In Memoriam: Princess Ragnhild, Mrs Lorentzen
(1930-2012)

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Her Highness Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen, died at her home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 16, 2012. at the age of 82.

Princess Ragnhild Alexandra was born on June 9, 1930, at the Royal Palace in Oslo, the eldest child of Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav V) and Princess Märtha of Sweden. She was the older sister of Princess Astrid and King Harald V of Norway. In 1940, when German troops invaded Norway, the Royal Family fled Oslo. Ragnhild, along with her mother and siblings, went first to Sweden and then settled in Washington DC in the United States. Her father and grandfather, King Haakon VII, settled in London for the duration of the war. The family was reunited in Oslo in 1945.

In May 1953, she married Erling Lorentzen at Asker Church, near the Skaugum Estate, outside of Oslo, where she had been brought up. Mr. Lorentzen had been one of her bodyguards during World War II as well as a successful businessman. Upon her marriage, she lost her royal status and was styled Her Highness Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen. The Princess and her husband moved to Brazil shortly after they married, where they remained until her death. She often returned to Norway for family events and occasional state functions, however, she did not undertake any official duties for the Royal Family.

Princess Ragnhild’s last appearance with the Norwegian royal family was the 80th birthday celebration for her sister, Princess Astrid, in February 2012. She was, however, too ill to attend the birthday celebrations of the King and Queen in May. After a long illness, she died peacefully at her home on the morning of September 16, 2012. She is survived by her husband, three children, and six grandchildren.

Her funeral service was held at the Palace Chapel on September 28, 2012, and in accordance with her wishes, she will be buried privately at Asker Church, the site of her marriage 59 years earlier.

Links
Royal House of Norway: Princess Ragnhild
Views and News from Norway: Norway mourns princess’ death

In Memoriam: King Olav V (1903-1991)

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King Olav V died of a heart attack in Oslo, Norway on January 17, 1991, at age 87. He was born Prince Alexander Edward Christian Frederik of Denmark at Appleton House on the Sandringham House estate in Norfolk, England on July 2, 1903. His parents were Prince Carl of Denmark, son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. In 1905, when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved, Olav’s father was elected king of Norway, taking the name King Haakon VII. At that time, Olav’s name was changed from Alexander to the more Norwegian-sounding Olav and he became Crown Prince of Norway.

Crown Prince Olav married Princess Märtha of Sweden, daughter of Prince Carl of Sweden (son of King Oscar II of Sweden) and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (daughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark) on March 21, 1929. Märtha died of cancer in 1954 before Olav succeeded to the Norwegian throne in 1957.

King Olav and Crown Princess Märtha had three children:

Princess Ragnhild, born in 1930, married Erling Svend Lorentzen
Princess Astrid, born in 1932, married Johan Martin Ferner
Prince Harald, born in 1937, succeeded his father as King Harald V, married Sonja Haraldsen

When Olav died in 1991, he was greatly mourned by the Norwegian people. On the nights between his death and his state funeral, the Norwegian people lit hundreds of thousands of candles in the courtyard outside the palace in Oslo. Many letters and cards, which have all been preserved by the National Archives, were placed among the candles. Olav was nicknamed “Folkekongen” which means “The People’s King.” He is buried with his wife Märtha in the green sarcophagus in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress.

Links:
The Royal House of Norway: King Olav V
Unofficial Royalty: Norwegian Royal Burial Sites

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