Monthly Archives: July 2014

Prince Albert II of Monaco

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Albert II of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre) was born on March 14, 1958, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco.  He is the only son and the second of three children of Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and American actress and Academy Award winner Grace Kelly.

Albert was christened on April 20, 1958, at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco. His godparents were:

  • Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, born Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
  • Prince Louis de Polignac, first cousin of his paternal grandfather
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Prince Albert on left with his family; Photo source: The Telegraph

Prince Albert has two sisters:

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Prince Albert with his mother in 1972; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Albert received his primary and secondary education in Monaco and graduated from the Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco in 1976. He spent time in his mother’s native country at Camp Tecumseh on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough, New Hampshire where he attended summer camp and was a camp counselor for six summers in the 1970s. Prince Albert spent additional time in the United States when he attended Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts as Albert Grimaldi. At Amherst College, he joined the Chi Psi fraternity, and the Amherst Glee Club, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

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Prince Albert addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations; Photo source: http://www.un.org/

After he graduated from college, Prince Albert had several educational opportunities that broadened his experience. From September 1981 – April 1982, Prince Albert trained onboard the French Navy’s helicopter carrier “Jeanne d’Arc.” He trained with various international companies in the United States and Europe in communication, financial management, and marketing from January 1983 to late 1985. Since May 1993, Prince Albert has led the Monaco delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations and has regularly taken the floor on behalf of the Principality of Monaco.

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Photo Credit – royalcorrespondent.com

Prince Albert has enjoyed participating in a variety of sports. He represented Monaco in Two-Man Bobsled and Four-Man Bobsled in five Winter Olympics (1988/Calgary, 1992/Albertville, 1994/Lillehammer, 1998/Nagano, 2002/Salt Lake City). Prince Albert has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985 and is President of the Monegasque Olympic Committee.

Prince Albert II being blessed by the Archbishop of Monaco at the Mass on July 12, 2005; Credit – Zimbio

Prince Rainier III died on April 6, 2005, and Albert became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. On July 12, 2005, at the end of the official period of mourning, Prince Albert’s accession to the throne was celebrated by a Mass at St. Nicholas’ Cathedral followed by a garden party for 7,000 Monégasques born in the principality. A second ceremony was held at St. Nicholas Cathedral on November 12, 2005, attended by many guests and royalty from around the world. The evening ended with a gala and opera performance in Monte Carlo.

In 2006, Prince Albert founded The Prince Albert II Foundation, a charity that has donated millions to various environmental projects. The foundation concentrates on environmental protection, sustainable development, climate change, the promotion of renewable energies, and biodiversity.

Before Prince Albert’s marriage in 2011, there was much discussion about what seemed to be his perpetual bachelor state and his dating experiences. On July 6, 2005, a few days before his enthronement ceremony, Prince Albert officially confirmed through his lawyer that he had an illegitimate son. Alexandre Coste (born August 24, 2003, in Paris, France) is the son of Prince Albert and Nicole Coste, a former Air France flight attendant, originally from Togo in Africa. Then in 2006, Prince Albert confirmed that he had an illegitimate daughter. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (born March 4, 1992, in Palm Beach, California) is the daughter of Prince Albert and Tamara Rotolo, a California woman who reportedly worked as a waitress. DNA tests confirmed the paternity of both children and neither child has a claim on the throne of Monaco.

In June 2001 at the Marenostrum International Swimming Meet in Monaco which Prince Albert presided over, he met Charlene Wittstock (born 1978), a South African swimmer, who had represented her country in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They were first seen together at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Charlene moved in with Prince Albert in 2006. She began accompanying him to events including the weddings of the Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010 and of the Duke of Cambridge in 2011. On June 23, 2010, the Prince’s Palace announced the couple’s engagement. The civil ceremony was held on July 1, 2011, in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace.  The religious ceremony took place on July 2, 2011, in the courtyard of the Palace.

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Photo source: BBC/AP

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have two children, boy and girl twins.  Even though their daughter was born first, their son is the heir apparent because Monaco’s succession is male-preference cognatic primogeniture.

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Principality of Monaco Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume) was born on April 16, 1955, in Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. He is the eldest son and second child of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, and a first cousin of King Philippe of the Belgians.

Henri was christened on April 19, 1955, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. His godparents were:

Grand Duke Henri has four siblings:

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Grand Duke Henri on the left with his parents and three of his siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Henri received his primary and secondary education in Luxembourg and France. In 1974, he enrolled at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and was commissioned an officer in 1975. Henri studied political science at the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, both in Geneva, Switzerland and he graduated with honors in 1980.

While studying in Geneva, Henri met his future wife, María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla, who was also a political science student. María Teresa was born in Cuba, but her parents left Cuba when she was three years old and she grew up in New Jersey and New York City. The engagement took Luxembourg by surprise when it was announced on November 8, 1980. The couple married civilly at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City on February 4, 1981, and religiously on February 14, 1981, at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.

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The couple had five children:

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On October 7, 2000, Grand Duke Jean abdicated, Henri became Grand Duke and took the constitutional oath before the Chamber of Deputies later that day. Grand Duke Henri is a constitutional monarch and therefore has limited powers. He has the power to appoint the Prime Minister and Government, to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies, to proclaim laws enacted by the Chamber of Deputies, and to accredit ambassadors. Grand Duke Henri is Commander-in-Chief of the Luxembourg Army and holds the rank of General.

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Grand Duke Henri and his family at the swearing-in ceremony

Grand Duke Henri is active in many organizations. He is a member of the International Olympic Committee, a member of The Mentor Foundation established by the World Health Organization as an international NGO voice of drug use and substance abuse prevention, and a Director of the Charles Darwin Trust for the Galapagos Islands.  The Grand Duke is a member of the board of directors of the Foundation of the Grand Duke and of the Grand Duchess, of which the Grand Duchess is President, and which aims to work for people in distress and with specific needs in Luxembourg society. The Foundation also supports projects in Africa and Asia.

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Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg arrive for the baptism of their grandson Prince Charles of Luxembourg on September 19, 2020

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Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl    © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein

Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein was born on February 14, 1945, in Zurich. He is the eldest son of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek.

Hans-Adam has four younger siblings:

The Prince attended elementary school in Vaduz and then attended the Schottengymnasium (Scots School) in Vienna, and the Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz, Switzerland. After briefly working as an intern in a bank in London, he enrolled at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland, graduating in 1969 with a Masters Degree in Business and Economic Studies.

On July 30, 1967, Hans-Adam married Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, his second cousin once removed, at Vaduz Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. The couple had four children:

In 1970, Prince Hans-Adam took over the management and reorganization of all of the Princely family’s assets. Hans-Adam established the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, essentially a holding company for the various assets, businesses, museums, and collections owned by the Princely Family. One of these companies, the LGT Group, is the largest family-owned private wealth and asset manager in Europe.

On August 26, 1984, Prince Franz Josef II appointed Hans Adam as his deputy, handing over most of his duties as Head of State. Franz Josef died on November 13, 1989, and Hans-Adam became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II.

In a similar move, in 2004, Prince Hans-Adam II appointed his son, Hereditary Prince Alois, as his deputy. While Hans-Adam remains Head of State, the Hereditary Prince has assumed most of the duties of the position. Prince Hans-Adam now focuses primarily on the management of the assets of the Princely Family.

The succession to the throne of Liechtenstein is based upon agnatic primogeniture which forbids women to succeed.  A United Nations committee raised concerns regarding gender equality with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In 2007, Prince Hans-Adam II explained that the succession law is older than the Principality of Liechtenstein itself,  is a family tradition that does not affect the citizens, and the Constitution of Liechtenstein Constitution states that succession to the throne is a private family matter.

After suffering a stroke three days earlier, Hans-Adam’s wife Princess Marie died at a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland on August 21, 2021, at the age of 81.

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Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Queen Sonja of Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Queen Sonja of Norway; Credit – Royal House of Norway

Sonja Haraldsen was born on July 4, 1937, in Oslo, Norway, the daughter of Karl August Haraldsen (1889–1959) and Dagny Ulrichsen (1898–1994). Sonja grew up at 1B Tuengen Allé in Vinderen, Oslo, Norway, one of the wealthiest areas of Oslo. After her elementary education, Sonja received her secondary education at Oslo Vocational School where she studied dressmaking and tailoring. This was a useful course of study as her family owned a clothing store. Sonja then attended a finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland, École Professionelle des Jeunes Filles, where she studied social science, accounting, and fashion design. When she returned to Norway, Sonja attended the University of Oslo. She studied French, English, and Art History and received an undergraduate degree.

In June of 1959, a few months after her father died, Sonja attended a party hosted by a friend, Johan Stenersen. At this party, Sonja met another friend of Johan Stenersen, Crown Prince Harald of Norway. In August 1959, when the Crown Prince graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy, he invited Sonja to attend the graduation ball, and the couple was photographed together.

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Crown Prince Harald of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen at the Norwegian Military Academy Graduation Ball in August of 1959; Photo: ATF

The relationship between the Crown Prince and Sonja was controversial as many people felt the Crown Prince should marry a princess, not a Norwegian commoner. The controversy continued for years as did the relationship despite the media’s attempts to promote a royal marriage with either of the Greek princesses Sophia and Irene. Crown Prince Harald made it clear to his father King Olav V that he would remain unmarried if he could not marry Sonja. This would have resulted in a succession crisis as Harald was the sole heir to the throne. At that time, Norway did not allow female succession, so his two sisters Ragnhild and Astrid were not in the line of succession.

Finally, in 1968, when King Olav felt the position of the Norwegian people had changed to favor Sonja, he consulted with parliamentary leaders and other government leaders and gave his consent for the Crown Prince to marry a commoner. The engagement of the couple was announced on March 19, 1968, with this announcement from King Olav V: “It is with pleasure that I inform you, Mr. President and Members of the Storting, that I, after seeking advice from the Prime Minister, members of the Government, you, Mr. President, and the parliamentary leaders of the political parties, have today given my consent to my dear son, Crown Prince Harald, to take as his wife Miss Sonja Haraldsen, daughter of the late Mr. Karl August Haraldsen and Mrs. Dagny Haraldsen née Ulrichsen.”

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Engagement photo of Sonja and Harald; Credit – ATF

The wedding was held on August 29, 1968, at the Oslo Cathedral in the presence of 850 guests. Because the bride’s father was deceased and to show his support for his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, King Olav escorted the bride down the aisle. After her marriage, Sonja became Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Noway.

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King Olav V escorting the bride down the aisle; Photo: Royal House of Norway

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The future King Harald V and Queen Sonja at their wedding; Photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor 

The couple had two children:

On January 17, 1991, King Olav V died and Sonja’s husband became King Harald V. Sonja became the first Queen Consort of Norway in 53 years, since the death of Queen Maud, wife of King Haakon VII, in 1938. Along with King Harald, Queen Sonja was consecrated in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on June 23, 1991.

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Consecration of the King and Queen; Photo: Royal House of Norway

Queen Sonja has been very active in cultural and social causes. In 1988, as Crown Princess, she started a music competition, now called The Queen Sonja International Music Competition. Originally only for pianists, the competition is now only for singers and the winners receive a cash prize and prestigious engagements at Norwegian music institutions. In addition, Queen Sonja’s School Award was established in 2006 and is awarded to schools that have “demonstrated excellence in its efforts to promote inclusion and equality”. In 2011, Queen Sonja established The Foundation for the Queen Sonja Nordic Art Award.

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Queen Sonja and King Harald; Photo: Royal House of Norway

Queen Sonja is also the patron of the following organizations:

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Kingdom of Norway Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Abdullah II of Jordan

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo credit: AP Photo/Yousef Allan, Jordanian Royal Palace

photo credit: AP Photo/Yousef Allan, Jordanian Royal Palace

King Abdullah II of Jordan

King Abdullah II of Jordan was born January 30, 1962, in Amman, Jordan, the eldest son of King Hussein I of Jordan and his second wife Antoinette Gardiner (Princess Muna).

Abdullah has three younger siblings:

  • Prince Feisal (born 1963), married (1) Alia Tabbaa, had four children, divorced (2) Sara Bassam Qabbani, no children, divorced (3) Zeina Lubbadeh, had two children
  • Princess Aisha (born 1968), married (1) Zeid Saadedine Juma, had two children, divorced  (2) Ashraf Banayoti, divorced
  • Princess Zein (born 1968), married Majdi Farid Al-Saleh, had three children

Abdullah has a number of half-siblings from his father’s other three marriages.

From his father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):

  • Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one child, divorced  (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children

From his father’s third marriage to Alia Baha ad-Din Toukan (Queen Alia):

From his father’s fourth marriage to Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Queen Noor):

At the time of his birth, Abdullah was Crown Prince and heir-apparent to the Jordanian throne. However, in 1965, due to the political unrest in the region, King Hussein instead named his own brother, Prince Hassan, as Crown Prince. The succession laws in Jordan follow agnatic primogeniture, but King Hussein had the constitution changed to allow the reigning King to override the usual line of succession and appoint someone else in the royal family as his heir.

Abdullah began his education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, before attending St Edmund’s School, in Hindhead, Surrey, and the Deerfield Academy, in Massachusetts. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, attaining the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1981. He served in the British Army in the 13th/18th Royal Hussars Regiment as a reconnaissance troop leader. He returned to Jordan in 1985 and began serving in the Jordanian Armed Forces. By 1993, he had become Commander of the Jordanian Special Forces, and by 1998, had risen to the rank of Major General.

In January 1993, Prince Abdullah met Rania al-Yassin at a dinner party hosted by mutual friends. Quickly smitten, he proposed just two months later and the couple was married on June 10, 1993. At the time, neither one likely suspected that they would one day become King and Queen of Jordan.

They have four children:

On February 7, 1999, Abdullah became King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, upon the death of his father, King Hussein. Just two weeks earlier, King Hussein had stripped his brother, Prince Hassan, of the title of Crown Prince, and named Abdullah as his successor. A formal accession ceremony took place in June of the same year. In accordance with King Hussein’s wishes, Abdullah named his younger half-brother, Prince Hamzah (eldest son of King Hussein and Queen Noor) as his heir and Crown Prince. However, in 2004 he stripped Hamzah of the title. Without naming a successor, the normal line of succession applied, making Abdullah’s eldest son, Prince Hussein, heir to the throne. Finally, in 2009, King Abdullah formally named Prince Hussein as Crown Prince of Jordan.

The King Abdullah II has continued his father’s legacy, working toward peace in the region and making “the welfare of the Jordanian people the cornerstones of his policies for national development, regional peace, and global existence.” (source: kingabdullah.jo)

In his free time, the King enjoys various sporting activities, sharing his father’s passion for motorcycles. He is also a huge science fiction fan, and in 1996, he appeared in a non-speaking role in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. See Unofficial Royalty: Beam Me Up…Abdullah?  In addition, he was the driving force and primary investor behind a large Star Trek theme park built as part of a huge resort complex – The Red Sea Astrarium – in Aqaba, Jordan.

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Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Emperor Akihito of Japan

by Scott Mehl and Susan Flantzer   
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Emperor Akihito of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Akihito of Japan was born on December 23, 1933, at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. He was the fifth of the seven children and the eldest son of Emperor Hirohito and Princess Nagako of Kuni.  Akihito was heir-apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne from birth.

Akihito and his mother; Credit – Wikipedia

Akihito had five sisters and one brother:

Japanese Imperial Family, 1941; Credit – Wikipedia

Akihito, titled Prince Tsugu, was initially educated by tutors at the Imperial Palace before completing his elementary and secondary education at The Gakushūin (Peers School) in Tokyo. During the American Occupation of Japan, following World War II, Akihito and several of his siblings were tutored in English and Western culture. He later briefly attended Gakushuin University, studying Political Science, but did not obtain a degree. On November 10, 1952, he was formally invested as Crown Prince in a ceremony held at the Imperial Palace.

Akihito’s investiture as Crown Prince; Credit – Wikipedia

Akihito first met his future wife  Michiko Shōda, the eldest daughter of a wealthy flour company executive, on a tennis court in August 1957. The Imperial Household Council formally approved the engagement of Crown Prince Akihito to Michiko Shōda on November 27, 1958, and the engagement ceremony took place on January 14, 1959. It would be the first time a commoner married into the Imperial Family. The engagement announcement drew criticism from traditionalist groups because Michiko came from a Roman Catholic family. She had never been baptized but had been educated in Catholic schools and seemed to share the faith of her parents. There was much speculation that Akihito’s mother strongly opposed the marriage. After the marriage, she treated her commoner daughter-in-law harshly. Akihito and Michiko were married in a traditional Shinto ceremony on April 10, 1959.

Akihito and Michiko on their wedding day with Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun; Credit – Wikipedia

Akihito and Michiko had two sons and one daughter:

Akihito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on January 7, 1989, upon the death of his father Emperor Hirohito. His formal enthronement took place on November 12, 1990. During his reign, Emperor Akihito made an effort to bring the Imperial family closer to the Japanese people.  Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko made official visits to foreign countries and all forty-seven Prefectures of Japan.  In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima I nuclear crisis, Emperor Akihito made a historic televised speech urging the Japanese people not to give up hope and to help each other.

Emperor Akihito has had several health issues. He underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 2003. In 2011, he was admitted to the hospital suffering from pneumonia. In February 2012, after having a coronary examination, the Emperor underwent successful heart bypass surgery.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko with their sons and their families in 2013; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Akihito shares his father’s interest in marine biology.  He is a published ichthyological researcher, has specialized in studies within the taxonomy of the family Gobiidae, and has written papers for scholarly journals such as Gene and the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.

In 2016, Emperor Akihito gave a televised speech emphasizing his advanced age and declining health that was interpreted as a desire to abdicate.  On June 8, 2017, the National Diet, the Japanese legislature, passed a bill allowing Akihito to abdicate. On December 1, 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Emperor Akihito would abdicate on April 30, 2019, in favor of his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito. The last abdication occurred 200 years ago when Emperor Kōkaku abdicated in 1817.

The era of Emperor Akihito’s reign bears the name “Heisei” and according to custom, he will be renamed “Emperor Heisei” after his death.  After Akihito abdicated on April 30, 2019, he was entitled Jōkō, an abbreviation of Daijō Tennō (Emperor Emeritus) and the new era Reiwa was established for his son and successor Emperor Naruhito.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko; Credit – Wikipedia

After the abdication, Akihito and his wife Michiko lived temporarily at the Takanawa Imperial Residence, formerly the home of Prince and Princess Takamatsu, Akihito’s aunt and uncle. It has been empty since the death of Princess Takamatsu in 2004. They then moved to Togu Palace at the Akasaka Estate, the former home of Emperor Naruhito and his family. Togu Palace was renamed Sento Imperial Palace, which translates as “the place where the retired imperial couple live.”

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State of Japan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Olav V of Norway

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

King Olav V of Norway was born Prince Alexander Edward Christian Frederik of Denmark on July 2, 1903, at Appleton House on the Sandringham Estate in the United Kingdom. He was the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark, the future King Haakon VII of Norway, and Princess Maud of Wales. Olav was the paternal grandson of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden, and the maternal grandson of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

At the time of his birth, there was little expectation that he would one day become a king. However, this would all change in 1905, when his father was named the new King of Norway, taking the name Haakon VII. Two-year-old Alexander was given the more Norwegian name Olav and became Crown Prince of Norway.

Crown Prince Olav, c.1912. Photo: The Royal Court Archives

Crown Prince Olav, c.1912. Photo: The Royal House of Norway, Court Archives

Following his elementary education, Olav attended the Norwegian Military Academy, graduating in 1924, and then studied law and economics at Balliol College, Oxford University, graduating in 1926. An avid skier and sailor, Olav represented Norway in the 1928 Olympic Games, winning a Gold Medal in the sailing competition, and remained active in sailing his whole life.

Crown Prince Olav served in the Norwegian Armed Forces, first in the navy and then the army, working to the rank of Colonel by 1936. In 1939, he was appointed Admiral of the Norwegian Royal Navy, and General of the Royal Army. His extensive military training would serve him well in the coming years, as the Nazis began their takeover of Europe.

photo: Wikipedia

Olav and his wife and first cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden – photo: Wikipedia

On March 21, 1929, at the Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Olav married his first cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden.

The couple took up residence at the Skaugum Estate in Asker, Norway, and had three children:

Olav, his wife, and children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In April 1940, when the Germans invaded Norway, the Norwegian government and the Royal Family were forced from Oslo. Olav’s wife and children went first to Sweden, and then at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, sailed for the United States where they remained for the duration of the war. King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav, and the government established themselves in Elverum, in Eastern Norway. However, it soon became clear that they would be unable to withstand the German forces. On June 7, 1940, King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav sailed for England, where they established a government-in-exile in London. Here they continued to rally and support the Norwegian people. In 1944, Crown Prince Olav was appointed Chief of Defense and took the lead of the Norwegian forces, working with the Allied Forces.

The reunited Norwegian royal family returned to Oslo in June 1945. photo: Wikipedia

On May 13, 1945, just five days after the Germans surrendered, Olav and several government ministers returned to Norway. The King, as well as Olav’s wife and children, returned the following month.

In April 1954, Crown Princess Märtha died of cancer, having been ill for some time. Three years later, Olav became King Olav V of Norway, after his father died on September 21, 1957. Olav, already much loved by the Norwegian people, became even more popular during his reign. He was often found amongst his people – driving around town, stopping in shops, taking the train to the ski slopes unaccompanied – gaining him the nickname “The People’s King”.

King Olav V died of a heart attack on January 17, 1991, at the Royal Lodge (Kongsseteren) in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. He was buried with his wife in the green sarcophagus alongside his parents in the Royal Mausoleum at the Akershus Fortress.

Tombs of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud (left), and King Olav V and Crown Princess Martha (right). photo: Wikipedia

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Kingdom of Norway Resources at Unofficial Royalty