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Norway

Norway’s version of “The Crown” is underway

Norwegians have, like American and British audiences, been obsessed with the Netflix series, “The Crown”. Royal history is fascinating. So now Norway is in the process making its own version of the British show – with Norwegian royal history of course.

The company “Nordic film” will make the new TV series about King Haakon and his journey to be Norway’s monarch in 1905. “We are inspired by the TV series “The Crown”, said the company, in a statement to Norway’s TV-channel NRK. The new TV-series will be named “The Winter Throne” – in Norwegian: Vintertronen.

King Haakon, with Crown Prince Olav on his arm, lands as a Norwegian king in 1905. Photo: The Norwegian National Museum.

The starting point for the series will be the eight books that historian Tor Bomann-Larsen has written about King Haakon and Queen Maud. Seven of the books have already been published, while the eighth is still in progress. Nordic Film confirms that all eight books form the basis for the script they are now writing. Tor Bomann-Larsen has spent twenty years writing the biographies of King Haakon.

King Haakon VII of Norway was born Prince Carl of Denmark and was the second oldest son of King Frederik and Queen Louise of Denmark while Queen Maud was the daughter of Britain’s King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. “It is a wonderful story about how an unknown Danish prince comes to a foreign country with his British wife, and re-establishes the independent kingdom of Norway”, said Bomann-Larsen to NRK.

ing Haakon, Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav) and Queen Maud in 1910. Photo: National Museum.

The actors who will take on the royal roles haven’t yet been announced. Nordic Film emphasizes that they are looking for people similar to the royals. The TV series is likely to be broadcast on  Norway’s TV2 when it is finished an will follow Haakon’s life from Danish prince as king to Norway and the on until his death. The series will cost around 100 million Norwegian crown (about 10 million British pounds) to produce and is scheduled for broadcast in 2022.

Nordic film has good experiences with making films about the Norwegian royal family. In 2016, they released the film ” The King’s No” which told the story of King Haakon VII’s role during the German invasion of Norway in 1940.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.