentary situation.
Crown Prince Olav married his cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden
on 21 March 1929. She was the daughter of Haakon's sister Ingeborg
and Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
. Olav and Märtha had three children: Ragnhild
(b. 1930), Astrid
(b. 1932) and Harald
(b. 1937), who was to become king in 1991.
Queen Maud died on 20 November 1938.
by the naval and air forces of Nazi Germany
during the early hours of 9 April 1940. The German naval detachment sent to capture Oslo
was challenged at Oscarsborg Fortress. The fortress fired at the invaders, causing damage to the pocket battleship Lützow
and sinking the heavy cruiser
Blücher
, with heavy German losses that included many of the armed forces, Gestapo agents, and administrative personnel who were to have occupied the Norwegian capital. These events led to the withdrawal of the rest of the German flotilla, preventing the invaders from occupying Oslo at dawn as had been intended. The German occupation forces' delay in occupying Oslo, along with swift action from the President of the Storting, C. J Hambro, created the opportunity for the Norwegian Royal Family, the Cabinet, and most of the 150 members of the Storting (parliament) to make a hasty departure from the capital by special train.
The Storting first convened at Hamar
the same afternoon, but with the rapid advance of German troops, the group moved on to Elverum
. The assembled Parliament unanimously enacted a resolution, the so-called Elverumsfullmakten (Elverum Authorization
), granting the Cabinet full powers to protect the country until such time as the Storting could meet again.
The next day, German Minister Curt Bräuer
demanded a meeting with Haakon. The German diplomat called on the Norwegians to cease their resistance and stated Hitler
's demand that the King appoint Nazi sympathizer Vidkun Quisling
, who had declared himself prime minister hours earlier in Oslo, as head of what would be a German puppet government. Bräuer suggested that Haakon follow the example of the Danish government and his brother, Christian X, which had surrendered almost immediately after the previous day's invasion, and threatened Norway with harsh conditions if it did not surrender. Haakon told Bräuer that he could not make such a decision himself, but only on the advice of the Government. Although the Constitution of Norway
nominally gives the King the final responsibility for making such a decision, in practice nearly all major governmental decisions are made by the Government (the Council of State
) in his name.
In an emotional meeting in Nybergsund
, the King reported the German ultimatum to his cabinet. Although Haakon could not make the decision himself, he knew he could use his moral authority to influence it. Accordingly, Haakon told the Cabinet:
Haakon went on to say that he could not appoint any government headed by Quisling because he knew neither the people nor the Storting had confidence in him. However, if the Cabinet felt otherwise, the King said he would abdicate so as not to stand in the way of the Government's decision.
Nils Hjelmtveit, Minister of Church and Education, later wrote: "This made a great impression on us all. More clearly than ever before we could see the man behind the words; the king who had drawn a line for himself and his task, a line from which he could not deviate. We had through the five years [in government] learned to respect and appreciate our king and now, through his words, he came to us as a great man, just and forceful; a leader in these fatal times to our country".
Inspired by Haakon's stand, the Government unanimously advised Haakon not to appoint any government headed by Quisling. Within hours, it telephoned its refusal to Bräuer. That night, NRK broadcast the government's refusal to the Norwegian people. In that same broadcast, the government announced that they would resist the German attack as long as possible, and expressed their confidence that Norwegians would lend their support to the cause.
The following morning, 11 April 1940, bomber aircraft of the Luftwaffe
attacked Nybergsund, destroying the small town where the Norwegian government was staying in an attempt to wipe out Norway's unyielding King and Government. The King and his ministers took refuge in the snow-covered woods and escaped harm, continuing farther north through the mountains toward Molde
on Norway's west coast. As the British forces in the area lost ground under Luftwaffe bombardment, the King and his party were taken aboard the British cruiser HMS Glasgow
at Molde and conveyed a further 1000 km north to Tromsø
where a provisional capital was established on 1 May. Haakon and Crown Prince Olav took up residence in a forest cabin in Målselvdalen
valley in inner Troms
county where they would stay until the evacuation to the United Kingdom
. While residing in Tromsø the two were protected by local rifle association members armed with the ubiquitous Krag-Jørgensen
rifle.
The Allies had a fairly secure hold over northern Norway until late May, but as the Allies' position in the Battle of France
rapidly deteriorated, the Allied forces in northern Norway were badly needed elsewhere and were withdrawn. The Royal Family and the beleaguered and demoralized Norwegian Government was evacuated from Tromsø on 7 June aboard HMS Devonshire
; and after a 34 knots (66.6 km/h) dash, under cover of HMS Glorious
, HMS Acasta
, and HMS Ardent
, safely arrived in London
. King Haakon and his cabinet set up a Norwegian government in exile
in the British capital. Taking up residence at Rotherhithe
in London
, Haakon was an important national symbol in the Norwegian resistance. Between March 1942 and the end of the war in June 1945 the King and his son, Crown Prince Olav, lived at Foliejon Park in Winkfield
, near Windsor
.
Meanwhile, Hitler had appointed Josef Terboven
as Reichskommissar
for Norway. On Hitler's orders, Terboven attempted to coerce the Storting to depose the King; Parliament declined, citing constitutional principles. A subsequent ultimatum was made by the Germans under threat of interning all Norwegians of military age in German concentration camps. With this threat looming, the Norwegian Parliament's representatives in Oslo wrote to their monarch on 27 June, asking him to abdicate. The King, politely replying that the Storting had acted under duress, declined the request. The King gave his answer on 3 July, and proclaimed it on BBC radio on 8 July. After one further German attempt in September to force the Storting to depose Haakon failed, Terboven finally decreed that the Royal Family had "forfeited their right to return" and dissolved the democratic political parties.
During Norway's five years under German control, many Norwegians surreptitiously wore clothing or jewelry made from coins bearing Haakon's "H7" monogram as symbols of resistance to the German occupation
and of solidarity with their exiled king and government, just as many people in Denmark
wore his brother
's monogram on a pin. The King's monogram was also painted and otherwise reproduced on various surfaces as a show of resistance to the occupation.
After the end of the war, Haakon and the Norwegian Royal Family returned to Norway aboard the cruiser HMS Norfolk
, arriving with the First Cruiser Squadron to cheering crowds in Oslo on 7 June 1945 exactly five years after they had been evacuated from Tromsø.
for the King. In 2009 it remained one of only two such vessels
belonging to a European monarch, the other yacht
belonging to the Queen
of Denmark
.
Princess Ragnhild
married her husband Erling S. Lorentzen on 15 May 1953, being the first Norwegian Royal to marry a commoner. Haakon saw two of his great-grandchildren being born, Haakon Lorentzen
(b. 23 August 1954) and Ingeborg Lorentzen
(b. 3 February 1957).
Crown Princess Märtha died on 5 April 1954, after suffering from cancer
.
King Haakon VII fell in his bathroom at the estate at Bygdøy
in July 1955. This fall, which occurred just a month before his eighty-third birthday, broke the King's thighbone and, although there were few other complications resulting from the fall, the King was left using a wheelchair. The once-active king was said to have been depressed by his resulting helplessness and began to lose his customary involvement and interest in current events. With Haakon's loss of mobility, and as the King's health deteriorated further in the summer of 1957, Crown Prince Olav appeared on behalf of his father on ceremonial occasions and took a more active role in state affairs.
At Haakon's death in September 1957, the Crown Prince succeeded as Olav V
. Haakon was buried on 1 October 1957. He and Maud rest in the white sarcophagus in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress.
Today, King Haakon VII is regarded by many as one of the greatest Norwegian leaders of the pre-war period, managing to hold his young and fragile country together in unstable political conditions. His loyalty to democracy proved to be crucial for the political situation of Norway
during and after World War II
.
in East Antarctica
is named in the king's honour as well as the entire plateau surrounding the South Pole
was named King Haakon VII Vidde by Roald Amundsen
when he in 1911 became the first human to reach the South Pole. See Polheim
.
In 1914 Haakon County in South Dakota
was named in his honor.
Two Royal Norwegian Navy
ships -- King Haakon VII, an escort ship in commission from 1942 to 1951, and Haakon VII
, a training ship in commission from 1958 to 1974—have been named for King Haakon VII.
For his struggles against the Nazi regime and his effort to revive the Holmenkollen ski festival following World War II, King Haakon VII earned the Holmenkollen medal
in 1955 (Shared with Hallgeir Brenden
, Veikko Hakulinen
, and Sverre Stenersen
), one of only eleven non-Nordic skiers to earn this honour. The others are Norway's Stein Eriksen
, Borghild Niskin
, Inger Bjørnbakken
, Astrid Sandvik
, King Olav V (his son), Erik Håker
, Jacob Vaage
, King Harald V (his paternal grandson), and Queen Sonja
(his paternal granddaughter-in-law), and Sweden
's Ingemar Stenmark
.
Other honours: War Cross with sword
Medal for Outstanding Civic Achievement
in gold Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (later Grand Master) Grand Cross of the Decoration of Honour for Merit Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion
Czechoslovakian Freedom Cross Knight of the Elephant
Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog King Christian X's Freedom Medal Commemorative medal for King Christian IX and Queen Louise's golden wedding anniversary Commemorative medal for King Christian IX's 100th birthday Commemorative medal for King Frederik VIII's 100th birthday Grand Cross of the Order of Solomon
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
Croix de guerre
Médaille Militaire
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
War Cross Grand Cross of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown (Mecklenburg, Germany) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle Grand Cross of the Order of Christ
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Bento d'Aviz
Grand Cross of the Order of St. James of the Sword Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword
Grand Cross of the Order of the Black Eagle
(Prussia, Germany) Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle
(Prussia, Germany) Grand Cross of the Order of Carol I
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Andrew
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Anna
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stanislaus
Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Knight of the Seraphim
Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri
Grand Cross in Brilliants of the Osminieh Order
833rd Knight of the Garter
in 1906. Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Chain
Baliff Grand Cross of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal King Edward VII Coronation Medal
Honorary citizen of Largs
, Scotland
Haakon VII was the last of Norway's Kings to have the style of God's Grace .
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Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. As one of the few elected monarchs, Haakon quickly won the respect and affection of his people and played a pivotal role in uniting the Norwegian nation in its resistance
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
to the attack and five-year-long Nazi occupation
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In Norway, Haakon is regarded as one of the greatest Norwegians of the twentieth century and is particularly revered for his courage during the German invasion—he threatened abdication if the government cooperated with the invading Germans—and for his leadership and preservation of Norwegian unity during the Nazi occupation. He died at the age of 85 on 21 September 1957, after having reigned for nearly 52 years.
Early years as a Danish prince
Originally known as Prince Carl of Denmark (namesake of his maternal grandfather the King of Norway etc.), he was the second son of (the future) King Frederick VIIIFrederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick VIII was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.-Early life:Frederick was born on 3 June 1843 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen as Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior male line of the House of Oldenburg descended from Christian III of Denmark and who had...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and his wife Louise. Furthermore, he was a younger brother of Christian X
Christian X of Denmark
Christian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
, a paternal grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
(during whose reign he was prince of Denmark), and a maternal grandson of King Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death....
(who was also king of Norway as Charles IV). He became king of Norway before his father and older brother became kings of Denmark. During his reign, he saw his father, his brother and his nephew, Frederick IX, ascend the throne of Denmark, respectively in 1906, 1912 and 1947.
Prince Carl was born at Charlottenlund Palace near Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He belonged to the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , known as the House of Glücksburg for short, is a German ducal house, junior branches of which include the royal houses of Denmark and Norway, the deposed royal house of Greece, and the heir to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms The House...
branch of the House of Oldenburg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
. The House of Oldenburg had been the Danish royal family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
since 1448; between 1536–1814 it also ruled Norway when it was part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. The house was originally from northern Germany, where the Glucksburg (Lyksborg) branch held their small fief. The family had permanent links with Norway beginning from the late Middle Ages. Several of his paternal ancestors had been kings of independent Norway (Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...
, Christian I of Norway, Frederick I, Christian III
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
, Frederick II
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
, Christian IV, as well as Frederick III of Norway who integrated Norway into the Oldenburg state with Denmark, Slesvig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
and Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
, after which it was not independent until 1814). Christian Frederick, who was King of Norway briefly in 1814, the first king of the Norwegian 1814 constitution and struggle for independence, was his great-granduncle.
Prince Carl was raised in the royal household in Copenhagen and educated at the Royal Danish Naval Academy
Royal Danish Naval Academy
The Royal Danish Naval Academy educates and commissions all officers for the Royal Danish Navy...
, from which he graduated near the bottom of his class. He was a key witness in the scandal following the suicide of Kai Simonsen.
At Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
on 22 July 1896, Prince Carl married his first cousin Princess Maud of Wales
Maud of Wales
Princess Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of King Haakon VII. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark and granddaughter of Queen Victoria and also of Christian IX of Denmark. She was the younger sister of George V...
, youngest daughter of the future King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel
Louise of Hesse-Kassel
Louise of Hesse was a German Princess and the queen consort to King Christian IX of Denmark.-Early Life and Ancestry:...
(or Hesse-Cassel). Their son, Prince Alexander, the future Crown Prince Olav (and eventually king Olav V of Norway
Olav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
), was born on 2 July 1903.
Accession to the Norwegian throne
Union between Sweden and Norway
The Union between Sweden and Norway , officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, consisted of present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union....
was dissolved in 1905, a committee of the Norwegian government identified several members of European royalty as candidates for Norway's first King of its own in several centuries. Gradually, Prince Carl became the leading candidate, largely because he was descended from independent Norwegian kings. He also had a son (and hence an heir to the throne), and Princess Maud's ties to the British Royal Family were viewed as advantageous to the newly independent Norwegian nation.
The democratically minded Carl, aware that Norway was still debating whether to retain its monarchy or to switch to a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an system of government, was flattered by the Norwegian government's overtures, but declined to accept the offer without a referendum to show whether monarchy was truly the choice of the Norwegian people.
After the referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
overwhelmingly confirmed by a 79 percent majority (259,563 votes for and 69,264 against) that Norwegians desired to retain a monarchy, Prince Carl was formally offered the throne of Norway by the Storting (parliament) and elected on 18 November 1905. When Carl accepted the offer that same evening (after the approval of his grandfather Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
), he immediately endeared himself to his adopted country by taking the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name of Haakon, a name used by previous Kings of Norway. In so doing, he succeeded his grand-uncle, Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
, who had abdicated the Norwegian throne in October following the agreement between Sweden and Norway on the terms of the separation of the union.
The new Royal Family of Norway left Denmark on the Danish Royal yacht "Dannebrog" and went sailing up Oslofjord. At Oscarsborg Fortress
Oscarsborg Fortress
Oscarsborg Fortress is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the small town of Drøbak. The fortress is situated on two small islets, and on the mainland to the west and east, in the fjord and was military territory until 2003 when it was made a publicly available resort island...
they boarded the Norwegian naval ship "Heimdal". After the three-day journey they arrived in Kristiania (Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
) early on the morning of 25 November 1905. Two days later, Haakon took the oath as the Norwegian King.
The coronation of Haakon and Maud took place in Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It was the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nidaros from its establishment in 1152 until its abolition in 1537. Since the Reformation, it has been the cathedral of the...
in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
on 22 June 1906.
Reign as Norwegian king
King Haakon gained much sympathy from the Norwegian people. He traveled extensively through Norway. Fridtjof NansenFridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
is known as a friend of the Royal Family.
Haakon, Maud and Crown Prince Olav became interested in skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
. This sport is often viewed as typically Norwegian. They were often seen while being on tour with their skis. Olav later became a champion in ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
.
In 1927 he stated: "I am also the King of the Communists" . He participated in the political process after the first prime minister from the labour party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
was chosen in 1928, a process that caused a special parliamentary situation.
Crown Prince Olav married his cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden
Princess Märtha of Sweden
Princess Märtha of Sweden , full name Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra was the granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden and the consort of Crown Prince Olav of Norway . She was the first Crown Princess of Norway in modern times who was not also Crown Princess of Sweden or Denmark...
on 21 March 1929. She was the daughter of Haakon's sister Ingeborg
Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
Princess Ingeborg of Denmark was a Danish princess and a Swedish princess consort...
and Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Västergötland , was the third son of King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway and Sophia of Nassau.-History:...
. Olav and Märtha had three children: Ragnhild
Princess Ragnhild of Norway
Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Mrs. Lorentzen, is the eldest daughter of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. She is the older sister of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and of Princess Astrid of Norway.Princess Ragnhild married Erling S...
(b. 1930), Astrid
Princess Astrid of Norway
Princess Astrid of Norway, Mrs. Ferner, is the second daughter of King Olav V of Norway and his wife, Princess Märtha of Sweden...
(b. 1932) and Harald
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
(b. 1937), who was to become king in 1991.
Queen Maud died on 20 November 1938.
Resistance during World War II
Norway was invadedOperation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
by the naval and air forces of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during the early hours of 9 April 1940. The German naval detachment sent to capture Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
was challenged at Oscarsborg Fortress. The fortress fired at the invaders, causing damage to the pocket battleship Lützow
German pocket battleship Deutschland
Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933...
and sinking the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
Blücher
German cruiser Blücher
Blücher was the second of five heavy cruisers of the German Kriegsmarine, built after the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles. Named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, the victor of the Battle of Waterloo, the ship was laid down in August 1936 and launched in...
, with heavy German losses that included many of the armed forces, Gestapo agents, and administrative personnel who were to have occupied the Norwegian capital. These events led to the withdrawal of the rest of the German flotilla, preventing the invaders from occupying Oslo at dawn as had been intended. The German occupation forces' delay in occupying Oslo, along with swift action from the President of the Storting, C. J Hambro, created the opportunity for the Norwegian Royal Family, the Cabinet, and most of the 150 members of the Storting (parliament) to make a hasty departure from the capital by special train.
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
the same afternoon, but with the rapid advance of German troops, the group moved on to Elverum
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
. The assembled Parliament unanimously enacted a resolution, the so-called Elverumsfullmakten (Elverum Authorization
Elverum Authorization
The Elverum Authorization allowed the Norwegian executive branch to temporarily and legitimately assert absolute authority while removed from the capitol, Oslo...
), granting the Cabinet full powers to protect the country until such time as the Storting could meet again.
The next day, German Minister Curt Bräuer
Curt Bräuer
Curt Bräuer was a German career diplomat.Born in Breslau, in what is modern-day Poland, Bräuer entered service in the German foreign ministry in 1920. At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Bräuer was posted at the German embassy in Paris. Later that year, Bräuer was named as envoy to...
demanded a meeting with Haakon. The German diplomat called on the Norwegians to cease their resistance and stated Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's demand that the King appoint Nazi sympathizer Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling was a Norwegian politician. On 9 April 1940, with the German invasion of Norway in progress, he seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat that garnered him international infamy. From 1942 to 1945 he served as Minister-President, working with the occupying...
, who had declared himself prime minister hours earlier in Oslo, as head of what would be a German puppet government. Bräuer suggested that Haakon follow the example of the Danish government and his brother, Christian X, which had surrendered almost immediately after the previous day's invasion, and threatened Norway with harsh conditions if it did not surrender. Haakon told Bräuer that he could not make such a decision himself, but only on the advice of the Government. Although the Constitution of Norway
Constitution of Norway
The Constitution of Norway was first adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll , then signed and dated May 17...
nominally gives the King the final responsibility for making such a decision, in practice nearly all major governmental decisions are made by the Government (the Council of State
Norwegian Council of State
The Norwegian Council of State consists, according to the constitution of the prime minister and at least seven other ministers, the majority of which must belong to the state church. The current number of ministers is 20.-External links:*...
) in his name.
In an emotional meeting in Nybergsund
Nybergsund
Nybergsund is a village in the municipality of Trysil, Norway. Its population is 329. It is located by the Trysil River, a few kilometres south of the centre Innbygda....
, the King reported the German ultimatum to his cabinet. Although Haakon could not make the decision himself, he knew he could use his moral authority to influence it. Accordingly, Haakon told the Cabinet:
Haakon went on to say that he could not appoint any government headed by Quisling because he knew neither the people nor the Storting had confidence in him. However, if the Cabinet felt otherwise, the King said he would abdicate so as not to stand in the way of the Government's decision.
Nils Hjelmtveit, Minister of Church and Education, later wrote: "This made a great impression on us all. More clearly than ever before we could see the man behind the words; the king who had drawn a line for himself and his task, a line from which he could not deviate. We had through the five years [in government] learned to respect and appreciate our king and now, through his words, he came to us as a great man, just and forceful; a leader in these fatal times to our country".
Inspired by Haakon's stand, the Government unanimously advised Haakon not to appoint any government headed by Quisling. Within hours, it telephoned its refusal to Bräuer. That night, NRK broadcast the government's refusal to the Norwegian people. In that same broadcast, the government announced that they would resist the German attack as long as possible, and expressed their confidence that Norwegians would lend their support to the cause.
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
attacked Nybergsund, destroying the small town where the Norwegian government was staying in an attempt to wipe out Norway's unyielding King and Government. The King and his ministers took refuge in the snow-covered woods and escaped harm, continuing farther north through the mountains toward Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
on Norway's west coast. As the British forces in the area lost ground under Luftwaffe bombardment, the King and his party were taken aboard the British cruiser HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (C21)
The seventh HMS Glasgow , built on the Clyde, was a Southampton-class light cruiser, a sub-class of the Town-class and commissioned in September 1937. She displaced 11,930 tons and had a top speed of 32 knots . She was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet; she escorted the...
at Molde and conveyed a further 1000 km north to Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
where a provisional capital was established on 1 May. Haakon and Crown Prince Olav took up residence in a forest cabin in Målselvdalen
Målselvdalen
Målselvdalen is the largest valley in Troms county, Norway. The river Målselva runs through the valley, ending in the Målselvfjorden. With a landscape reminiscent of that of Østerdalen, the valley was settled in the late eighteenth century by farmers from Østerdalen and Gudbrandsdalen. The bailiff...
valley in inner Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
county where they would stay until the evacuation to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. While residing in Tromsø the two were protected by local rifle association members armed with the ubiquitous Krag-Jørgensen
Krag-Jørgensen
The Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway...
rifle.
The Allies had a fairly secure hold over northern Norway until late May, but as the Allies' position in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
rapidly deteriorated, the Allied forces in northern Norway were badly needed elsewhere and were withdrawn. The Royal Family and the beleaguered and demoralized Norwegian Government was evacuated from Tromsø on 7 June aboard HMS Devonshire
HMS Devonshire (39)
HMS Devonshire was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was part of the London subgroup of the County class, and saw service in the Second World War.-Early career:...
; and after a 34 knots (66.6 km/h) dash, under cover of HMS Glorious
HMS Glorious (77)
HMS Glorious was the second of the cruisers built for the British Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Glorious was completed in late 1916...
, HMS Acasta
HMS Acasta (H09)
HMS Acasta , the third ship to bear that name, launched in 1929, was an A-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She served in the Second World War and was sunk on 8 June 1940 in action against the German warships and , while escorting the aircraft carrier...
, and HMS Ardent
HMS Ardent (H41)
HMS Ardent was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War in Home waters and off the Norwegian coast, before becoming an early war loss when she was sunk by the German warships and on 8 June 1940 whilst escorting the aircraft carrier .-Construction and...
, safely arrived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. King Haakon and his cabinet set up a Norwegian government in exile
Government in exile
A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...
in the British capital. Taking up residence at Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Haakon was an important national symbol in the Norwegian resistance. Between March 1942 and the end of the war in June 1945 the King and his son, Crown Prince Olav, lived at Foliejon Park in Winkfield
Winkfield
Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271...
, near Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
.
Josef Terboven
Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven was a Nazi leader, best known as the Reichskommissar during the German occupation of Norway.-Early life:...
as Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar , in German history, was an official gubernatorial title used for various public offices during the period of the German Empire and the Nazi Third Reich....
for Norway. On Hitler's orders, Terboven attempted to coerce the Storting to depose the King; Parliament declined, citing constitutional principles. A subsequent ultimatum was made by the Germans under threat of interning all Norwegians of military age in German concentration camps. With this threat looming, the Norwegian Parliament's representatives in Oslo wrote to their monarch on 27 June, asking him to abdicate. The King, politely replying that the Storting had acted under duress, declined the request. The King gave his answer on 3 July, and proclaimed it on BBC radio on 8 July. After one further German attempt in September to force the Storting to depose Haakon failed, Terboven finally decreed that the Royal Family had "forfeited their right to return" and dissolved the democratic political parties.
During Norway's five years under German control, many Norwegians surreptitiously wore clothing or jewelry made from coins bearing Haakon's "H7" monogram as symbols of resistance to the German occupation
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
and of solidarity with their exiled king and government, just as many people in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
wore his brother
Christian X of Denmark
Christian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
's monogram on a pin. The King's monogram was also painted and otherwise reproduced on various surfaces as a show of resistance to the occupation.
After the end of the war, Haakon and the Norwegian Royal Family returned to Norway aboard the cruiser HMS Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (78)
HMS Norfolk was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy; along with her sister ship , she was part of a planned four-ship subclass.She served throughout the Second World War....
, arriving with the First Cruiser Squadron to cheering crowds in Oslo on 7 June 1945 exactly five years after they had been evacuated from Tromsø.
Post-war years
In 1947 the Norwegian people, by public subscription, purchased the Royal Yacht NorgeHNoMY Norge
One of only two remaining Royal Yachts in Europe, HNoMY Norge is the Royal Yacht of the King of Norway. The ship's name Norge is Norwegian for Norway....
for the King. In 2009 it remained one of only two such vessels
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
belonging to a European monarch, the other yacht
HDMY Dannebrog (A540)
-Features & History:Her Danish Majesty's Yacht Dannebrog was launched by Queen Alexandrine at Copenhagen in 1931, and commissioned on 26 May 1932. The yacht now serves as the official and private residence for HM The Queen of Denmark, HRH the Prince Consort, and members of the Royal Family when...
belonging to the Queen
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Princess Ragnhild
Princess Ragnhild of Norway
Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Mrs. Lorentzen, is the eldest daughter of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. She is the older sister of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and of Princess Astrid of Norway.Princess Ragnhild married Erling S...
married her husband Erling S. Lorentzen on 15 May 1953, being the first Norwegian Royal to marry a commoner. Haakon saw two of his great-grandchildren being born, Haakon Lorentzen
Haakon Lorentzen
Haakon Lorentzen is the son of Princess Ragnhild of Norway and Erling Sven Lorentzen. Princess Ragnhild was the older sister of King Harald V and Princess Astrid of Norway....
(b. 23 August 1954) and Ingeborg Lorentzen
Ingeborg Lorentzen
Ingeborg Lorentzen is the daughter of Erling Sven Lorentzen and his wife, Princess Ragnhild of Norway, the expatriate sister of King Harald V of Norway and Princess Astrid of Norway....
(b. 3 February 1957).
Crown Princess Märtha died on 5 April 1954, after suffering from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
King Haakon VII fell in his bathroom at the estate at Bygdøy
Bygdøy
Bygdøy or Bygdø is a peninsula on the western side of Oslo, Norway. Administratively, Bygdøy belongs to the borough of Frogner.Bygdøy has several museums, like the Kon-Tiki Museum, which shows all year long the legendary expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl; the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History ; the...
in July 1955. This fall, which occurred just a month before his eighty-third birthday, broke the King's thighbone and, although there were few other complications resulting from the fall, the King was left using a wheelchair. The once-active king was said to have been depressed by his resulting helplessness and began to lose his customary involvement and interest in current events. With Haakon's loss of mobility, and as the King's health deteriorated further in the summer of 1957, Crown Prince Olav appeared on behalf of his father on ceremonial occasions and took a more active role in state affairs.
At Haakon's death in September 1957, the Crown Prince succeeded as Olav V
Olav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
. Haakon was buried on 1 October 1957. He and Maud rest in the white sarcophagus in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress.
Today, King Haakon VII is regarded by many as one of the greatest Norwegian leaders of the pre-war period, managing to hold his young and fragile country together in unstable political conditions. His loyalty to democracy proved to be crucial for the political situation of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Ancestry
Honours
The King Haakon VII SeaKing Haakon VII Sea
King Haakon VII Sea is an arm of the Southern Ocean on the coast of East Antarctica.-Geography:From the international point of view, King Haakon VII Sea lies between Weddell Sea and Lazarev Sea, and thus stretches only along Kronprinsesse Märtha Kyst from Cape Norvegia at 12°18'W, the easternmost...
in East Antarctica
East Antarctica
East Antarctica, also called Greater Antarctica, constitutes the majority of the Antarctic continent, lying on the Indian Ocean side of the Transantarctic Mountains...
is named in the king's honour as well as the entire plateau surrounding the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
was named King Haakon VII Vidde by Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
when he in 1911 became the first human to reach the South Pole. See Polheim
Polheim
Polheim was Roald Amundsen's name for his camp at the South Pole. He arrived there on December 14, 1911, along with four other members of his expedition; Helmer Hanssen, Olav Bjaaland, Oscar Wisting, and Sverre Hassel....
.
In 1914 Haakon County in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
was named in his honor.
Two Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
ships -- King Haakon VII, an escort ship in commission from 1942 to 1951, and Haakon VII
HNoMS Haakon VII (A537)
HNoMS Haakon VII was a Royal Norwegian Navy training ship in commission from 1958 to 1974.-Construction and United States Navy service 1945-1958:...
, a training ship in commission from 1958 to 1974—have been named for King Haakon VII.
For his struggles against the Nazi regime and his effort to revive the Holmenkollen ski festival following World War II, King Haakon VII earned the Holmenkollen medal
Holmenkollen medal
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
in 1955 (Shared with Hallgeir Brenden
Hallgeir Brenden
Hallgeir Brenden was a former Norwegian cross-country skier from Tørberget in Trysil.He won Olympic gold medals in the 18 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics and in the 15 km event at the 1956 Winter Olympics, and an Olympic silver medal in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1952 Winter...
, Veikko Hakulinen
Veikko Hakulinen
Veikko Johannes Hakulinen was a Finnish forestry technician and cross country skier, triple champion in both the olympics and world championship competition in cross country skiing...
, and Sverre Stenersen
Sverre Stenersen
Sverre Stenersen was a Norwegian Nordic combined skier who dominated the event throughout the 1950s. His biggest triumphs were winning individual golds both at the 1956 Winter Olympics and the 1954 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships...
), one of only eleven non-Nordic skiers to earn this honour. The others are Norway's Stein Eriksen
Stein Eriksen
Stein Eriksen is a former alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist.-Background:Stein Eriksen was born in Oslo, Norway. His parents were Marius Eriksen and Birgit Heien . Stein's father, Marius Eriksen competed in the 1912 Olympic Games as a gymnast...
, Borghild Niskin
Borghild Niskin
Borghild Niskin is a Norwegian alpine skier who finished 7th in the women's giant slalom at the 1956 Winter Olympics at Cortina d'Ampezzo. For that honor, Niskin became the first woman awarded the Holmenkollen medal that same year...
, Inger Bjørnbakken
Inger Bjørnbakken
Inger Bjørnbakken is a former alpine ski racer. She finished tied for 6th in the women's slalom at the 1956 Winter Olympics at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Two years later, Bjørnbakken won the women's slalom at the 1958 World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria...
, Astrid Sandvik
Astrid Sandvik
Astrid Sandvik is a Norwegian Alpine skier who finished tied for sixth dog in the women's slalom at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. In 1963, Sandvik almost earned the Holmenkollen medal...
, King Olav V (his son), Erik Håker
Erik Håker
Erik Håker is a Norwegian alpine skier from Oppdal who finished 5th in the men's downhill at the 1972 Winter Olympics at Sapporo. That same year, Håker became the first Norwegian to win a World Cup Alpine event. He would win two more World Cup events, his last in 1979. For his Alpine World Cup...
, Jacob Vaage
Jacob Vaage
Jakob Vaage was a Norwegian skier and historian.Vaage was an active skier for Ullern SK, and participated in summer sports for Bestum IF. He was admitted to the exclusive skiing club SK Ull in 1947, and became an honorary member in 1983...
, King Harald V (his paternal grandson), and Queen Sonja
Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...
(his paternal granddaughter-in-law), and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's Ingemar Stenmark
Ingemar Stenmark
Jan Ingemar Stenmark is a Swedish former skier, active during the 1970s and 1980s. He is regarded as one of the most prominent Swedish sportsmen, and as the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time. He competed for Fjällvinden Tärnaby.Stenmark was born in the province of Lappland...
.
Other honours: War Cross with sword
War Cross with sword
The War Cross with Sword is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to...
Medal for Outstanding Civic Achievement
Medal for Outstanding Civic Achievement
The Medal for Outstanding Civic Service or Medaljen for Borgerdåd is the second highest ranked Norwegian medal. In spring 2004 the medal ceased to be awarded. The medal was first established by Royal Resolution April 10, 1819 and later altered by Royal Resolution April 13, 1844...
in gold Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (later Grand Master) Grand Cross of the Decoration of Honour for Merit Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion
Order of the White Lion
The Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners....
Czechoslovakian Freedom Cross Knight of the Elephant
Order of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog King Christian X's Freedom Medal Commemorative medal for King Christian IX and Queen Louise's golden wedding anniversary Commemorative medal for King Christian IX's 100th birthday Commemorative medal for King Frederik VIII's 100th birthday Grand Cross of the Order of Solomon
Order of Solomon
The Order of Solomon was an order of knighthood of the Ethiopian Empire.The Solomonic dynasty, the ancient Imperial House of Ethiopia, claims descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, said to have given birth to King Menelik I after her visit to Solomon in Jerusalem.As the Empire's...
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
Order of the White Rose
The Order of the White Rose of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor,...
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
Médaille Militaire
Médaille militaire
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Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
War Cross Grand Cross of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in mediæval Italy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946...
Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Order of the Falcon
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Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the collar of the Order was added on January 4, 1888. Although technically the order has only one class, it can either be awarded with collar , or with grand cordon...
Grand Cross of the House Order of the Wendish Crown (Mecklenburg, Germany) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle Grand Cross of the Order of Christ
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Bento d'Aviz
Order of Aviz
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Grand Cross of the Order of St. James of the Sword Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
Grand Cross of the Order of the Black Eagle
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
(Prussia, Germany) Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
(Prussia, Germany) Grand Cross of the Order of Carol I
Order of Carol I
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Grand Cross of the Order of St. Andrew
Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is the first and the highest order of chivalry of the Russian Empire.- Russian Empire :The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia...
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
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Grand Cross of the Order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
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Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
Order of the White Eagle
The Order of the White Eagle is Poland's highest decoration awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on November 1, 1705 by Augustus II the Strong and bestowed on eight of his supporters: four Polish magnates, three Russian field marshals , and one...
Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stanislaus
Order of Saint Stanislaus
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Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
Knight of the Seraphim
Order of the Seraphim
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Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri
Order of the Royal House of Chakri
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Grand Cross in Brilliants of the Osminieh Order
Osminieh Order
The Order of Osmanieh, Order of Osmanie, Order of Osmania was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire, created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdulaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nichan Iftikhar , this became the second highest order in the Empire, ranking below the High Order of Honour...
833rd Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
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in 1906. Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
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Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
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Royal Victorian Chain
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Baliff Grand Cross of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
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Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal King Edward VII Coronation Medal
King Edward VII Coronation Medal
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Honorary citizen of Largs
Largs
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, Scotland
Titles and styles
Titles and styles which Haakon VII bore from birth to death, in chronological order:- 1872–1905: His Royal Highness Prince Carl of Denmark
- 1905–1957: His Majesty Haakon VII, of God's Grace Norway's King
Haakon VII was the last of Norway's Kings to have the style of God's Grace .
See also
- List of state visits made by King Haakon VII of Norway
- Separation of Norway from Sweden in 1905
- Invasion of Norway by Nazi Germany (Operation Weserübung)
- Occupation of Norway by Nazi GermanyOccupation of Norway by Nazi GermanyThe occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
- Norwegian resistance movementNorwegian resistance movementThe Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
- List of people on the cover of Time Magazine: 1920s − 3 May 1926
External links
- Royal House of Norway
- Royal House of Denmark and Royal House of Iceland
- Royal House of Great-Britain and Ireland
- Official Website of the Norwegian Royal Family
- King Haakon − biography (Official Website of the Norwegian Royal Family)
- The Royals Regularly updated news coverage of the Norwegian royal family (AftenpostenAftenpostenAftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
) - The Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav − H.M. King Haakon VII the former Grand Master of the Order
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