FeaturesNorway

The king who gave his own daughter-in-law away

When Crown Prince Harald announced his intent to marry commoner Sonja Haraldsen, King Olav knew his future daughter-in-law’s father had died almost a decade before; so, being a gentleman, the monarch chose to escort Sonja down the aisle to his son. Crown Prince Harald married the love of his life on 29 August 1968 after announcing their engagement on 19 March 1968. The couple had dated…
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Norway

The death of King Olav V

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…
HistoryNorwayQueen Elizabeth II

Why was Queen Elizabeth II’s first state visit to Norway?

This year brings another special anniversary for the Queen’s long and historic reign. This summer marks 65 years since Queen Elizabeth’s first State Visit. It took place in June 1955 and saw the new Monarch travel to the the Kingdom of Norway. So, why was Norway the first nation that the Queen visited after her coronation? The first reason was that the British and Norwegian Royal…
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HistoryHistory

Hitler's secret plans to turn a 3 year old Prince into King of Norway

This year, in 2020, marks 75 years since World War II ended. It’s also 80 years since war came to the monarchies of Norway and Denmark. While the Danish royal family was taken prisoner by the Germans, the Norwegian royal family managed to escape from the Germans and carry on the war for the next five years from exile. Following the German attack on Norway on April 9, 1940, Crown Princess…
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HistoryHistory

The Royal Escape from Oslo: 9 April 1940

This year, in 2020, marks 75 years since World War II ended. It is also the 80th anniversary of war coming to the Monarchies of Norway and Denmark. While the Danish royal family was taken prisoner by the Nazis, the Norwegian royal family managed to escape and carry on the…
HistoryHistoryNorway

King Haakon's Christmas speeches to an occupied Norway

Christmas tends to be a pleasant time, especially for the royals. When it comes to the Norwegian Royal Family, they have many good Christmas traditions that make Christmas a pleasant time. There is, however, a period when Christmas for the Royal Family from Norway was not very pleasant, namely during World War II. Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940. This led to a five-year occupation. While…
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