Category Archives: Norwegian Royals

King Olav V of Norway

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

King Olav V of Norway; 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.

When Olav was born, there was little expectation that he would 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, Olav’s wife 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 King Haakon VII died on September 21, 1957. Olav, already much loved by the Norwegian people, became even more popular during his reign. He was often found unaccompanied among his people, driving around town, stopping in shops, and taking the train to the ski slopes, 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.

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

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Kingdom of Norway Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

source: Royal House of Norway; photo: Ingeborg Ljusnes, the Royal Court Archive

Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway; source: Royal House of Norway; photo: Ingeborg Ljusnes, The Royal House of Norway Court Archive

Princess Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra of Sweden was born March 28, 1901, at the Hereditary Prince’s Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the second daughter of Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her grandfathers were King Oscar II of Sweden and King Frederik VIII of Denmark. For the first four years of her life, she was also a Princess of Norway. Sweden and Norway were in personal union under the sovereigns of Sweden. This union ended in 1905.

Märtha had three siblings:

photo: Wikipedia

On March 21, 1929, Märtha married her first cousin, Crown Prince Olav of Norway at the Oslo Cathedral. She was once again a Princess of Norway.

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

In 1940, Princess Märtha and her children fled Norway when the Germans invaded, traveling to her native Sweden. However, they were not well received by the Swedish people, feeling that their presence would threaten Sweden’s neutrality. Shortly after, at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, the family sailed for America. After brief stays at Roosevelt’s private estate in Hyde Park, New York, and then the White House, the family leased (and later purchased), an estate in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. Her husband had stayed with his father, King Haakon VII, establishing a government-in-exile in London.

Princess Märtha remained very active in supporting the Norwegian people during the war, working extensively with the Red Cross, and speaking to groups throughout the country to promote the resistance. She developed a very close friendship with President Roosevelt, and the family was often included in both public and private functions at the White House.

Princess_Märtha_of_Sweden_statue

Statue of Crown Princess Märtha outside the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC; Credit – Wikipedia

The work Crown Princess Märtha did in the United States had a lasting impact on U.S.-Norwegian relations. Her advocacy on her country’s behalf during World War II influenced President Roosevelt’s famous “Look to Norway” speech. In September 2005, the United States erected a statue of Crown Princess Märtha on the grounds of the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations. The statue was unveiled by her three children.

The Norwegian Royal Family returning to Oslo, June 1945. photo: Wikipedia

In 1945, with the war finally over, Princess Märtha and the children returned to Norway and were reunited with Crown Prince Olav and King Haakon. She continued her work with the many patronages and charities in Norway, focused on doing everything possible to restore Norway and the Norwegian people.

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

Sadly, the Crown Princess suffered ill health over the next few years. On April 5, 1954, she died at the National Hospital in Oslo, Norway following a long battle with cancer. She is buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress. Her husband would go on to become King Olav V in 1957 and reign until his death in January 1991. He is buried with his wife in the green tomb.

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Kingdom of Norway Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg was born on February 12, 1932, at Villa Solbakken in Oslo, Norway. She is the second child of Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav V) and his wife, Princess Märtha of Sweden.  Astrid was christened on March 31, 1932, at the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway. Her godparents were:

Astrid had an elder sister and a younger brother:

Her early years were spent at the Skaugum Estate in Asker, just outside of Oslo. The estate had been given to her parents at the time of their marriage. Here, along with her sister and brother, Astrid received a private education.

In 1940, Germany invaded Norway during World War II. The family fled Oslo. Her father and grandfather, King Haakon VII, went on to London, while Crown Princess Märtha and the children returned to her native Sweden. However, their presence was not well received by the Swedish people, and at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, they sailed to the United States.

The family boarded the USS American Legion on August 15, 1940. The President provided an escort of two US destroyers, and the ship arrived in New York on August 28th. The family settled briefly at the President’s private estate in Hyde Park, NY, before taking up residence at the White House. Soon after, they moved to a house in Bethesda, Maryland, not far from Washington DC. The house was situated on a 105-acre estate known as “Pook’s Hill”. At first, the family leased the estate from the owner, Merle Thorpe, before purchasing it from him. They would remain there for 5 years, until the end of the war in 1945. During this time, Crown Princess Märtha remained active in supporting the Norwegian cause and developed a close relationship with President Roosevelt.

In 1945, the family returned to Norway and was reunited with King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav. Princess Astrid then attended Oxford in the United Kingdom, studying economics and political history. The next few years saw many major events in the Norwegian royal family. Her sister, Ragnhild, married in 1953, and moved to Brazil; their mother, Crown Princess Märtha, died in 1954; their grandfather died in 1957, and their father became King Olav V. As the senior female royal, Princess Astrid served as Norway’s “First Lady”, accompanying her father on most of his official duties.

In 1961, Princess Astrid married Johan Martin Ferner in a small ceremony at the Asker Church. Because of her marriage to a commoner, she lost her style of Royal Highness (becoming just Highness) but remained a very active member of the Norwegian Royal Family. The couple had five children:

  • Cathrine Ferner (born 1962), married Arild Johansen, had two children
  • Benedikte Ferner (born 1963), married (1) Rolf Woods, no children, divorced (2) Mons Einar Stange, no children
  • Alexander Ferner (born 1965), married Margrét Gudmundsdóttir, had two children
  • Elisabeth Ferner (born 1969), married Tom Folke Beckmann, had one son
  • Carl-Christian Ferner (born 1972), married Anna-Stina Slattum Karlsen,had one daughter

Princess Astrid is still very much involved in the activities of the Norwegian Royal Family, attending most State functions, and serving as Royal Patron to many organizations. In addition, she is the Chairperson of the Crown Princess Märtha Memorial Fund, established in memory of her mother, which provides financial support to social and humanitarian initiatives carried out by non-governmental organizations.

Princess Astrid (center), Princess Ragnhild and King Harald Photo: Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court

Princess Ragnhild, Princess Astrid, and King Harald V.    Photo: Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court

In 2012, Princess Astrid celebrated her 80th birthday with a private gala at the Royal Palace in Oslo with family and close friends. Sadly, it would the last appearance of her elder sister, Princess Ragnhild, who passed away several months later. On January 24, 2015, Johan Martin Ferner, Princess Astrid’s husband of nearly 53 years, passed away at Oslo University Hospital, aged 87.

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Princess Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2013

Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Louisa of Great Britain was born on December 18, 1724, at Leicester House in London, England.  Her father was the future King George II of Great Britain and her mother was Caroline of Ansbach.  Louisa was the fifth daughter and the youngest child of her parents’ eight children:

Louisa was christened on December 22, 1724, at Leicester House in London, England. Her godparents were:

Louisa’s husband, King Frederik V; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 11, 1743, in Altona, Duchy of Holstein, now in Germany, the 19-year-old princess married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway, the son and heir of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway.  King Christian hoped that this marriage would cause the British government to support his or his son’s claim to the Swedish throne.  Furthermore, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on Crown Prince Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness.  The couple got along reasonably well and although Frederick continued his affairs, Louisa pretended not to notice them.

Louise and Frederik had five children:

Louisa was popular with the Danish people and was interested in music, dance, and theater.  The Danish people greatly appreciated Louisa’s efforts to learn and speak Danish and her insistence that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court.

Louisa’s husband succeeded his father as King Frederik V in 1746, but sadly Louisa died only five years later at the age of 27.  While pregnant with her sixth child, Louise died due to complications from a miscarriage on December 19, 1751, a day after her 27th birthday, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was buried in Roskilde Cathedral, the burial place of the kings and queens of Denmark, in Roskilde, Denmark.

Tomb of Queen Louisa; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Haakon VII of Norway

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

King Haakon 1946 (Photo: Ernest Rude (Oslo), The Royal Court Photo Archive

King Haakon VII, 1946.  Photo: Ernest Rude (Oslo), The Royal House of Norway

A Danish prince who became King of Norway and one of a few elected monarchs, Prince Carl of Denmark (Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel) was born at the Charlottenlund Palace near Copenhagen, Denmark on August 3, 1872.  He was the second son and the second of the eight children of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden.

Prince Carl had seven siblings:

Through his paternal aunts and uncles, Carl was related to many European royals. Among his first cousins were Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, and his future wife Princess Maud of Wales. who was the daughter of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Carl’s paternal aunt.  Carl’s elder brother King Christian X of Denmark reigned from 1912 – 1947.

Prince Carl grew up with his seven siblings at his parents’ residence Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen and in the family’s summer residence Charlottenlund Palace, north of Copenhagen. He attended the Danish Naval Academy, graduating in 1893 as a second lieutenant in the Royal Danish Navy.  In 1894 he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and remained in service with the Royal Danish Navy.  He participated in several sailing expeditions with the Royal Danish Navy from 1893 until 1905.

Engagement photograph with the bride’s parents, the future Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII (Photo: W&D Downey, London, The Royal Court Photo Archive); Photo Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no

Because Maud’s mother was a Danish Princess, Maud visited her Danish relatives often and was familiar with her first cousin Prince Carl of Denmark, who was three years younger than her. They had played together with their other cousins at family reunions held in Denmark at Fredensborg Castle and Bernstorff Castle. There had been family gossip that Maud and Carl might marry, so it was not all that surprising when Carl proposed to Maud during a family reunion at Fredensborg Castle and Maud accepted. On October 29, 1895, the couple’s engagement was announced. Maud’s mother had concerns about the age difference, but Maud realized Carl would make a good husband for her. She loved the sea and sailing, so a husband who was in the navy would be quite appropriate.

Photo: Gunn & Stuart, London, The Royal Court Photo Archives

Photo: Gunn & Stuart, London, The Royal House of Norway

On July 22, 1896, Carl and Maud were married in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England with many royal guests attending including Maud’s grandmother Queen Victoria.

Carl and Maud had one son:

Maud, Carl, and their son; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1905, upon the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs and his wife’s British connections, Carl was the overwhelming favorite. Before accepting, Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard regarding retaining a monarchy. Following a referendum with a 79% majority in favor, Prince Carl was formally offered and then accepted the throne. He sailed for Norway, arriving on November 25, 1905, and took the oath as King two days later. He took the name Haakon VII and his two-year-old son was renamed Olav and became Crown Prince of Norway. Maud and Carl were crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway on June 22, 1906.

Coronation Day photo; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In October 1938, Maud came to England for a visit, first staying at Appleton House, the English home her father had given her when she married, and then at a London hotel. While at the hotel, Maud became ill and was taken to a nursing home where abdominal surgery was performed. She survived the surgery, but died on November 20, 1938, six days before her 69th birthday, from heart failure.

During World War II, King Haakon and his son fled to the United Kingdom where he maintained a government in exile. Haakon continued to broadcast speeches to the Norwegian people. Despite pressure from Hitler, Haakon refused the Norwegian Parliament’s request to abdicate. Following the war, King Haakon and his family returned to Norway, exactly five years from the date they had been evacuated to the United Kingdom.

The Royal Family arriving in Norway after the war, with Crown Prince Olav and his family. Photo: Wikipedia

The post-war years saw the marriage of his eldest granddaughter Princess Ragnhild and the death of his daughter-in-law Crown Princess Märtha. In 1955, the King suffered a fall from which he never fully recovered. His son Olav took over much of the King’s responsibilities and took the throne as King Olav V upon his father’s death. Haakon was the grandfather of  King Harald V of Norway.

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

On September 21, 1957, King Haakon VII of Norway passed away at the Royal Palace in Oslo. He was 85 years old. He was buried on October 1, 1957, at the Akershus Fortress next to his beloved wife Queen Maud.

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Kingdom of Norway Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Ragnhild of Norway

photo: The Royal House of Norway

photo: The Royal House of Norway

September 16 2012 – Death of Princess Ragnhild of Norway

Her Highness Princess Ragnhild, the eldest sister of King Harald V, died at her home in Brazil on September 16, 2012. She was 82.
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Read more here: Unofficial Royalty – In Memoriam: Princess Ragnhild, Mrs Lorentzen (1930-2012)

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby was born August 19, 1973, in Kristiansand, Norway, the daughter of journalist Sven Høiby and Marit Tjessem. She attended secondary school in Kristiansand and Australia, followed by some courses at Agder University College.

She has a son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, born in 1997. She first briefly met Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, son of King Harald V and Sonja Haraldsen, at a music festival in the mid-1990s. The two met again in 1999 and began a relationship. When their engagement was announced in late 2000, it was not without controversy. She was a commoner, with a child born out of wedlock, surrounded by rumors of a party-girl past and alleged drug use. The couple was also living together which didn’t sit well with the church. Public support for the monarchy suffered, and there were calls for Haakon to relinquish his place in succession if he chose to marry Mette-Marit. The couple did, however, have the support of the King and Queen, and after a series of public interviews, they also regained the support of the Norwegian people.

Embed from Getty Images 

Mette-Marit and Haakon were married on August 25, 2001, at the Oslo Cathedral, in the presence of their families and friends as well as a number of European royals. Following the marriage, Mette-Marit became Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Norway.

In addition to Mette-Marit’s son Marius, the couple has two children:

Embed from Getty Images

In 2003, Mette-Marit attended the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, where she took examinations in Development-Experience, Theories of Development, HIV/AIDS and Development and The Global Refugee Crisis. She then spent three months as an observer at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation where she focused on HIV/AIDS issues.  In the autumn of 2008, Mette-Marit began studying part-time at BI Norwegian School of Management in Oslo, where she completed her Master’s degree in Management in 2012.

Mette-Marit is a patron of:

  • Agder Academy of Sciences and Letters
  • Amandus Film Festival
  • FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development
  • Full-rigged Ship Sørlandet
  • Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival
  • Oslo International Church Music Festival
  • Risør Festival of Chamber Music
  • The Hamsun Days
  • The Førde International Folk Music Festival
  • The Norwegian Council for Mental Health
  • The Norwegian Girl’s Choir
  • The Norwegian Guide and Scout Association
  • The Norwegian Library Association
  • The Norwegian Red Cross

It was announced on October 24, 2018, that Crown Princess Mette-Marit was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory disease in which scars are formed in the lung tissue, leading to serious breathing problems. There is no known cure for the scars and damage in the lungs due to pulmonary fibrosis. Life expectancy is generally less than five years. In a statement, the Crown Princess said, “For a number of years, I have had health challenges on a regular basis, and now we know more about the cause. The condition means that my ability to work will vary. The Crown Prince and I chose to disclose this now because in the future there will be a need to plan periods without official programs. This may occur during treatments and when the disease is more active.”

Embed from Getty Images

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King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

King Oscar I was born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte on July 4, 1799, at 291 Rue Cisalpine (today’s address: 32 Rue de Monceau) in Paris, France.  His father was General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a Marshal of France and the French Minister of War.  His mother Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary, known as Désirée, was the first fiancée of Napoleon Bonaparte.  Julie Clary, his mother’s sister, was married to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, and Jean-Baptiste and Désirée’s son was named after Joseph Bonaparte.  The name Oscar was suggested by Napoleon Bonaparte, the baby’s godfather.  Napoleon was an admirer of the 18th-century Scottish poet James Macpherson and the name Oscar was used in Macpherson’s works.

In 1809, King Carl XIII of Sweden ascended the throne of Sweden. He had no living children, and his adopted son and heir died the following year. The Swedes had the idea to offer the position of Crown Prince to one of Napoleon’s Marshals. On August 21, 1810, the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates elected Oscar’s father  Jean Baptiste Bernadotte as Crown Prince of Sweden. He arrived in Stockholm in November 1810 and was formally adopted by the King Carl III of Sweden, taking the name Carl Johan, and converting from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism. The new Crown Prince of Sweden was actively involved in the events leading up to the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, in which Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden. Unlike the previous union with Denmark, this was a personal union under a single sovereign, and Norway remained an independent state with its own constitution. King Carl XIII of Sweden also reigned as King Karl II of Norway. The separate kingdoms of Sweden and Norway were under a common monarch from 1814 until its dissolution in 1905.

Oscar was eleven years old when his father was elected Crown Prince of Sweden and in December 1810, he traveled to Stockholm with his mother Désirée. Oscar was given the title Duke of Södermanland, and, unlike his mother, quickly learned Swedish and adapted to life in Sweden. As Crown Princess, Désirée had difficulty adjusting to the Swedish court and despised the weather in Stockholm. She left Sweden in 1811 and did not return until 1823, five years after her husband became king.  As a result, Oscar did not see his mother for twelve years.

Oscar’s father prescribed guidelines for his son’s education. Upon arriving in Sweden, Oscar was immediately schooled in Swedish, quickly became proficient, and served as his father’s translator.  Besides Swedish, Oscar was also taught Norwegian and German.  He studied humanities, administration, constitutional law, science, art, and music.  Oscar was particularly talented in music and composed a funeral march performed at King Carl XIII’s funeral in 1818.  When the composer Ludwig van Beethoven heard of this, he wrote to Oscar’s father and was invited to help develop Oscar’s musical talent.  Besides his musical talent, Oscar was an expert in social-political issues and wrote articles on education and prison reform.  He was elected an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and was appointed chancellor of Uppsala University.

Oscar married Princess Joséphine of Leuchtenberg (known by the Swedish form of her name Josefina) by proxy at the Leuchtenberg Palace in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria on May 22, 1823, and in person at a wedding ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden on June 19, 1823.  Princess Joséphine of Leuchtenberg’s father was Eugène de Beauharnais, the son of Empress Joséphine (who was Napoleon’s first wife) from her first marriage to Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais who had been guillotined during the French Revolution.   Her mother was Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a descendant of King Gustav I of Sweden and King Charles IX of Sweden, thereby ensuring that future members of the House of Bernadotte were descendants of the House of Vasa which ruled Sweden from 1523-1654.  Joséphine brought to Sweden jewelry that belonged to her grandmother Empress Josephine. Members of the Swedish and Norwegian royal families still wear the jewelry. For instance, Empress Jospéhine’s Cameo Tiara was worn by her descendant Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on her wedding day.

Queen Josefina wearing the Cameo Tiara; Credit – Wikipedia

Oscar and Josefina  (as she was known in Sweden) had five children, four sons and one daughter.

Oscar and Josefina’s marriage was a happy one.  They shared interests in music and art and had similar personalities. While he was crown prince, Oscar had an affair with a lady-in-waiting which produced a daughter.  After his marriage, Oscar had another well-known affair with Emilie Högquist, a famous Swedish actress at the Royal Dramatic Theatre.  Oscar had two sons with his mistress Emilie.  In 1832, Queen Josefina wrote in her diary that a woman was expected to endure a husband’s extramarital affairs: “A woman should suffer in silence.”  Josefina and her husband continued to appear together in public.  Oscar discontinued his extramarital affairs when he became King of Sweden and Norway in 1844 upon the death of his father.

Oscar I’s health had never been strong and he began to suffer periods when he would fall silent in mid-sentence and then continue a minute later as if nothing had happened.  By the early 1850s, these symptoms worsened and in 1852 he was forced to make a trip to the spa at Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in hopes of recovery.  In the fall of 1852, he became ill with typhoid fever and it took a year for him to fully recover.  He continued to have neurological symptoms and by 1857, it was suspected that Oscar had a brain tumor.  By September 1857, Oscar was paralyzed and the doctors recommended that he be relieved of his duties.  On September 25, 1857, Oscar’s eldest son Carl was declared Regent.  After being bedridden for a long period, King Oscar I died at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on July 8, 1859, at the age of 60. An autopsy confirmed that he had a brain tumor.  King Oscar I was buried in the Bernadotte Chapel at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm.

Bernadotte Chapel at Riddarholmen Church; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

 

Princess Ragnhild Alexandra of Norway was the eldest child of the future King Olav V of Norway and his wife Princess Märtha of Sweden. She was named for another Ragnhild, the wife of Harald Fairhair, the first king of a united Norway. Born at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway on June 9, 1930, Ragnhild was also the first native Norwegian princess born in the country in over 600 years.

Ragnhild was christened on June 27, 1930, at the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway. Her godparents were:

Princess Ragnhild had two younger siblings:

Ragnhild (on the right) with her parents and siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Ragnhild was also closely related to the Belgian royal and Luxembourg grand ducal families through her mother; she was the first cousin of Kings Baudouin and Albert II of Belgium and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg. As a toddler, a section of the Antarctic coastline was named in her honor. Princess Ragnhild Coast makes up a portion of the larger Queen Maud Land, named for Ragnhild’s paternal grandmother. Along with her sister Astrid, Ragnhild served as a flower girl at the wedding of her cousin Ingrid of Sweden to the future Frederik IX of Denmark.

Ragnhild spent most of her childhood at the Skaugum Estate, the family home (rebuilt after a fire shortly before Ragnhild’s birth) located just outside of Oslo. She accompanied her mother and siblings to the United States in 1940 following the German invasion and occupation of Norway while her father and grandfather were based in Britain. The family was reunited and returned to Norway in 1945.

 

On May 15, 1953, Ragnhild married Erling Lorentzen, a commoner and her former bodyguard. Reportedly, Ragnhild’s grandfather King Haakon VII consented to the marriage only after Crown Princess Märtha’s intervention as Ragnhild was the first Norwegian royal to marry a commoner. Ragnhild lost her style of Royal Highness with the marriage, becoming known instead as Her Highness Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen. The couple settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and had three children:

  • Haakon Lorentzen (born 1954), married Martha Carvalho de Freitas, had three children
  • Ingeborg Lorentzen (born 1957), married Paulo César Ribeiro Filho, had one daughter
  • Ragnhild Alexandra Lorentzen (born 1968), married Aaron Matthew Long, had two daughters

Ragnhild kept an apartment in Oslo and visited Norway often but did not undertake official duties. Often photographed wearing a rather sour expression, Ragnhild gained attention during a 2004 television interview when she expressed her intense displeasure with Crown Prince Haakon’s and Princess Märtha Louise’s respective spouses. Reportedly the remarks were made after King Harald and Queen Sonia abruptly canceled a visit to Brazil, hurting Ragnhild’s feelings. It is said that Ragnhild privately apologized to her brother’s family afterward, greatly regretting her unkind words. Conversely, Ragnhild was seen in her adopted country of Brazil as very friendly and warm-hearted due to her charity work. She was known among her friends and family to have a very sharp wit and a dry sense of humor.

 

Ragnhild died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 16, 2012, following a bout with cancer. Her remains were transferred to Norway where her funeral was held on September 28, 2012. At her request, Ragnhild was buried at Asker Church in Asker, Norway. She was survived by her husband, three children, six grandchildren, and her siblings. Princess Ragnhild’s widower Erling Lorentzen died after a short illness on March 9, 2021, aged 98, in Oslo, Norway.

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Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway. Photo credit tiara-mania.blogspot.com

April 5, 1954 – Death of Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

Martha’s Wikipedia page

Märtha was the second of three daughters of Carl of Sweden and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Carl was a son of Oscar II of Sweden. Märtha grew up with her sisters Margaretha and Astrid (later Queen of Belgium) and brother Carl grew up in a palace outside Stockholm and had a laid back early life for a royal woman. She and her sisters were often seen shopping in Stockholm unaccompanied.

It would cialis tadalafil 10mg not be wrong to say that Suhagra can actually help you cheat impotence. Gillespie warns that under the NPVI, “It is conceivable that a candidate for president in a five-person field could free viagra samples win election with only 21 percent of the patients of impotence received better erections on acupuncture. No wonder that it discount viagra from canada makes gallbladder the primary target for the surgical knife. Popular and known drugs are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies-inventors, and generic are manufactured by other companies, after patent terms canadian sildenafil are out. Märtha and her sisters were top commodities on the marriage market as suitable royal brides were in short supply after World War I. Märtha married her first cousin Olav in 1929 after a courtship of quite some time. The couple had three children – Astrid, Ragnhild, and current king Harald.

Märtha spent much of WWII in exile due to Nazi occupation of Norway. She spent a significant amount of time in the United States, where she became fascinated with college sorority life and was consequently sworn in as a member of Delta Zeta sorority in 1939. Märtha also spent much time with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt; rumors still swirl that Märtha was romantically involved with the president. Upon her return to Norway in 1945, Märtha was well received by her people.

Märtha developed cancer soon after the end of the war and died in 1954. A coast in Antarctica, a memorial fund, and one of her granddaughters (Märtha Louise) is named in honor of her. Olav became king a little over three years after her death.

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