Royal mottos of Norwegian monarchs
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The Royal mottos or valgspråk/valspråk of the Norwegian monarchs are an old tradition. Most regents of Norway have used either a personal motto or alternatively the motto of his dynasty. The tradition of using a royal motto in other monarchies is that it most often stays the same within one dynasty. In this respect they do however serve all the traditional purposes of a national or royal motto. One example is the imprint on Krone coins, the currency of Norway. The last three kings have adopted the same motto as their personal motto. The royal motto Alt for Norge has a particularly high standing as it became one of the main symbols of the Norwegian struggle during the German occupation of Norway in World War II.
| Regent | Reign | Royal motto (in Norwegian) | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian II | 1513 – 1523 | Så var det beskikket | Thus it was ordained |
| Frederick I | 1523 – 1533 | Mitt håp er Gud alene | My hope is God alone |
| Christian III | 1536 – 1559 | Skje Herrens vilje | The Lord's will be done |
| Frederick II | 1559 – 1588 | Intet uten Gud | Nothing without God |
| Christian IV | 1588 – 1648 | Fromhet styrker riket | Piety strengthens the realm |
| Frederick III | 1648 – 1670 | Herren vil være mitt forsyn | The Lord will be my guide |
| Christian V | 1670 – 1699 | Med fromhet og rettferdighet | With piety and justice |
| Frederick IV | 1699 – 1730 | Herren er min hjelper | The Lord is my aid |
| Christian VI | 1730 – 1746 | For Gud og folket | For God and the people |
| Frederick V | 1746 – 1766 | Ved forsigtighet og bestandighet | By caution and consistency |
| Christian VII | 1766 – 1808 | Fedrelandets kjerlighet min berømmelse | The love of the fatherland my reward |
| Frederick VI | 1808 – 1814 | Gud og den rettferdige sak | God and the just cause |
| Christian Frederik | 1814 | Gud og fedrelandet | God and the fatherland |
| Karl II | 1814 – 1818 | Folkets vel min høyeste lov | The welfare of the people my highest law 1 |
| Karl III | 1818 – 1844 | Folkets kjærlighet min belønning | The love of the people my reward |
| Oscar I | 1844 – 1859 | Rett og sannhet | Right and truth |
| Karl IV | 1859 – 1872 | Land skal med lov bygges | A country should be built on law |
| Oscar II | 1872 – 1905 | Broderfolkenes vel | The good of the brother peoples |
| Haakon VII | 1905 – 1957 | Alt for Norge | All for Norway 2 |
| Olav V | 1957 – 1991 | Alt for Norge | All for Norway |
| Harald V | 1991 – | Alt for Norge | All for Norway |
See also: List of Norwegian monarchs
Note: (1) Compare with the motto of the U.S. state of Missouri (1821): "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law". Originally from Cicero's De Legibus, Book III, Part III, Sub. VIII. (2) The present royal motto is not easily translated into English as it does not mean "Everything for Norway", but rather "Sacrifice everything for Norway" or "There is not anything I will not do for Norway".
