Talk:Norwegian Royal Family

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http://www.kongehuset.no/dt_kongehuset_allAtOnce.asp?ogid=21&mgid=21&gid=25&aid=

"The Royal Family consists of:
HM King Harald V, HM Queen Sonja, HRH Crown Prince Haakon, HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit, HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Märtha Louise. Princess Märtha Louise and her husband, Ari Behns, daughters Maud Angelica Behn and Leah Isadora Behn are number five and six in the line of succession to The Norwegian Throne."

http://www.kongehuset.no/dt_kongehuset_allAtOnce.asp?ogid=2&mgid=2&gid=10&aid=

"Kongehuset består av H.M. Kong Harald V, H.M. Dronning Sonja, H.K.H. Kronprins Haakon, H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Mette-Marit og H.K.H. Prinsesse Ingrid Alexandra. Den øvrige Kongelige familie omfatter Kronprinsparets sønn, Prins Sverre Magnus, Kongeparets datter Prinsesse Märtha Louise, og Kongens to søstre, Prinsesse Ragnhild fru Lorentzen og Prinsesse Astrid fru Ferner og deres nærmeste familie. Prinsesse Märtha Louise og hennes mann, Ari Behn, har døtrene Maud Angelica Behn og Leah Isadora Behn."

[edit] Geneaology

From Talk:Haakon VII of Norway

I have read that the current royal family has a (twisty) bloodline back to Harald Fairhair and the House of Yngling. Can anybody shed some light on this? Inge

Basically true. The problems in one of the lines are whether Sverre was son of king Sigurd, and whether Harald Gille was son of king Magnus Barefoot. As they were alleged bastards coming from "nowhere" and won the kingdom. All other sirings are assured in normal certainty. However, as descendant of Wulfhild of Norway, who married the Billung Duke of Saxony, they are descendants of Olav II and as such, recognizedly of Harald Fairhair. That is the clearest line. 23:28, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)

More:

A problem with medieval Norwegian kings is that their descendancy tends to be a bit obscure: their children are usually listed in sagas etc, but perhaps all existent (legitimate) grandchildren are not known to us. The further is the descent from a king, the more probable that simply information ceases - there was children of those, marriages, grandchildren, but much or all info has disappeared in mists of time. Probably half of Norway today descends from ancient kings, through unnamed ancestors.

However, there are certain well-known lines of descent from ancient Norwegian kings to princely families of Europe, which are well attested and up to today. Harald Hårdråde was the monarch who established Norway to his line of kings (he descended from Harald Fairhair through a line of minor kings). His successors were the longest medieval unbroken line of kings of Norway (up to ascnsion of Harald Gille) and their paternities were not in doubt. Thus, descent from his family tree means descent from several established Norwegian monarchs: http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00140268&tree=LEO
There is the clear line through Ragnhild, a daughter of king Magnus Barefoot, which has descendants through Swedish royal house of Eric, whom Haakon VII and his wife Maud descend from. Ragnhild's descendant Magnus II of Sweden ascended the Norwegian throne in 1319, after which all Norway's kings (except Charles VIII, Charles XIV and Oscar I of Sweden) have been her descendants.

St.Olav was the patron saint king of Norway. He descended through a minor line from Harald Fairhair, and Olav's line lost the kingdom to Harald Hardrade's line. There are two main descents from Olav: http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00104684&tree=LEO
These two lines are the earls of Orkney through his granddaughter, and the Dukes of Saxony through his only legitimate daughter Ulvhild. Haakon VII and Maud descend from those earls of Orkney at least through Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, grandfather of James I of England. (Christian VII was the first Norwegian king to descend from those Orkneys.) Haakon VII and Maud descend from those early Dukes of Saxony through a number of parallel lines at least all arounf German principalities (Glucksburg, Coburg, Hesse). (Eric II and Haakon V were first of Norway to descend from Ulvhild.)

King Harald Fairhair's daughter Aalov Aarbod married Thore, earl of Möre, and their descendant Bodil became queen consort of Denmark and mother of Knud Lavard (Canute the Lord), whose descendants were kings of Denmark, dukes of Luneburg, counts of Orlamunde, kings of Sweden, etc etc. http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00079484&tree=LEO
Haakon VII and Maud descend from Knud Lavard through a number of lines. (Eric II and Haakon V descended from Aalov Aarbod)

Then there is the funny thing of at least three kings ascending by claim of being bastard of a predecessor, but actually nothing solid confirms their claim and paternity. They were, in turn, Harald IV Gille, Sverre, and Haakon IV. (Perhaps we should say that Norway has medieval traditions of kings whose paternity to earlier king is less than solid, and who were bastards.)

Each of them left the throne of Norway to their own immediate descendants, until after some generations, there came a claimant saying to be a bastard of a predecessor. However, some of them left uncontested descendants also, some of those lines continuing to today.

Harald Gille http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00091795&tree=LEO
A Sverre came later and claimed to be his grandson. However, through Birgitta (who was married to Birger Brosa) Harald Gille has attested descendants, among Scandinavian nobility. For example kings Charles VIII of Sweden and gustav I of Sweden descend from these, and therefore Haakon VII and Maud who are descendants of Gustav I and Charles VIII, descend from Harald Gille. Birgitta's alleged descendant Charles VIII of Sweden ascended the Norwegian throne in 1449 briefly. After him, Christian VII.

Sverre http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00091799&tree=LEO
Haakon IVn came later and claimed to be his grandson. If Haakon IV was not his descendant, then there apparently is no line from Sverre known to continue to today.

Haakon IV, who ascended claiming to be bastard of Haakon III, founded the last native sub-branch (dynasty) of kings of Norway. They of course descend alo from his wife Margrete Skulesdottir, who descended through Norwegian nobility from some early kings of Norway. http://genealogics.org/descend.php?personID=I00049974&tree=LEO
This family reigned the independent Norway to 1319, and then their descendants, firstly Magnus II of Sweden inherited Norway. Haakon VII and Maud are descendants of them through the dukes of Mecklenburg, and through dukes of Schleswig-Holstein, as well as through Oldenburg kings of Denmark and Norway, etc. 217.140.193.123 11:35, 13 July 2005 (UTC)