Norway is in northwestern Europe and consists of the land on the northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula and a number of islands. The Kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of many small kingdoms. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523 when Danish rule was overthrown in a rebellion led by nobleman Gustav Vasa, who became King Gustav I of Sweden. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden.
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, as well as his wife’s British connections, Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite. Before accepting, Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard in regards to 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. The Norwegian Royal Family are members of the House of Glücksburg, shortened from House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles and about the Norwegian Royal Family at Unofficial Royalty. If it says “Notable Issue” before a name, that means not all of the children for the parent of that person are listed. Also listed below are links to Norwegian Royal Wedding articles and the various Norwegian Content Areas.
House of Oldenburg (1450 – 1863)
Note: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523. From 1450 to 1814, Denmark and Norway were in a union of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. The monarchs who reigned during that time period are listed below as Kings of Denmark and Norway.
Family of King Christian I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
- King Christian I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (reigned 1448 – 1481)
- Dorothea of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
- Notable Issue: King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (see below)
- Notable Issue: Margaret of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Queen of Scots
- Notable Issue: King Frederik I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (see below)
Family of King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
- King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (reigned 1481 – 1513)
- Christina of Saxony, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (wife of H
- Notable Issue: King Christian II of Denmark and Norway (see below)
Family of King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
- King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (reigned 1513 – 1523)
- Isabella of Austria, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, had five children, no surviving sons
Family of King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway
- King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1523 – 1533)
- Anna of Brandenburg, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein
- Notable Issue: King Christian III of Denmark and Norway (see below)
- Sophie of Pomerania, Queen of Denmark and Norway, had six children)
Family of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway
- King Christian III of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1534 – 1559)
- Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway (see below)
Family of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway
- King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1559 – 1588)
- Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: Anne of Denmark and Norway, Queen of England (wife of King James I of England)
- Notable Issue: King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway (see below)
Family of King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway
- King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1588 – 1648)
- Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway (see below)
- Kirsten Munk, Countess of Schleswig-Holstein, had nine children
Family of King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway
- King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1648 – 1670)
- Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Christian V of Denmark and Norway (see below)
- Notable Issue: Prince George of Denmark and Norway (husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain)
- Notable Issue: Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark and Norway, Queen of Sweden
Family of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway
- King Christian V of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1670 – 1699)
- Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Frederik IV of Denmark and Norway (see below)
Family of King Frederik IV of Denmark and Norway
- King Frederik IV of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1699 – 1730)
- Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway (see below)
- Anna Sophie von Reventlow, Queen of Denmark and Norway (mistress, bigamous wife, 2nd legal wife of Frederik IV, six children, all died in infancy)
Family of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway
- King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1730 – 1746)
- Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway (see below)
Family of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway
- King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1746 – 1766)
- Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: Sophia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, Queen of Sweden
- Notable Issue: King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway (see below)
- Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway
- Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway (wife of Frederik)
- Notable Issue: King Christian VIII of Denmark
Family of King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway
- King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1766 – 1808)
- Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway
- Notable Issue: King Frederik VI of Denmark and Norway (see below)
Family of King Frederik VI of Denmark and Norway
- King Frederik VI of Denmark and Norway (reigned 1808 – 1839 in Denmark, 1808 – 1814 in Norway)
- Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway
House of Holstein-Gottorp (1814 – 1818)
Note: Kings of Norway from 1814 – 1905 were also Kings of Sweden.
Family of King Karl II of Norway/King Carl XIII of Sweden
- King Karl II of Norway (reigned 1814 – 1818) also King Carl XIII of Sweden (reigned 1809 – 1818)
- Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Norway and Sweden, no surviving issue
House of Bernadotte (1818 – 1905)
Note: Kings of Norway from 1814 – 1905 were also Kings of Sweden.
Family of King Karl III Johan/King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden
- King Karl III Johan of Norway also King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden (born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, reigned 1818 – 1844)
- Désirée Clary, Desideria, Queen of Norway and Sweden
- King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden (see below)
Family of King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden
- King Oscar I of Norway, also King Oscar I of Sweden (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte, reigned 1844 – 1859)
- Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, Josefina, Queen of Norway and Sweden
- Notable Issue: King Karl IV of Norway/King Carl XV of Sweden (see below)
- Notable Issue: King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden (see below)
Family of King Karl IV of Norway/King Carl XV of Sweden
- King Karl IV of Norway also King Carl XV of Sweden (reigned 1859 – 1872)
- Louise of the Netherlands, Lovisa, Queen of Norway and Sweden
- Notable Issue: Princess Louise of Norway and Sweden, Queen of Denmark
Family of King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden
- King Oscar II of Norway (reigned 1872 – 1907) also King Oscar II of Sweden (reigned 1872 – 1905, renounced his claim to the Norwegian throne, recognizing Norway as an independent constitutional monarchy)
- Sofia of Nassau, Queen of Norway and Sweden
- Notable Issue: King Gustaf V of Sweden
- Notable Issue: Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland
House of Glücksburg (1905 – Present)
Family of King Haakon VII of Norway
- King Haakon VII of Norway (born Prince Carl of Denmark, reigned 1905 – 1957)
- Queen Maud of Norway (Maud of Wales)
- King Olav V (see below)
Family of King Olav V of Norway
- King Olav V of Norway (reigned 1957 – 1991)
- Crown Princess Märtha of Norway (Märtha of Sweden, died before he became king)
- Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen
- Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner
- King Harald V of Norway (see below)
Family of King Harald V of Norway
- King Harald V of Norway (reigned 1991 – present)
- Queen Sonja of Norway (Sonja Haraldsen, wife of Harald V)
- Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
- Ari Behn (husband of Märtha Louise, divorced 2017, died 2020)
- Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (see below)
Family of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
- Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
- Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby)
Norwegian Royal Weddings
- Wedding of King Haakon VII and Princess Maud of Wales (1896)
- Wedding of King Olav V and Princess Märtha of Sweden (1929)
- Wedding of King Harald V of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen (1968)
- Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby (2001)
Norwegian Royal Ceremonies and Events
- Accession, Coronation, Benediction
- Constitution Day, National Day of Norway (May 17)
- New Year’s Speech (December 31)
- Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony (December 10)
- Nobel Peace Prize Banquet (December 10)
- State Opening of Parliament (Early October)
Norwegian Miscellaneous Articles
- Ancestors of King Harald V of Norway
- Ancestors of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
- First Cousins of King Harald V of Norway
- Funeral of Ari Behn, former husband of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
- How are current European monarchs related to each other?
- Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway
- Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway
Norwegian Content Areas
- Norwegian Monarchs
- Norwegian Orders and Honours
- Danish/Norwegian Royal Burial Sites: House of Oldenburg, 1448 – 1863
- Norwegian Royal Burial Sites – House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg: 1905 – Present
- Norwegian Royal Christenings
- Norwegian Royal Dates
- Norwegian Royal Funerals
- Norwegian Royal In Memoriam
- Norwegian Royal Links
- Norwegian Royal Residences
- Norwegian Royal Weddings
- Line of Succession to the Throne of Norway
- Profiles of the Norwegian Royal Family