Norwegian Royal Family

King Herald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon Magnus, Crown Princess Mette-Marit

The Royal House of Norway belongs to the House of Glücksburg. The members of the Norwegian Royal House are Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja and Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

History of the monarchy

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

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

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

Norway is a constitutional monarchy.

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