Though King Harald and Queen Sonja are marking 30 years on the throne this year, there’s another anniversary in Norway to commemorate as well: Crown Prince Haakon’s 30 years as the heir apparent to the throne.
Born on 20 July 1973, Haakon has been destined for the Norwegian throne since birth, as absolute primogeniture had not yet taken effect in Norway until 1990 (otherwise, his older…
Harald became King of Norway in January 1991 upon the death of his father and was consecrated alongside his wife, Queen Sonja, (who became the first Norwegian queen to be born a commoner) later that year.
As mentioned in another article, Harald’s reign has been marked…
As King Harald marks his 30th year on the Norwegian throne, we’re looking back at the three very modern monarchs of Norway since the dissolution of Sweden and Norway in 1905 and the independence of a Norwegian monarchy.
King Haakon VII
The very first modern monarch…
In Norway, monarchs aren’t crowned, they’re consecrated. King Haakon VII was the last king to be crowned, while his heirs, Olav and Harald, have been consecrated in ceremonies at Nidaros Cathedral in Oslo.
Prior to the consecration, King Harald swore an oath at the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) during a formal ceremony. Taking place just days after his father’s death, Harald took…
On 17 January 1991, King Olav of Norway suffered a fatal heart attack, following nearly a year of health problems, and passed away at the age of 87. He was succeeded by his son, Harald, who marks 30 years on the Norwegian throne today.
Though he’d been born Prince…
Prince William speaks of his pride over The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh for getting their vaccinations
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The Duke of Cambridge spoke with frontline workers and volunteers across the United Kingdom to thank them for their part in administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking on a video call, the Prince also said that he was “very proud” of his grandparents the…
Skaugum Estate is a farmhouse that lies just outside Oslo, Norway, and it is currently the home of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, though it has a storied history that dates back to the Middle Ages and is known as the birthplace of King Harald, in 1937.
Originally a church property, Skaugum belonged to the Church of Mary and the Convent of Nonneseter. In 1909, a Norwegian…
King Harald marked his Silver Jubilee on 17 January 2016 with a series of events held throughout the year in Norway. As he marks 30 years on the throne, let’s take a look back at his last big jubilee event.
Embed from Getty Images
On the morning of 17 January…
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speak to frontline workers about grief
16th January 2021
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have spoken to frontline workers about the importance of counselling and grieving in their first video call of the new year.
Speaking to a team of healthcare workers from the NHS and grief counsellors from Just ‘B’, a service provided…
Queen Maud
Queen Maud never had designs on becoming a queen when she was born, a daughter of the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, in 1869. As a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she was raised in splendour, and well-travelled, having visited her mother’s home country, Denmark, many times, where she became acquainted wit her cousin, Prince Carl of…
