Category Archives: Norwegian Royals

Harald I Bluetooth, King of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Harald Bluetooth – 16th-century fresco  at Roskilde Cathedral, Harald’s burial place; Credit – Wikipedia

A Viking warrior, Harald I Bluetooth, King of Denmark, reigned circa 958 – 986, and King of Norway reigned circa 970 – 986, unified Denmark and Norway in the tenth century. His nickname Bluetooth first appears in the Roskilde Chronicle in 1140. Blár means “blue” in Old Norse but it also means “dark”. Possibly Harald had a conspicuous bad tooth that was dark.

Harald Bluetooth was the inspiration for the name of the wireless technology company Bluetooth. The name was based on an analogy that the technology would unite devices the way Harald Bluetooth united the tribes of Denmark into a single kingdom. The Bluetooth logo    is a bind rune merging the runes  Runic letter ior.svg (Hagall) (ᚼ) and Runic letter berkanan.svg (Bjarkan) (ᛒ), Harald’s initials.

Harald Bluetooth was born in Denmark, before 936, probably about 932. He was the son of Gorm the Old, King of Denmark and Thyra Dannebod. Gorm the Old is the earliest reliably verified Danish ruler. His father was supposedly Harthacnut who reigned in the early 10th century. A Norse saga says that Harthacnut was the son of legendary Danish king Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, one of the sons of legendary Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok. The existence of Harald’s mother Thyra Dannebod is documented in Viking Age runestone inscriptions, but very little is known about her. Medieval historians and 12th and 13th-century Icelandic sagas disagree with her origin, describing her as the daughter of an English king, the daughter of an Earl of Jutland, or from the area of present-day Germany.

Harald had three siblings:

Harald’s first wife was Gunhild of Wenden, probably the mother of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England. Besides Gunhild, Harald Bluetooth had two other wives, Tove of the Obotrites and Gyrid Olafsdottir of Sweden. Harald had three other children besides Sweyn but it is not certain which of his wives were their mothers.

Harald’s children:

Harald succeeded his father Gorm as King of Denmark. It is speculated that Gorm died in the winter of 958 – 959, based on dendrochronology, the scientific method of dating tree rings, showing that his tomb in a burial mound in Jelling, Denmark was made from wood felled in 958. Gorm was around sixty years old when he died, and because of his father’s old age, Harald had already played an important role in governing Denmark.

During Harald Bluetooth’s reign, Denmark was peaceful and Harald focused on foreign affairs. Richard I, Count of Normandy, the great-grandfather of William III, Duke of Normandy, better known as William the Conqueror, King William I of England, allied himself with Harald who then supported Richard I, a descendant of Vikings, against his opponents. Originally Normandy was a French fiefdom created as the County of Rouen in 911 by King Charles III “the Simple” of France for Rollo, a Viking leader whose original name may have been Hrólfr. After participating in many Viking raids along the Seine, culminating in the Siege of Paris in 886, Rollo was finally defeated by King Charles III. Rollo swore fealty to the French King and converted to Christianity. Charles then granted Rollo territories around Rouen, which came to be called Normandy after the Northmen/Norsemen, another name for Vikings. Rollo is the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror.

In 961, when King Haakon I of Norway was defeated and killed in battle, Harald Bluetooth went to Norway and proclaimed himself King of Norway and appointed the Norwegian regional kings as his vassals. Harald II Greycloak of Norway, the leader of the Norwegian vassal kings and also Harald Bluetooth’s nephew (the son of his sister Gunnhild), killed his most important opponents and became increasingly independent of his uncle Harald Bluetooth. In 970, Harald Greycloak was tricked into visiting Denmark and was killed by allies of his uncle Harald Bluetooth. Harald Bluetooth regained a strong position as King of Norway and appointed Harald Greycloak’s murderers as Jarls in Norway.

Poppo baptizing Harald Bluetooth; Credit – Wikipedia

Harald Bluetooth converted to Christianity. Allegedly, around 965, Poppo, a German priest who was Bishop of Schleswig in the 10th and early 11th centuries, convinced Harald that Jesus Christ was a far stronger deity than the Norse gods. Poppo baptized Harald who then decided that the Danish people should convert to Christianity.

The Great Jelling Stone showing Jesus Christ with outstretched arms but without a cross. Erected by Harald Bluetooth in the latter half of the 10th century; Credit – Af Casiopeia – fotografiert von Casiopeia, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=197286

Harald’s father Gorm was first buried in the North Mound in Jelling, Denmark. After his conversion to Christianity, Harald had his father’s body reburied in the wooden church he built next to the North Mound in Jelling. Harald erected the Jelling stones including the Great Jelling Stone for his father and mother with the inscription: “King Harald bade these memorials to be made after Gorm, his father, and Thyra, his mother. The Harald who won the whole of Denmark and Norway and turned the Danes to Christianity.”

The modern memorial to Harald Bluetooth in Wolin, Poland. The Danish and Polish inscription, in rune style, commemorates Harald’s death in Jómsborg; Credit – By Radosław Drożdżewski (Zwiadowca21) – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4318187

In 986, Sweyn Forkbeard rebelled against his father and seized the throne. Wounded after a battle with his son, Harald Bluetooth was driven into exile and died in November 986 in Jomsborg, a Viking stronghold built by Harald Bluetooth on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Jomsborg is thought to be the present-day town of Wolin in Poland.

Roskilde Cathedral on the site of Holy Trinity Church built by Harald Bluetooth; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Harald Bluetooth named Roskilde the capital of Denmark in 960. He had a small wooden church dedicated to the Holy Trinity built on the site of the current Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial site of the Danish monarchs. Harald Bluetooth was buried at the Holy Trinity Church. His son Sweyn Forkbeard was first buried in England and his remains were later moved to Denmark where they were interred near his father at the Holy Trinity Church. However, their tombs have never been found.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Harald Blåtand. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Bl%C3%A5tand
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2021). Poppo. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppo
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Gorm the Old, King of Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/gorm-the-old-king-of-denmark-reigned-936-958/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/roskilde-cathedral-in-roskilde-denmark/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sweyn-forkbeard-king-of-denmark-king-of-norway-king-of-england/
  • ‌Harald Bluetooth. (2021). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Bluetooth

Katarina Karlsdotter, Queen of Sweden and Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

The heraldic coat of arms of the Gumsehuvud family, Katarina’s birth family; Credit – Av Dan Köhl – Eget arbete, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76271138

Katarina Karlsdotter Gumsehuvud was the second wife of Karl Knutsson Bonde, who reigned as King Karl VIII of Sweden in 1448-1457, 1464-1465, and 1467-1470 and as King Karl I of Norway from 1449 to 1450. Born in 1418 in Stockholm, Sweden, Katarina was the daughter of Swedish nobleman Karl Ormsson Gumsehuvud (link in Swedish), a member of the Swedish Council of State, and his second of three wives Märta Gregersdotter Aspenäs.

Katarina had one full brother:

  • Gustaf Karlsson Gumsehuvud (born circa 1407- 1417, died 1486) married (1) Birgitta Stensdotter Bielke (circa 1410 – circa 1462), no children (2) Märta Karlsdotter (? – 1464), no children (3) Ingeborg Philipsdotter Thott (1455 – circa 1494), no children

Wood sculpture of Karl Knutsson made posthumously by his contemporary Bernt Notke, considered to be a real likeness; Credit – Wikipedia

After his first wife Birgitta Turesdotter Bielke died in 1436, Karl Knutsson Bonde, later King Karl VIII of Sweden and King Karl I of Norway, married Katarina in Stockholm on October 5, 1438. Before the marriage, a dispensation was obtained from the Pope because Katarina was related to Karl’s first wife. The dispensation ensured that children born in the marriage would be legitimate. Katarina and Karl’s wedding is described as magnificent in the Karlskrönikan (Karl’s Chronicle) commissioned by Karl Knutsson Bonde. The celebrations lasted twelve days with wine, mead, dancing, and jousting. A council meeting was held during the celebrations, where the groom, Karl Knutsson Bonde was elected Regent of Sweden, effectively, the ruler of Sweden.

Karl and Katarina’s daughter Magdalena; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl and Katarina had a happy marriage. They had four surviving daughters. In addition, they had four sons and one daughter with unknown names who all died in infancy or early childhood.

Surviving children of Karl and Katarina:

  • Margareta Karlsdotter Bonde (1442 – 1462), unmarried
  • Magdalena Karlsdotter Bonde (1445 – 1495), married Ivar Axelsson Tott, no children
  • Richeza Karlsdotter Bonde (circa 1445 – ?), nun at Vadstena Abbey in Vadstena, Sweden
  • Brigitta Karlsdotter Bonde (1446 – 1469), nun at Vadstena Abbey

On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden suddenly died without an heir. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I. However, in Sweden, in June 1448, Katarina’s husband Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII during three periods: 1448–1457, 1464–1465, and 1467–1470. Karl and Katarina were crowned King and Queen of Sweden at Uppsala Cathedral in Upsala, Sweden on July 2, 1448.

In 1449, a portion of the Norwegian council elected Karl as King of Norway, and Karl and Katarina were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on November 20, 1449. However, Christian also continued pursuing his claim to Norway. Norway was now faced with a union with Denmark or Sweden or electing a separate king, an option quickly discarded. The Norwegian Council of the Realm was divided between Christian and Karl but eventually ruled in favor of Karl. After an armed conflict between Denmark and Norway, a joint Danish-Swedish meeting decided that Karl should renounce Norway in favor of King Christian I and that the survivor of the two kings would be recognized as king in all three kingdoms. Karl reluctantly agreed with the decision. King Christian I was crowned King of Norway on August 2, 1450.

32-year-old Queen Katarina died in Stockholm, Sweden on September 7, 1450, one of the many people who died of the bubonic plague that year, the first time it appeared in Stockholm. She was buried at Vadstena Abbey in Vadnesta, Sweden where two of her daughters would serve as nuns.

Katarina’s husband King Karl VIII survived her by twenty years, dying on May 15, 1470, aged, sixty-two, at Tre Kronor Castle (Three Crowns Castle) in Stockholm after a short illness. A few weeks before he died, King Karl VIII married his mistress Kristina Abrahamsdotter, attempting to legitimize their son Karl and have him become the next King of Sweden. However, the Swedish nobility did not recognize the five-year-old Karl as King Karl VIII’s successor. Instead, Sten Sture the Elder, the son of Karl VIII’s half-sister Birgitta Stensdotter Bielke from the second marriage of Karl’s mother to Sten Turesson Bielke, became the Lord Regent of Sweden. He ruled from June 1, 1470 to October 6, 1497, and from November 12, 1501, until he died on December 14, 1503.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2009). Karl Ormsson (Gumsehuvud). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Ormsson_(Gumsehuvud)
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Karlsdotter_(Gumsehuvud)
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Karl Knutsson Bonde, King Karl VIII of Sweden/King Karl I of Norway [Review of Karl Knutsson Bonde, King Karl VIII of Sweden/King Karl I of Norway]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-karl-viii-of-sweden-king-karl-i-of-norway/
  • ‌Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). (2022). Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). Geni_family_tree. https://www.geni.com/people/Katarina-Karlsdotter-Gumsehuvud/4753263
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Catherine Karlsdotter. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Karl Knutsson Bonde, King Karl VIII of Sweden/King Karl I of Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Wood sculpture of Karl Knutsson made posthumously  by his contemporary Bernt Notke, considered to be a real likeness; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Karl Knutsson Bonde, he reigned as King Karl VIII of Sweden in 1448-1457, 1464-1465, and 1467-1470 and as King Karl I of Norway from 1449 to 1450. Karl Knutsson Bonde was born circa September 29, 1408, at Ekholmen Castle in Veckholm, Sweden. He was the son of  Knut Tordsson Bonde, a knight and member of the privy council, and Margareta Karlsdotter, the only child and the heiress of Karl Ulfsson, Lord of Tofta. Karl VIII had three full siblings and several half-siblings but there is little information about them. After Karl’s father died in 1413, when Karl was just five years old, his mother married Sten Turesson Bielke. From his mother’s inheritance, Karl received the estate of Fågelvik Manor in Småland, his residence before he devoted himself to politics. Karl Knutsson traveled abroad, learned foreign languages, ​​and studied the art of war.

In 1428, Karl married Birgitta Turesdotter Bielke (1410 – 1436), the daughter of Ture Stensson Bielke. Birgitta died eight years after her marriage.

Karl and Birgitta had two children:

  • Ture Karlsson Bonde (circa 1430 – before 1447), died in his teens
  • Kristina Karlsdotter Bonde (circa 1432 – 1488), married Erik Eriksson Gyllenstierna, had five children

On October 5, 1438, Karl married Katarina Karlsdotter (1418 – 1450), the daughter of nobleman Karl Ormsson Gumsehuvud. Karl and Katarina had four surviving daughters. In addition, they had four sons and one daughter with unknown names who all died in infancy or early childhood. 32-year-old Queen Katarina died in Stockholm, Sweden on September 7, 1450, one of the many people who died of the bubonic plague that year, the first time it appeared in Stockholm. She was buried at Vadstena Abbey in Vadnesta, Sweden where two of her daughters would serve as nuns.

Children of Karl and Katarina:

  • Margareta Karlsdotter Bonde (1442 – 1462), unmarried
  • Magdalena Karlsdotter Bonde (1445 – 1495), married Ivar Axelsson Tott, no children
  • Richeza Karlsdotter Bonde (circa 1445 – ?), nun at Vadstena Abbey in Vadstena, Sweden
  • Brigitta Karlsdotter Bonde (1446 – 1469), nun at Vadstena Abbey

In 1434, Karl became a member of the Privy Council of Sweden and later that year he became Lord High Constable of Sweden, one of Sweden’s highest positions. Because of the growing dissatisfaction among the Swedish nobility with Eric of Pomerania, who reigned as Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden, Karl was named Military Governor of the Realm in 1436. He then replaced King Eric as the elected Regent of Sweden from 1438 to 1440. Between 1439 and 1441, the nobility of Eric’s three kingdoms deposed him. Christopher of Bavaria, Eric’s nephew, the only child of his sister Catherine of Pomerania,  succeeded him in all three kingdoms as Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden suddenly died. Christopher married 15-year-old Dorothea of Brandenburg in 1445 but the marriage was childless. Christopher’s death without an heir resulted in a succession crisis that temporarily broke up the Kalmar Union which had united the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Danish throne was first offered to Adolphus, Duke of Schleswig, the most prominent feudal lord of the lands subject to Danish sovereignty. Adolphus declined because of his age and recommended his nephew Christian, Count of Oldenburg. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I.

However, in Sweden, in June 1448, Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII during three periods: 1448–1457, 1464–1465, and 1467–1470. During the time between the three periods when King Karl VIII ruled Sweden, some regents ruled Sweden and during 1457 – 1465, King Christian I was King of Sweden. See Unofficial Royalty: Kingdom of Sweden Index for a listing of the regents and their periods of rule.

In 1449, a portion of the Norwegian council elected Karl as King of Norway, and he and Katarina were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on November 20, 1449. However, Christian also continued pursuing his claim to Norway.  Norway was now faced with a union with Denmark or Sweden or electing a separate king, an option quickly discarded. The Norwegian Council of the Realm was divided between Christian and Karl but eventually ruled in favor of Karl. After an armed conflict between Denmark and Norway, a joint Danish-Swedish meeting decided that Karl should renounce Norway in favor of King Christian I and that the survivor of the two kings would be recognized as king in all three kingdoms. Karl reluctantly agreed with the decision. King Christian I was crowned King of Norway on August 2, 1450.

Being the king in both Denmark and Norway gave King Christian I a power advantage. However, the wars fought between Christian and Karl beginning in 1452 were not decisive. In 1457, a rebellion against King Karl VIII took place, led by Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson and Swedish nobleman Erik Axelsson Tott. Karl went into exile and the two rebellion leaders organized the election of King Christian I of Denmark as King of Sweden. Karl was able to regain the Swedish throne two more times, from 1464–65 and 1467–1470.

The tomb of King Karl VIII in the foreground and the tomb of King Magnus III Ladulås in the background; Credit – Photo © Susan Flantzer

On May 15, 1470, 62-year-old King Karl VIII died at Tre Kronor Castle (Three Crowns Castle) in Stockholm after a short illness. He was buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm where another medieval Swedish king, King Magnus III Ladulås (circa 1240 – 1290), is buried as well as the fifteen Swedish monarchs and their spouses from King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great (died 1632) to King Gustaf V (died 1950).

Karl had two children with his mistress Kristina Abrahamsdotter: a daughter Anna Karlsdotter Bond (circa 1441 – 1469), and a son Karl Karlsson Bonde (1465 – 1488). On an unknown date during the spring of 1470, a few weeks before he died, King Karl VIII married his mistress Kristina Abrahamsdotter, attempting to legitimize their son Karl and have him become the next King of Sweden. However, the Swedish nobility did not recognize the five-year-old Karl as King Karl VIII’s successor. Instead, Sten Sture the Elder, the son of Karl VIII’s half-sister Birgitta Stensdotter Bielke from the second marriage of Karl’s mother to Sten Turesson Bielke, became the Lord Regent of Sweden. He ruled from June 1, 1470 to October 6, 1497, and from November 12, 1501, until he died on December 14, 1503.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). König von Schweden und Norwegen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_VIII._(Schweden)
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Katarina Karlsdotter (Gumsehuvud). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Karlsdotter_(Gumsehuvud)
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2002). kung av Sverige 1448–1457, 1464–1465 och 1467–1470, Sveriges riksföreståndare 1438–1440 och kung av Norge 1449–1450. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Knutsson_(Bonde)
  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2005). konge av Sverige og Norge. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_I
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden (Flantzer, Ed.) [Review of Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/eric-of-pomerania-eric-iii-king-of-norway-eric-vii-king-of-denmark-eric-xiii-king-of-sweden/
  • King Charles VIII of Sweden. (2023). Geni_family_tree. https://www.geni.com/people/King-Charles-VIII-of-Sweden/6000000000345666785
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Catherine Karlsdotter. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Karl Knutsson. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was born Christopher of Bavaria on February 26, 1416, in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, then in Palatinate-Neumarkt, now in the administrative region of the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany. He was the only child of Johan, Count Palatine of Neumarkt and Catherine of Pomerania. Christopher’s paternal grandparents were Rupert, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Nuremberg. Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Maria of Mecklenburg were his maternal grandparents.

Christopher’s uncle Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Christopher’s maternal uncle, born Bogislaw of Pomerania, the future Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, was taken as a child to Denmark to be raised as the heir to his maternal great-aunt Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who had no surviving children. Bogislaw’s name was changed to the more Nordic-sounding Eric. When Eric of Pomerania came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe I remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life. Margrethe I devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Queen Margrethe I died and Eric succeeded his great-aunt as King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. However, Eric’s marriage to Philippa of England was childless. Eric named his cousin Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania the heir presumptive of his three kingdoms. However, the Danish nobility refused to ratify his choice. In response, Eric left Copenhagen and lived at Visborg Castle in Gotland, Sweden’s largest island. Between 1439 and 1441, the nobility of Eric’s three kingdoms deposed him.

After Eric left Copenhagen, the Danish Imperial Council offered Christopher the Kingdom of Denmark and the right to inherit Norway and Sweden. Christopher became Regent of Denmark in July 1439 and was elected King of Denmark in April 1440. The following year he put down a peasant revolt and then traveled to Uppsala, Sweden where he was crowned King of Sweden in September 1441. On January 1, 1443, Christopher was crowned King of Norway.

Christopher’s reign was marked by difficulties related to his election as king. To gain support, Christopher had to make promises that later were difficult to keep and roused anger among the nobility. Christopher had promised the Swedes to return to them the island of Gotland, where the exiled former king, Erik of Pomerania lived in Visborg Castle and supported himself with piracy. Christopher’s negotiations failed, and when complaints were made, he replied frivolously, “My uncle must live too.” In Sweden, Christopher was called the “Bark King” because the people had to mix bark into their bread during a crop failure. In Denmark, there were complaints that Christopher invited too many Bavarians to come to Denmark. Christopher introduced unpopular tithes, a compulsory government tax.

In 1443, Copenhagen was granted a new city charter that prohibited trade in foreign currency. The Hanseatic League cities were not happy about this. In 1445, Christopher was forced to reaffirm the existing rights of the Hanseatic League in Sweden and Norway via a treaty. The treaty also provided for Christopher’s marriage to Dorothea of Brandenburg, the youngest of the three daughters and the youngest of the four children of Johann IV, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmburg.

Dorothea of Brandenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 12, 1445, 15-year-old Dorothea of Brandenburg married 29-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The marriage was childless and lasted less than three years. On January 5, 1448, 31-year-old Christopher suddenly died at Kärnan Fortress in Helsingborg, Sweden. He is buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. Christopher’s widow Dorothea was proclaimed the regent of Denmark until a new monarch could be elected.

Christopher’s death without an heir resulted in a succession crisis that temporarily broke up the Kalmar Union which had united the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Danish throne was first offered to Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, the most prominent feudal lord of the lands subject to Danish sovereignty. Adolphus declined because of his age and recommended his nephew Christian, Count of Oldenburg, the future King Christian I of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and in 1450, he was elected King of Norway and reigned as King Christian I. However, in Sweden, in June 1448, Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII during three periods: 1448–1457, 1464–1465, and 1467–1470.

In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I. The Danish Council of State made it a condition that Christian marry Dorothea of Brandenburg, Christopher’s widow. Christian I and Dorothea were married on October 26, 1449, and their coronation was held two days later. In 1450, Christian I was elected King of Norway. He also reigned in Sweden from 1457 to 1464. Sweden would not be reunited permanently with Denmark and Norway until Christian I’s son and successor King Hans conquered Sweden in 1497.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). König von Schweden, Dänemark und Norwegen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoph_III.
  • Christoffer af Bayern. (2025). Wikipedia.org. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoffer_af_Bayern
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Dorothea of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/dorothea-of-brandenburg-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden [Review of Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/eric-of-pomerania-eric-iii-king-of-norway-eric-vii-king-of-denmark-eric-xiii-king-of-sweden/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Queen of Norway, and Queen of Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margrethe-i-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden-2/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Christopher of Bavaria. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Eric of Pomerania – Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII, King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Eric of Pomerania, King of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Eric of Pomerania was King of the three Scandinavian kingdoms as King Eric III of Norway (1389 – 1442), King Eric VII of Denmark (1396 – 1439), and King Eric XIII of Sweden (1396 – 1434, 1436 – 1439). However, he was deposed in all three kingdoms. Eric was born in 1381 or 1382 as Bogislaw of Pomerania at Darłowo Castle in Rügenwalde, Duchy of Pomerania, now Darłowo, Poland. He was the elder of the two children and the only son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Maria of Mecklenburg. Eric’s paternal grandparents were Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen. Heinrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg and Ingeborg of Denmark, the eldest daughter of King Valdemar IV of Denmark, were his maternal grandparents.

Eric’s parents Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Maria of Mecklenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Eric had one sister:

Eric’s maternal grandmother Ingeborg of Denmark was the sister of Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark (1387 – 1412), Queen of Norway (1388 – 1412), and Queen of Sweden (1389 – 1412). Ingeborg was the only one of Margrethe’s five siblings to marry and have children. Margrethe I’s only child Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway (1370 – 1387), died in his teens and had no heirs. After her son’s death Margrethe was named Queen of Denmark and Queen of Norway. In 1389, Queen Margrethe I replaced the unpopular King Albert of Sweden when the Swedish noble rose against him.

Statue of Eric of Pomerania with Queen Margrethe I in Viborg, Denmark; Credit – By Oleryhlolsson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86745447

In 1389, Margrethe I brought seven or eight-year-old Bogislaw to Denmark to be raised as a Dane. Bogislaw’s name was changed to the more Nordic-sounding Eric. When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe I remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life. Margrethe devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

Queen Philippa, painted in the in the 1590s by Cornelius Krommeny; Credit – Wikipedia

Early in his reign, King Henry IV of England tried to negotiate an alliance between England and the Kalmar Union. He suggested a marriage between two of his children, his eldest son and heir, the future King Henry V of England, and his daughter Philippa of England, with Margrethe I’s great-niece and great-nephew, Catherine of Pomerania and Eric of Pomerania. Terms for the marriages were not agreed upon at that time, however, in 1405, a marriage between Philippa and Eric of Pomerania was arranged. Eleven-year-old Philippa was married by proxy to 24-year-old Eric on November 26, 1405, at Westminster Abbey in London. Philippa was formally proclaimed Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in London, England on December 8, 1405, in the presence of the Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ambassadors.

In August 1406, Philippa left England to travel to Sweden and married Eric of Pomerania in person on October 26, 1406, at Lund Cathedral in Lund, Sweden. Documentation from the wedding indicates that Philippa wore a tunic with a cloak in white silk bordered with gray squirrel and ermine, making her the first documented princess to wear a white wedding dress. On November 1, 1406, Philippa was crowned Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Queen Margrethe I died aboard her ship docked in the harbor at Flensburg, then in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Several possible causes of Margrethe’s death have been discussed over the years including the bubonic plague and poisoning by her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric, who became sole King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden when Margrethe died.

In 1417, Eric made Copenhagen a royal possession assuring its status as the capital of Denmark. He also took away Copenhagen Castle from the Bishop of Roskilde, and the castle became his primary residence. During Eric’s reign, he had many conflicts with the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe,  the Teutonic Order, a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society, and the Schauenburg Counts of Holstein. The tax burden related to these conflicts caused discontent among Eric’s subjects, particularly in Sweden.

Eric went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from 1423 – 1425. While he was away, his wife Philippa was regent for Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. After Eric returned from his pilgrimage, Philippa continued her commitment to the kingdoms. She resolved disputes among her subjects, and organized and successfully defended Copenhagen against attacking forces from the Hanseatic League cities.

Philippa by Reinhold Callmander on a window above her grave, 1890s; By Mariusz Paździora (photo); Reinhold Callmander (painting) – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6100584

After twenty-three years of marriage, Philippa gave birth, for the first and last time, to a stillborn boy in 1429. Her health deteriorated after the stillbirth and during a visit to Vadstena Abbey in Stockholm, Sweden, Philippa died on January 5, 1430, at the age of 35. Her death was a great loss to Eric and the monarchy. She was buried in St. Anna’s Chapel, which she had built at the Vadstena Abbey church. In Philippa’s memory, Eric gave a generous sum of money to Vadstena Abbey. In return, he demanded that the abbey employ ten priests to pray and sing psalms continually for Philippa’s soul. After Philippa’s death, Eric had a relationship and eventually, a morganatic marriage, with Cecilia, Philippa’s former lady-in-waiting,

Visborg Castle in an early 17th-century drawing; Credit – Wikipedia

With no children to succeed him, Eric named his cousin Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania as his heir presumptive of his three kingdoms. However, the Danish nobility refused to ratify his choice. In response, Eric left Copenhagen and lived at Visborg Castle in Gotland, Sweden’s largest island. Between 1439 and 1441, the nobility of Eric’s three kingdoms deposed him. Christopher of Bavaria, Eric’s nephew, the only child of his sister Catherine succeeded him in all three kingdoms.

Darlowo Castle, now in Darłowo, Poland, where Erik was born and died; Credit – Wikipedia

For ten years, Eric lived in Gotland and supported himself by piracy. After Swedish attacks in 1449, he was forced to surrender Visborg Castle to Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and return to his birthplace Rügenwalde in the Duchy of Pomerania. From 1449 to 1459, Eric ruled Pomerania-Rügenwalde, a small partition of the Duchy of Pomerania-Stolp. Erik died at his birthplace, Darłowo Castle in Rügenwalde, Duchy of Pomerania, now Darłowo, Poland, on September 24, 1459, aged 77-78, and was buried in St. Mary Church in Darłowo.

Eric’s tomb in St. Mary Church in Darłowo, Poland; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). König der Kalmarer Union, Herzog von Pommern-Stolp. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_VII._(D%C3%A4nemark)
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Konge af Norge, Danmark og Sverige (1382-1459). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_af_Pommern
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Queen of Norway, and Queen of Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margrethe-i-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden-2/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2017). Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/philippa-of-england-queen-of-denmark-sweden-and-norway/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Eric of Pomerania. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_of_Pomerania
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Haakon VI, King of Norway, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

The royal seal of King Haakon; Credit – Wikipedia

Haakon VI was King of Norway from 1343 to 1380 and King of Sweden from 1362 to 1364, and the husband of Margrethe I, the reigning Queen of Denmark (1387 – 1412), Norway (1388 – 1412), and Sweden (1389 – 1412) after his death. Haakon’s exact birth date and place of birth are unknown. He was possibly born in mid-August 1340, most likely in Sweden. Haakon was the second of the two sons of Magnus Eriksson, King of Sweden and King of Norway and Blanche of Namur. Haakon’s father was King Magnus VII of Norway but medieval Swedish kings did not use regnal numbers as part of their title. Haakon’s paternal grandparents were the Swedish Eric, Duke of Södermanland and the Norwegian Ingeborg Haakonsdatter. His maternal grandparents were John I, Count of Namur and Marie of Artois.

Queen Blanche of Sweden, and Prince Haakon, 1877 historical painting by Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt; Credit – Wikipedia

Haakon’s mother Queen Blanche is remembered in Sweden for the song: “Rida rida ranka, hästen heter Blanka” (“Ride, ride on my knee, the horse is called Blanka”), which influenced the famous 1877 historical painting of Blanche and her son Haakon by Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt.

Haakon had one elder brother Eric Magnusson (1339 – 1359) and at least three unknown sisters who died in infancy or early childhood. Eric married Beatrix of Bavaria. The couple had no surviving children and both Erik and Beatrix died in 1359, probably from the black plague.

When Haakon was born, his father Magnus decided to divide his kingdoms between his sons. Eric was designated to succeed his father as King of Sweden, while Haakon would become King of Norway. Haakon had become a very young King of Norway in 1343. Opposition to Magnus’ rule in Norway led to an agreement between Magnus and the Norwegian nobles. Haakon would become King of Norway, with Magnus as regent during his minority. In 1344, Haakon’s five-year-old brother Eric was formally elected King of Sweden and co-reigned with his father. In 1362, three years after Eric’s death, Haakon became co-ruler of Sweden with his father. The two reigned over Sweden together until 1364, when they were deposed in favor of Magnus’ nephew Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg by a group of exiled Swedish noblemen. Magnus and Haakon tried to retake the Swedish throne but were unsuccessful. With no throne, Magnus lived with his son Haakon in Norway. On 1 December 1, 1374, Haakon’s father Magnus, aged 58, drowned in a shipwreck in Bømlafjorden, a fjord in Norway.

Margrethe’s effigy on her tomb at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1359, King Valdemar IV of Denmark betrothed his six-year-old daughter Margrethe of Denmark to eighteen-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway as part of an alliance treaty. Four years later, on April 9, 1363, King Haakon VI and Margrethe were married at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark. Haakon’s parents Magnus Eriksson and Blanche attended the wedding. Shortly after the wedding, Blanche fell ill and died. The cause of death and the place where she is buried are unknown.

Ten-year-old Margrethe, now Queen Consort of Norway and Sweden, remained in Denmark for some time after the wedding. Eventually, she moved to Norway and lived primarily at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Margrethe was too young for the marriage to be consummated. She spent her time getting acclimated to Norway and preparing for her duties as Queen Consort.

Haakon and Margrethe’s son Olaf who was King of Denmark and King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe and Haakon VI had one son, born at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway:

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375, and Margrethe was the only survivor of his six children. It was expected Albrecht IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the son of Ingeborg of Denmark, Valdemar IV’s eldest child who survived childhood and had children, would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, Haakon and Margrethe’s five-year-old son Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age.

The ruins of St. Mary’s Church in Oslo where King Haakon VI was buried; Credit – By Grzegorz Wysocki Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2827853

Haakon never stopped attempting to reclaim the Swedish throne. He was exhausted by the constant warfare and the conflict with his cousin Albert of Mecklenburg who had been King of Sweden since 1364. On September 11, 1380, forty-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway died in Oslo, Norway, and was buried at St. Mary’s Church in Oslo which now lies in ruins. Haakon’s ten-year-old son Olaf, King of Denmark was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe, Regent of Denmark, was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began.

On August 3, 1387, Haakon and Margrethe’s sixteen-year-old son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died. During her son’s reign, Margrethe had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway. After her son’s death, she used all her diplomatic skills and was named Queen of Denmark on August 10, 1387, and Queen of Norway on February 2, 1388. Margrethe joined forces with the Swedish nobles who rose against the unpopular King Albert of Sweden, Haakon’s cousin who had taken the Swedish throne in 1364, when he attempted to reduce the land holdings of the Swedish nobility. At a meeting at Dalaborg Castle in Sweden in March 1388, the Swedish nobles proclaimed Margrethe to be Sweden’s “sovereign lady and rightful ruler”. Margrethe sent troops to Sweden and on February 24, 1389, they defeated King Albert of Sweden at the Battle of Åsle, something that Haakon had never been able to do.

Margrethe was now the reigning Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. She was the founder of the Kalmar Union which united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch from 1397 – 1523. Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was called “the first great ruling queen in European history” by Norwegian-American author, historian, and college professor Knut Gjerset. Because Queen Margrethe I had no living children, she adopted her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania. When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margrethe remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life. Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden survived her husband by thirty-two years, dying on October 28, 1412, aged fifty-nine. She was interred in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2004). Konge av Sverige og Norge. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A5kon_VI_Magnusson
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/margrethe-i-queen-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden-2/
  • Magnus IV of Sweden. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_IV_of_Sweden
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Blanche of Namur. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Haakon VI. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Effigy of Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

I first came across Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in 2011, when I visited Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the burial site of most Danish monarchs and their spouses. Her tomb there with its beautiful effigy and wonderful carvings is my favorite royal tomb. The founder of the Kalmar Union which united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch from 1397 – 1523, Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was called “the first great ruling queen in European history” by Norwegian-American author, historian, and college professor Knut Gjerset.

Margrethe held various titles at certain points during her life:

  • Queen Consort of Sweden: 1363 – 1364
  • Queen Consort of Norway: 1363 – 1380
  • Regent of Denmark (for her son): 1376 – 1387
  • Regent of Norway (for her son): 1380 – 1387
  • Sovereign Queen of Denmark: 1387 – 1412
  • Sovereign Queen of Norway: 1388 – 1412
  • Sovereign Queen of Sweden: 1389 – 1412

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The youngest of the six children and the youngest of the four daughters of Valdemar IV, King of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig, Margrethe was born in March 1353 in Søborg Castle in Denmark.

Margrethe had five elder siblings but at the time of her birth, three siblings had died.

Margrethe’s mother Queen Helvig; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe grew up at her father’s court at his many castles including Copenhagen Castle, Søborg Castle, Vordingborg Castle, Kalundborg Castle, Roskilde Castle, and his hunting seat Gurre Castle. In 1355, Margrethe’s mother Queen Helvig entered Esrum Abbey as a lay sister after being replaced by her husband’s mistress Tove. Queen Helvig died circa 1374 and was buried at Esrum Abbey.

Seal of King Haakon VI of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1359, King Valdemar IV of Denmark betrothed his six-year-old daughter Margrethe to eighteen-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway, a younger son of Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden, as part of an alliance treaty. Margrethe and King Haakon VI were married at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark on April 9, 1363.

When Margrethe’s husband Haakon was born, his father Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden decided to divide his kingdoms between his sons. The elder son Eric was designated to succeed his father as King of Sweden, while Haakon would become King of Norway. By 1343, three-year-old Haakon had become King of Norway. Opposition to Magnus’ rule in Norway led to an agreement between Magnus and the Norwegian nobles. In violation of the Norwegian laws on royal inheritance, Haakon would become King of Norway, with Magnus as regent during his minority. In 1344, five-year-old Eric was formally elected King of Sweden and co-reigned with his father. Three years after Eric died in 1359, Haakon became co-ruler of Sweden with his father. The two reigned over Sweden together until 1364, when they were deposed in favor of Magnus’ nephew, Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg by a group of exiled Swedish noblemen. Magnus and Haakon tried to retake the Swedish throne but were unsuccessful.

Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway where Margrethe spent the early years of her marriage; Credit – By Ghirlandajo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42021733

Ten-year-old Margrethe remained in Denmark for some time after the wedding. Eventually, she moved to Norway and lived primarily at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Margrethe was too young for the marriage to be consummated. Her governess was Swedish noblewoman Merete Ulvsdatter, a daughter of Saint Birgitta of Sweden. Margrethe was raised with Merte Ulvsdatter’s daughters Ingegerd and Katrine, who became her closest friends. She spent her time getting acclimated to Norway and preparing for her duties as Queen Consort.

Margrethe and Haakon VI had one son who was born at Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway:

Margrethe’s son Olaf who was King of Denmark and King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Margrethe’s father Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375, and Margrethe was the only survivor of his six children. It was expected that Duke Albert IV of Mecklenburg, the son of Ingeborg of Denmark, Valdemar IV’s eldest child who survived childhood and had children,  would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, Margrethe’s five-year-old son Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age. A little more than four years later, on September 11, 1380, Margrethe’s husband King Haakon VI of Norway died. Their ten-year-old son Olaf was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began.

On August 3, 1387, Margrethe’s sixteen-year-old son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died. He was buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark, where Margrethe’s father King Valdemar IV of Denmark was buried. There were unproven rumors that Olaf was poisoned. In 2015, Jørgen Lange Thomsen, a forensic scientist, proposed a theory Olaf died from Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder. See Copenhagen Post: Mystery of Danish king deaths fosters new theory.

During her son’s reign, Margrethe had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway. After her son’s death, she used all her diplomatic skills and was named Queen of Denmark on August 10, 1387, and Queen of Norway on February 2, 1388. Margrethe joined forces with the Swedish nobles who rose against the unpopular King Albert of Sweden, Haakon’s cousin who had taken the Swedish throne in 1364, when he attempted to reduce the land holdings of the Swedish nobility. At a meeting at Dalaborg Castle in Sweden in March 1388, the Swedish nobles proclaimed Margrethe to be Sweden’s “sovereign lady and rightful ruler”. Margrethe sent troops to Sweden and on February 24, 1389, they defeated King Albert of Sweden at the Battle of Åsle.

Statue of Queen Margrethe I and her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania in Viborg, Denmark; Credit – By Oleryhlolsson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86745447

Because Queen Margrethe I had no living children, she adopted her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania (Unofficial Royalty article coming). When Eric came of age, he was declared co-ruler in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, however, Margarethe remained the effective ruler of all three kingdoms for the remainder of her life.

Margrethe devised the Kalmar Union, a personal union from 1397 to 1523, in which a single monarch ruled the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas colonies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland).

Margrethe was in constant conflict with the neighboring Duchy of Schleswig. In 1412, Margrethe successfully took the border city of Flensburg, then in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In October 1412, Margrethe and her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric set sail to Flensburg to have the local citizens swear an oath of loyalty to them. After attending several meetings, Margrethe boarded her ship docked in the Flensburg harbor intending to set sail back to Denmark. However, she suddenly became violently ill. Suspecting that she was dying, Margrethe ordered thirty-seven marks to be paid to a nearby monastery for perpetual Masses for her soul. On October 28, 1412, 59-year-old Margrethe died aboard her ship docked in Flensburg harbor. Several possible causes of Margrethe’s death have been discussed over the years including the bubonic plague and poisoning by her co-ruler and great-nephew Eric, who became sole King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden when Margrethe died.

Roskilde Cathedral where Queen Margrethe I is buried; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Queen Margrethe I wished to be buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark where her father King Valdemar IV of Denmark and her son Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway were buried. In 1413, the year after she died, Peder Jensen Lodehat, Bishop of Roskilde ordered her remains to be transferred to Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, probably to give Roskilde Cathedral greater importance. There were several earlier royal burials at Roskilde Cathedral. Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark and Norway (died circa 985 – 986), who introduced Christianity to Denmark, was buried at the Holy Trinity Church, the wooden, first church on the site where Roskilde Cathedral now stands. His son Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England (963 – 1014) was first buried in England and his remains were later moved to Denmark where they were interred near his father at the Holy Trinity Church. However, their tombs have never been found. Sweyn II Ertridsen, King of Denmark (1019 – 1076) was interred in the southeastern pier of Roskilde Cathedral. A pier is similar to a column and is designed to support arches.

Tomb of Margrethe I; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Queen Margrethe I was interred in a sarcophagus behind the high altar. Her beautiful sarcophagus was made by German sculptor Johannes Junge (link in German) in 1423. The sarcophagus is made of black marble. On the sarcophagus is a life-sized effigy of Queen Margrethe I made of white alabaster. The reliefs on the sides of the sarcophagus are also made of white alabaster. Margrethe left property to Roskilde Cathedral on the condition that Masses for her soul would be said regularly in the future. This was discontinued in 1536 during the Protestant Reformation although a special bell is still rung twice daily in memory of Queen Margrethe I.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2006). Margarethe I. (1353-1412). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarethe_I.
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2003). Margarete I Regent af Danmark 1375-1412. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrete_1.
  • Flantzer, Susan. Danish Royal Burial Sites. (2012). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/
  • ‌Flantzer, Susan. (2025). Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/olaf-ii-king-of-denmark-olav-iv-king-of-norway/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/roskilde-cathedral-in-roskilde-denmark/
  • Margaret I of Denmark. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_I_of_Denmark
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Haakon VI. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olav IV, King of Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Olaf II, King of Denmark from 1376 to 1387, and also Olaf IV, King of Norway from 1380 to 1387, was the only child of two sovereigns, King Haakon VI of Norway and Sweden and the future Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He was born in 1370 at the Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway. Olaf’s paternal grandparents were Magnus Eriksson, King of Norway and Sweden and Blanche of Namur. His maternal grandparents were Valdemar IV, King of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig.

Olaf’s very capable mother Margrethe of Denmark, later Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Olaf’s maternal grandfather Valdemar IV, King of Denmark died on October 24, 1375. Valdemar IV had two sons and four daughters but all had predeceased him except his youngest daughter Margrethe, Olaf’s mother. It was expected that Duke Albert IV of Mecklenburg, the son of Valdemar IV’s eldest child (who survived childhood and had children) Ingeborg of Denmark would claim the Danish throne. However, Margrethe managed to win over the Danish royal council by offering them lucrative grants and agreements. She also won the support of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe, which did not want the House of Mecklenburg to gain power in Denmark. On May 3, 1376, five-year-old Olaf was proclaimed King of Denmark with his mother Margrethe acting as Regent of Denmark because of her son’s young age from May 3, 1376, until his early death on August 3, 1387.

A little more than four years later, on September 11, 1380, Olaf’s father King Haakon VI of Norway died. Ten-year-old Olaf was now also King of Norway, and his mother Margrethe was also Regent of Norway. With Olaf’s accession to the throne of Norway, 434 years of a Danish-Norwegian union began. After Olaf, no King of Norway would be born on Norwegian soil for 567 years, until King Harald V, born in 1937, became King of Norway in 1991.

Remains of the tombstone of King Olaf II at Sorø Abbey; Credit – Von Orf3us – Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16134679

On August 3, 1387, at Falsterbohus in Falsterbo, Sweden, Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway died, aged sixteen years old. He was buried at Sorø Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on the island of Zealand in Denmark. There were unproven rumors that Olaf was poisoned. In 2015, Jørgen Lange Thomsen, a forensic scientist, proposed a theory Olaf II died from Brugada Syndrome, a genetic disorder. See Copenhagen Post: Mystery of Danish king deaths fosters new theory.

After her son’s death, Margrethe, who had been a very capable Regent of Denmark and Norway, reigned as Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden for twenty-five years. She was the founder of the Kalmar Union in which Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523 when Sweden seceded and became its own kingdom.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2005). Konge av Danmark og Norge. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olav_H%C3%A5konsson
  • Margaret I of Denmark. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_I_of_Denmark
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Olaf II of Denmark. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_II_of_Denmark

Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Akershus Fortress; Credit – By Ghirlandajo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42021733

Note: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch (Kalmar Union) from 1397 until 1523 when Sweden seceded and became its own kingdom. From 1450 to 1814, Denmark and Norway were in a union of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. From 1814 – 1905, Norway and Sweden were in a personal union of separate kingdoms under a common monarch. In 1905, Norway withdrew from the union and became its own kingdom.

History of the Akershus Fortress

The Castle at Akershus Fortress; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Akershus Fortress, which this writer has visited, was built as a royal residence and a fortress to protect the city of Oslo. Although it is no longer a royal residence, the Royal Mausoleum at the Akershus Fortress is the burial place of several Norwegian royals, including the two most recent deceased monarchs and their spouses. Akershus Fortress is still a military fortress under a commander. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence has its headquarters at the fortress. After the terrorist attacks on July 22, 2011, the Prime Minister’s Office has been located in the Armed Forces Command Building at Akershus Fortress. His Majesty The King’s Guard has permanent sentry duty at Akershus Fortress and is responsible for guarding the fortress.

The name Akerhus comes from the Old Norse ákr, which means field, and hus, which means house. Aker was originally the name of the farm on the isthmus where the fortress was built. Akershus Fortress’ construction began around the late 1290s by King Haakon V of Norway. After Norwegian nobleman Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg attacked Oslo in 1287, it became clear that a stronger defense of the city was needed.

Akershus Fortress in the Middle Ages; Credit – Wikipedia

Akershus Fortress has successfully survived all sieges, mostly by Swedish forces, including King Karl XII of Sweden who invaded Norway in 1716 with a force of 7,000. He occupied the capital of Christiania, as Oslo was then known, and laid siege to the Akershus Fortress. However, King Karl XII did not have enough siege cannons to defeat the Norwegian forces inside the fortress. He was forced to retreat after a significant loss of soldiers and weapons.

Although Akershus Fortress has never been successfully besieged, it surrendered without combat to Nazi Germany in 1940 when the Norwegian government evacuated Oslo after unprovoked German attacks on Denmark and Norway. During the Nazi occupation, people were executed at the fortress by the Germans. After the fortress was liberated in 1945, eight Norwegian traitors who were tried and convicted of war crimes were executed at the fortress including Vidkun Quisling and Siegfried Fehmer.

King Haakon V of Norway (reigned 1299 – 1319) and his wife Euphemia of Rügen began to use Akershus Fortress as a royal residence which played a significant role in moving the capital of the Kingdom of Norway from Bergen to Oslo in 1300. Others who lived at Akershus Fortress during the Middle Ages include Princess Ingeborg, daughter of King Eric II of Norway, and Margrethe of Denmark, the future Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. After her marriage in 1363 to eighteen-year-old King Haakon VI of Norway, ten-year-old Margrethe of Denmark, lived primarily at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. Margrethe was too young for the marriage to be consummated. Her governess was Swedish noblewoman Merete Ulvsdatter, a daughter of Saint Birgitta of Sweden. Margrethe was raised with Merte Ulvsdatter’s daughters Ingegerd and Katrine, who became her closest friends. She spent her time getting acclimated to Norway and preparing for her duties as Queen Consort. Her only child Olaf II, King of Denmark/Olaf IV, King of Norway was born at Akershus Fortress.

On August 17, 1624, a fire began in Oslo, lasting for three days and destroying almost the entire city. Following the 1624 fire, King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway decided to rebuild the city with better protection against fire and relocate it closer to Akershus Fortress. King Christian IV came to Oslo to oversee his plan. On September 27, 1624, Christian IV’s new city was officially founded and named Christiania in his honor. In 1925, the city returned to its former name, Oslo.

During the city’s reconstruction, Akershus Fortress was modernized and remodeled, giving it the appearance of a Renaissance castle with bastioned ramparts. Until the beginning of the 19th century, Akershus Fortress was used as a royal palace with new towers, halls, chambers, and gates added over the years.

Because Norway was in unions with Denmark and/or Sweden over the years, the kings moved around to their kingdoms. When the king was absent from Norway, Akershus Fortress was the seat of the Steward of Norway who acted as the head of the government during the monarch’s absence.

The ongoing restoration work on Akershus Fortress was extensive and lasted from the turn of the century until 1960. In the early years, the restoration concentrated on repairing basic damage to walls, basements, floors, and roof structures. In 1929, Norwegian architect Arnstein Rynning Arneberg began serving as the executive restoration architect in collaboration with other architects. Major renovations and maintenance work continued until completion in 1960, only interrupted by World War II in 1940 – 1945. Since the restoration, Akershus Fortress has been used frequently as the venue for official events and dinners for dignitaries and foreign heads of state.

The Royal Mausoleum

The Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

With a few exceptions, burial sites and/or remains of Norwegian monarchs before 1380 have disappeared. Nearly all Norwegian monarchs between 1380 and 1905 are buried in other countries. During this period, Norwegian monarchs were also monarchs of Denmark and/or Sweden and were buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark; Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden; St. Peter’s Cathedral in Schleswig, Germany; and St. Mary’s Church now in Darłowo, Poland.

Within the walls of the Akershus Fortress is the Royal Mausoleum, a small burial chapel designed by Norwegian architect Arnstein Rynning Arneberg and completed in 1948. An altar designed by Norwegian artist Henrik Sørensen is in a niche. Before I visited Akershus Fortress, I could tell from photographs that the Royal Mausoleum was small, but when I visited, I was surprised at just how small it was. One could have walked right past it and not even noticed it.

White tomb of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud on the left and green tomb of their son King Olav V and his wife Princess Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway on the right; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

In the mausoleum behind a gate are two sarcophagi. King Haakon VII of Norway (1872 – 1957) and his wife Queen Maud of Norway (1869 – 1938) are interred in the white sarcophagus and their son King Olav V of Norway (1903 – 1991) and his wife Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, Princess Märtha of Sweden (1901 – 1954), who died before her husband became king, are interred in the green sarcophagus. Arnstein Rynning Arneberg designed both sarcophagi.

The grave marker of King Sigurd I of Norway; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

The remains of King Sigurd I of Norway (circa 1090 – 1130), originally buried at the Old Cathedral in Oslo, King Haakon V of Norway (1270 – 1319), the original builder of Akershus Fortress, and his second wife Queen Euphemia (circa 1280 – 1312), both originally buried at St. Mary’s Church in Oslo, were transferred from their original burial places to the Royal Mausoleum where they are interred in crypts in the wall outside the Royal Mausoleum.

The grave marker of King Haakon V of Norway and his second wife Queen Euphemia; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Other Areas of Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress is an impressive structure, inside and outside. Here are some photographs of the interior.

The Castle Church; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Olav V Hall: Probably the location of the Great Hall of the medieval castle; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Margrethe Hall: Named for Margrethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden – In the Middle Ages, it was the primary living room for the court. Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

The Prince’s Chamber was originally part of the royal apartments;  Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Romerike Hall: Named for the Romerike peasants who repaired this wing after a fire in 1527. In the 17th century, the Steward of Norway had offices here. Today the Romerike Hall is used for official banquets. Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Akershus Fortress. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akershus_Fortress
  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2006). Akershus slot. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akershus_slot
  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2004). bygningskompleks i Oslo. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akershus_slott_og_festning
  • Discover Kvadraturen | Discover the Square. (2024). Discover Kvadraturen. https://www.oppdagkvadraturen.no/en/
  • Visitor Guide Akershus Castle. (2022). Digitaltmuseum.no. https://digitaltmuseum.no/0211811930788/visitor-guide-akershus-castle

Nobel Peace Prize Events – Norway – December 10

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate President Barack Obama delivers his Nobel Lecture during the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony at Olso City Hall on December 10, 2009. Seated in the chairs on the right are King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Crown Prince Haakon; Credit – Wikipedia from The Official White House Photostream

On December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896, the Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize at the Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway. Each recipient, known as a laureate, receives an 18-carat green gold medal plated with 24-carat gold, a diploma, and a monetary award. In attendance are the Norwegian Monarch, his/her spouse, members of the Norwegian royal family, officials of the Norwegian government, representatives of the Storting (the Norwegian legislature), and an invited audience. Later the same day, the Norwegian Nobel Committee hosts a banquet in honor of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) also attended by the Norwegian royal family.

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Who was Alfred Nobel?

Alfred Nobel; Credit – Wikipedia

Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman, known for inventing dynamite. His invention of dynamite in 1866 was developed with the idea of using it for mining, not for war. However, just four years later, dynamite was used by the Prussians and the French in the Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871). In 1891, Nobel commented about his dynamite factories, “Perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses: on the day that two army corps can mutually annihilate each other in a second, all civilized nations will surely recoil with horror and disband their troops.” Alfred Nobel died in 1896, so he was not alive during World War I to see how wrong his idea was.

Nobel’s friend Countess Bertha von Suttner; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1876, Austro-Bohemian Countess Bertha von Suttner became Nobel’s secretary. She left the position after a short time to marry but corresponded with Nobel until he died in 1896. During the 1880s, von Suttner began developing pacifist ideas, ideas her friend Nobel was also considering due to the effects of more powerful weapons. In 1889, von Suttner became a leading figure in the peace movement when her pacifist novel, Die Waffen Nieder! (Lay Down Your Arms!) was published. It is believed that von Suttner had a major influence on Nobel’s decision to include a peace prize among the prizes provided in his will. Bertha von Suttner was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 “for her audacity to oppose the horrors of war.”

On December 10, 1896, 63-year-old Alfred Nobel died in his villa in San Remo, Italy, from a cerebral hemorrhage. In his will, Nobel left instructions that his fortune be used to create a series of prizes for those who develop the “greatest benefit on mankind” in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature, and peace. Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets to establish the five Nobel Prizes. A sixth prize for Economic Sciences, endowed by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, was first presented in 1969.

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The Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai displays her medal and diploma during the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2014

Alfred Nobel’s will states that the Peace Prize shall be given “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Nobel’s will further state that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate will be selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member committee appointed by the Storting (the Norwegian legislature). Sweden administers the other Nobel Prizes. Why the Swedish Alfred Nobel decided that Norway should administer the Peace Prize is unclear. When Nobel died in 1896, Norway and Sweden were still the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway with Sweden in charge of foreign policy. There is speculation that Nobel may have considered Norway better suited to awarding the Peace Prize because it did not have the same militaristic traditions as Sweden.

Each year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee invites eligible people to submit nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation those eligible to submit nominations are:

Unlike the Nobel Prizes, the Peace Prize is occasionally awarded to an organization.

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Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies and Events

The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony takes place at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway on December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the Norwegian monarch and the Norwegian royal family.

Several ceremonies occur on December 10 which Norwegian royal family members may attend.

Save the Children Peace Prize Party in 2015. Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her son Prince Sverre Magnus are on the right

  • Save the Children Peace Prize Party
  • December 10 at 11:00 AM
  • Location: Nobel Peace Center

The Save the Children Peace Prize Party is a show made by and for children with representatives of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) as guests of honor. Children from 5th, 6th, and 7th grade are in the audience.

2023 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. King Harald V, Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Crown Prince Haakon sit in the four chairs in the aisle.

  • Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony
  • December 10 at 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
  • Location: Oslo City Hall

The ceremony starts with musical performances, followed by the speech of the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) receive their diploma and gold medal from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the presence of the Norwegian monarch and the Norwegian royal family, and then they give their Nobel Lectures.

Torchlight procession from Oslo Central Station to the Grand Hotel in 2023; Credit – Wikipedia by Kimberli Mäkäräinen

The torchlight procession, organized by the Norwegian Peace Council, starts at Oslo Central Station and ends in front of the Grand Hotel, where the Nobel Peace Prize laureate(s) greet the parade from the Grand Balcony of the Nobel Suite.

2009 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama wave from the Grand Balcony of the Nobel Suite at the Grand Hotel.

Left to Right: Crown Prince Haakon, Queen Sonja, Ali Rahmani, Kiana Rahmani, King Harald V, Crown Princess Mette Marit, and Taghi Rahmani arrive at the Nobel Banquet on December 10, 2023. The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was imprisoned and was represented by her 17-year-old twin children and her husband, who live in exile in Paris. Narges Mohammadi received the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and the fight for human rights and freedom for all.

  • The Nobel Banquet
  • December 10 at 7:30
  • Location: Grand Hotel

More than 200 guests attend the Nobel Banquet at The Grand Hotel in Oslo. Seated with the laureate(s) are the Norwegian monarch and his/her spouse the President of the Storting, the Prime Minister, and members of the Nobel Committee. Other guests usually include the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess and his/her spouse, government ministers, members of the Storting, and representatives of public institutions, non-profit organizations, and cultural and commercial life.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bertha von Suttner. (2022). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_von_Suttner
  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2004). svensk kjemiker, ingeniør, oppfinner og filantrop. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel
  • Nobels Fredspris. (2021). Wikipedia. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobels_fredspris
  • Press Program for the Nobel Peace Prize Events 2023 – Nobel Peace Prize. (2023). Www.nobelpeaceprize.org. https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-releases/press-program-for-the-nobel-peace-prize-events-2023
  • Royen, Ulrika. (2021). The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets – NobelPrize.org. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremony/the-nobel-prize-award-ceremonies-and-banquets/
  • ‌Royen, Ulrika. (2024). The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2024 – NobelPrize.org. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremony/the-nobel-peace-prize-award-ceremony-2024/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Alfred Nobel. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Nobel Peace Prize. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize