Kraliyet ailesinin haberleri
Åžubat 19th, 2008
Royalty in Norway
Norway’s first king, Harald I — also known as Harald Fairhair — was born in the ninth century. His father, Halfdan the Black, ruler of Westfold (or Vestfold) in southeast Norway, was descended from Sweden’s royal Yngling family. When Harald was 10, his father died and Harald succeeded him as king. Before he reached his mid-20s, Harald had defeated rival kings in battle and united Norway under his rule.
After the death of King Haakon V in 1319, the Norwegian crown passed to his grandson Magnus, who was also king of Sweden. In 1397, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formed the Kalmar Union under Margaret I, a Danish princess who had married King Magnus’s son Haakon VI. Although her nephew Eric of Pomerania was the official king of all three countries, it was Margaret who ruled them until her death in 1412.
Sweden left the Kalmar Union in 1523 and elected its own king, but Norway remained united with Denmark until 1814, when Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. In 1905, Norway became independent from Sweden. Its new government offered the crown to Prince Carl, second son of Denmark’s future King Frederick VIII. After being approved in a popular vote by the Norwegian people, the prince ascended the throne as King Haakon VII.
Norway remained neutral in the First World War, but was invaded by Germany during World War II. Haakon VII fled to England, where he remained in exile for exactly five years. He received a warm welcome when he returned to Norway in 1945.
King Haakon died in 1957 and was succeeded by his son Olaf V. King Olaf died in 1991; the present king is his son Harald V. Norway is a constitutional monarchy; the king has little real power.
King Harald and his wife, Queen Sonja, have two children, Princess Märtha Louise (born in 1971) and Crown Prince Haakon (born in 1973). The crown prince married Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby in 2001. Their first child, Ingrid Alexandra, was born on January 21, 2004. Their second child, a son named Sverre Magnus, was born on December 3, 2005. Crown Princess Mette-Marit also has a son named Marius from a previous relationship.
Princess Märtha Louise married writer Ari Behn in 2002. Their first child, Maud Angelica Behn, was born in 2003. Their second child, Leah Isadora Behn, was born in 2005.
