List of Norwegian monarchs

Coat of arms of the king.

King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

The list of Norwegian monarchs (Norwegian: kongerekken or kongerekka) begins in 872, the traditional dating of the Battle of Hafrsfjord, after which the victorious Harald Fairhair merged several petty kingdoms into that of his father. Harald's realm was later to be known as the Kingdom of Norway.

In 970 the Fairhair dynasty became patrilineally extinct upon the death of Harald I's grandson Harald II.^[1] After short periods under the kings of Denmark in the late 10th and early 11th century, Norway was ruled by native dynasties, including kings such as Olaf II, Harald III, and Sverre, until the 14th century. During the civil war era (1130–1240), several pretenders fought each other. Some rulers from this era are not traditionally considered lawful kings and are usually omitted from lists of monarchs.

In 1387 Norway entered the personal union with Denmark and Sweden, known as the Kalmar Union. Sweden left the union in 1523, but Norway and Denmark remained under the same crown. Between 1450 and 1814, the kings of Norway were Oldenburgs residing in Copenhagen. Absolute monarchy was adopted in 1660.^[2]

In 1814 Norway gained political independence and introduced constitutional monarchy. Christian Frederick, then heir presumptive to the throne, was elected king following the abdication of Frederick VI. He was soon forced to abdicate in favour of Charles XIII of Sweden, creating a new personal union between Norway and Sweden.^[3]

When Oscar II was dethroned in 1905, the union with Sweden dissolved. The House of Oldenburg regained the throne upon the subsequent election of Haakon VII, whose heirs have held it ever since.^[2]

The kings of Norway used many additional titles between 1450 and 1905, such as King of the Goths, King of the Wends, Duchy of Schleswig, Duke to Holstein, Principality of Rügen, and County of Oldenburg). They called themselves Konge til Norge (rather than Konge af Norge), indicating that the country was their personal possession, usually with the style His Royal Majesty. With the introduction of constitutional monarchy in 1814, the traditional style "by the grace of God" was extended to "by the grace of Grace and due to the Kingdom's Constitution", but was only briefly in use. The last king to use it was Haakon VII, who died in 1957. The king's title today is formally Norges Konge (literally "Norway's King"), indicating that he belongs to the country (rather than the other way around), with the style "His Majesty".

Established in the 9th century the Kingdom is over 1,100 years old and as such one of the oldest in Europe today. King Harald V, who has reigned since 1991, is the 64th monarch.^[4]

Key

Fairhair dynasty

Besides becoming sole king after his father's death, Eric Bloodaxe was king jointly with his father for three years before the latter's death. After Harald's death, Eric ruled as "overking" of his brothers, who also held status as kings and had control over certain regions.^[5] Harald Greycloak also ruled as "overking" of his brothers.^[6] All dates for the kings of the Fairhair dynasty are approximate and/or just scholarly estimates. Slight differences might therefore occur between different sources. The following table uses the dates given in Norsk biografisk leksikon/Store norske leksikon.

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
I	Harald I Halfdansson Harald Fairhair c. 872–932	Non-contemporary	c. 850/860 Son of Halfdan the Black and Ragnhild	Various At least nine sons	c. 932 Rogaland	[7]
I	Eric I Haraldsson Eric Bloodaxe c. 929–934		c. 895 Son of Harald I and Ragnhild Eriksdotter	Gunnhild Gormsdóttir Eight children	c. 952/4 England	[5]
I	Haakon I Haraldsson Haakon the Good c. 934–960	Non-contemporary	c. 915–920 Son of Harald I and Tora Mosterstong	Never married	c. 960/1 Håkonshella (near Bergen)	[8]
I	Harald II Ericsson Harald Greycloak c. 961–970	–	c. 935 Son of Eric I and Gunnhild Gormsdóttir	Never married	c. 970 Limfjord, Denmark	[6][9]

House of Knýtlinga/Earl of Lade

The Danish king Harald Bluetooth had himself hailed as king of Norway after the Battle of Fitjar (c. 961). Besides gaining direct control of Viken in south-eastern Norway, he let Harald Greycloak rule the rest of Norway as king, nominally under himself. Harald Bluetooth later switched his support to Harald Greycloak's rival, Haakon Sigurdsson, Earl of Lade, who eventually captured Harald Greycloak's kingdom. Haakon thereafter ruled Norway (except Viken), at first nominally under Harald. All dates are estimates and subject to interpretations.^[10] Haakon is generally held as the ruler of Norway from 970 to 995.^[11]

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
D	Harald Bluetooth 961 – c. 980[12] (de jure)	Non-contemporary	c. 925/35 Son of Gorm the Old and Thyra	Gyrid of Sweden Four or six children Tove of the Obotrites No issue	987 latest Jomsborg	[13][14]
R	Earl Haakon Sigurdsson 965/70–995[12] (de facto)	Non-contemporary	c. 935 Trondheim Son of Sigurd Haakonsson and Bergljot Toresdatter	Tora Skagesdatter Nine children	995 Rimul	[11]

Non-dynastic

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
I	Olaf I Tryggvason 995–1000		968 Son of Tryggve Olafsson and Astrid Eiriksdottir	Various	c. 1000 Svolder	[15]

House of Knýtlinga/Earls of Lade (restored)

After the Battle of Svolder, the Danes recaptured Norway under Sweyn Forkbeard. As before, the Danes controlled the petty kingdoms of Viken as vassals, while the two Earls of Lade, Eric Haakonsson and Sweyn Haakonsson, ruled Western Norway and Trøndelag, nominally as earls under Sweyn.^[16] Eric is generally held as the de facto ruler of Norway from 1000 to 1015, together with his brother Sweyn, a lesser known figure, with whom he shared his power.^[17]

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
D	Sweyn Forkbeard 1000–1013[12] (de jure)		c. 960 Son of Harald Bluetooth and Tove of the Obotrites	(1 & 2) Gunhild of Wenden or Sigrid the Haughty Eight or more children	3 February 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire	[18][19]
R	Earl Eric Haakonsson 1000–1015[12] (de facto)		c. 964 Son of Haakon Sigurdsson and Gunhild Mieszcosdatter	Gytha Svendsdatter One son	c. 1024 England	[17]
R	Earl Sweyn Haakonsson 1000–1015[12] (de facto)		c. 970 Son of Haakon Sigurdsson and Thora Skagesdatter	Holmfrid Eriksdatter Two daughters	c. 1016 Russia	[20]

St. Olaf dynasty

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
I	Olaf II Haraldsson Saint Olaf (Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae) 1015–1028		c. 995 Ringerike Son of Harald Grenske and Åsta Gudbrandsdatter	Astrid Olofsdotter One daughter	29 July 1030 Stiklestad aged 44–45	[21][22]

House of Knýtlinga/Earl of Lade (restored, second time)

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
D	Cnut the Great 1028–1035		c. 995 Son of Sweyn Forkbeard	(1) Ælfgifu of Northampton Two children (2) Emma of Normandy Two children	12 November 1035 Shaftesbury	[12][23][24]
R	Earl Haakon Ericsson 1028–1029 (de facto)		c. 998 Son of Eric Haakonsson and Gytha Svendsdatter	Gunhild One daughter	1029 Pentland Firth	[25][26][27]
D	Sweyn Knutsson (with Ælfgifu) 1030–1035		c. 1015 Son of Cnut and Ælfgifu of Northampton	Never married	c. 1035	[12][28]

St. Olaf dynasty (restored)

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
I	Magnus I Olafsson Magnus the Good 1035–1047		c. 1024 Illegitimate son of Olaf II and Alfhild	Never married	25 October 1047 Zealand aged 25	[29][30]
D

Hardrada dynasty

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth, parents	Marriages, issue	Death	Sources
I	Harald III Sigurdsson Harald Hardrada 1046–1066		c. 1015 Son of Sigurd Syr and Åsta Gudbrandsdatter	(1) Elisiv of Kiev Two daughters (2) Tora Torbergsdatter (bigamously) Two sons	25 September 1066 Stamford Bridge, England aged 50–51	[31][32]
I	Magnus II Haraldsson 1066–1069		c. 1049 Eldest son of Harald III and Tora Torbergsdatter	Never married	28 April 1069 Nidaros aged 19–20	[33]
I	Olaf III Haraldsson Olaf Kyrre 1067–1093		c. 1050 Youngest son of Harald III and Tora Torbergsdatter	Ingerid of Denmark No issue	22 September 1093 Haukbø, Rånrike (now Håkeby, Sweden) aged 42–43	[33]
I	Haakon (II) Magnusson Haakon Toresfostre 1093–1094		c. 1069 Illegitimate son of Magnus II	Never married	1095 Dovrefjell aged 25–26	[34]
I	Magnus III Olafsson Magnus Barefoot 1093–1103		c. 1073 Illegitimate son of Olaf III and Tora Arnesdatter	Margaret Fredkulla No issue	24 August 1103 Ulster aged 29–30	[35]
I	Olaf (IV) Magnusson 1103–1115		c. 1098 Illegitimate son of Magnus III and Sigrid Saxesdatter	Never married	22 December 1115 Nidaros aged 16–17	[36]
I	Eystein I Magnusson 1103–1123		c. 1088 Illegitimate son of Magnus III	Ingebjørg Guttormsdatter Two children	29 August 1123 Hustad, Fræna aged 34–35	[37]
I	Sigurd I Magnusson Sigurd the Crusader 1103–1130		c. 1089 Illegitimate son of Magnus III and Tora	(1) Bjaðmunjo Mýrjartaksdóttir No issue (2) Malmfred of Kiev One daughter (3) Cecilia No issue	26 March 1130 Oslo aged 40–41	[38]
I	Magnus IV Sigurdsson Magnus the Blind 1130–1135		c. 1115 Illegitimate son of Sigurd I and Borghild Olavsdatter	Christina of Denmark c. 1133 No issue	12 November 1139 Holmengrå aged 23–23	[39]

Gille dynasty

Hardrada dynasty (restored), cognatic branch

Sverre dynasty

P	Name, reign	Portrait	Birth, parents	Marriage	Death	Sources
I	Sverre Sigurdsson 1184–1202		c. 1151 Bergen Alleged illegitimate son of Sigurd II and Gunnhild	Margaret of Sweden 1185	9 March 1202 Bergen aged 50–51	[49]
I	Haakon III Sverresson 1202–1204	–	Before 1185 Illegitimate son of Sverre	Never married	1 January 1204 Bergen	[50]
I	Guttorm Sigurdsson 1204	–	c. 1199 Illegitimate son of Sigurd Lavard	Never married	11 August 1204 Nidaros aged 4–5	[51]

Gille dynasty, cognatic branch

Sverre dynasty

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
I	Haakon IV Haakonsson Haakon the Old 1217–1263		c. 1204 Folkenborg illegitimate son of Haakon III and Inga of Varteig	Margrete Skulesdatter 25 May 1225 Bergen four children	16 December 1263 Kirkwall aged 58–59
I	Haakon Haakonsson Haakon the Young 1240–1257		10 November 1232 Bergen second son of Haakon IV and Margrete Skulesdatter	Rikissa Birgersdotter c. 1251 Oslo one son	5 May 1257 Tønsberg aged 24
I	Magnus VI Haakonsson Magnus the Law-mender 1257–1280		1 May 1238 Tønsberg third son of Haakon IV and Margrete Skulesdatter	Ingeborg of Denmark 11 September 1261 Bergen four sons	9 May 1280 Bergen aged 42
I	Eric II Magnusson 1273–1299		c. 1268 Bergen third son of Magnus VI and Ingeborg of Denmark	(1) Margaret of Scotland September 1281 Bergen one daughter (2) Isabel Bruce bef. 25 September 1293 Bergen one daughter	15 July 1299 Bergen aged 30–31
I	Haakon V Magnusson 1299–1319		10 April 1270 Tönsberg fourth son of Magnus VI and Ingeborg of Denmark	(1) Isabelle de Joigny 1295 no issue (2) Euphemia of Rügen c. 1299 one daughter	8 May 1319 Tunsberg aged 49

House of Bjelbo

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
S	Magnus VII Eriksson August 1319 – 15 August 1343 (deposed)		c. 1316 Norway or Stockholm only son of Eric, Duke of Södermanland and Ingeborg of Norway	Blanche of Namur 5 November 1335 Bohus Castle two sons	1 December 1374 Lyngholmen aged 58
S	Haakon VI Magnusson 1343–1380		15 August 1340 Sweden second son of Magnus IV and Blanche of Namur	Margaret of Denmark 9 April 1363 Church of Our Lady one son	11 September 1380 Akershus Castle aged 40
I
D	Olaf IV Haakonsson 1380–1387	Non-contemporary	December 1370 Akershus Castle only son of Haakon VI of Norway and Margaret I	never married	23 August 1387 Falsterbo Castle aged 16

House of Estridsen

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
DS	Margaret 1380–1412 (de facto)		c.  1353 Vordingborg Castle youngest daughter of Valdemar IV and Helvig of Schleswig	Haakon VI of Norway 9 April 1363 Church of Our Lady one son	28 October 1412 Ship on Flensburg Fjord aged 58–59

House of Pomerania

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
I	Eric III 8 September 1389–1442 (deposed) with Sigurd Jonsson		c. 1381/82 Rügenwalde Castle only son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Mary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Philippa of England 26 October 1406 Lund Cathedral no issue	3 May 1459 Rügenwalde Castle aged 76–78
DS

House of Palatinate-Neumarkt

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
DS	Christopher 4 June 1442 – 5/6 January 1448		26 February 1416 Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz fifth son of John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt and Catherine of Pomerania	Dorothea of Brandenburg 12 September 1445 Copenhagen no issue	5/6 January 1448 Kärnan Castile aged 31
R	Interregnum (1448–1449) Sigurd Jonsson as regent

House of Bonde

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
S	Charles I 20 November 1449 – June 1450 (abdicated)		5 October 1409 Ekholmen Castle only son of Knut Tordsson Bonde and Margareta Karlsdotter Sparre	(1) Birgitta Bielke before 1 March 1429 two children (2) Katarina Gumsehuvud 5 October 1438 Stockholm nine children (3) Christina Abrahamsdotter c. 1470 Stockholm Castle two children	14 May 1470 Stockholm Castle aged 60

House of Oldenburg

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
DS	Christian I 2 August 1450 – 21 May 1481		February 1426 Oldenburg eldest son of Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg and Helvig of Schauenburg	Dorothea of Brandenburg 28 October 1449 Church of Our Lady five children	21 May 1481 Copenhagen Castle aged 55
R	Interregnum (1481–1483) Jon Svaleson Smør as regent
DS	John 20 July 1483 – 20 February 1513		2 February 1455 Aalborghus Castle third son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg	Christina of Saxony 6 September 1478 Copenhagen five children	20 February 1513 Aalborghus Castle aged 58
DS	Christian II 22 July 1513–1523 (deposed)		1 July 1481 Nyborg Castle second son of John and Christina of Saxony	Isabella of Austria 12 August 1515 Copenhagen six children	25 January 1559 Kalundborg Castle aged 77
D
D	Frederick I 1523–1533		7 October 1471 Haderslevhus Castle fourth son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg	(1) Anna of Brandenburg 10 April 1502 Stendal two children (2) Sophie of Pomerania 9 October 1518 Kiel Castle six children	10 April 1533 Gottorp Castle aged 61
R	Interregnum (1533–1537) Olav Engelbrektsson as regent
D	Christian III 1537 – 1 January 1559		12 August 1503 Gottorp Castle only son of Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg	Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg 29 October 1525 Lauenburg Castle five children	1 January 1559 Koldinghus Castle aged 55
D	Frederick II 1559–1588		1 July 1534 Haderslevhus Castle eldest son of Christian III and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg	Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 20 July 1572 Copenhagen eight children	4 April 1588 Antvorskov Castle aged 53
D	Christian IV 4 April 1588 – 28 February 1648		12 April 1577 Frederiksborg Palace eldest son of Frederick II and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow	(1) Anne Catherine of Brandenburg 27 November 1597 Haderslevhus Castle seven children (2) Kirsten Munk 31 December 1615 Copenhagen twelve children	28 February 1648 Rosenborg Castle aged 70
D	Frederick III 1 May 1648 – 9 February 1670		18 March 1609 Haderslevhus Castle third son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg	Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1 October 1643 Glücksburg Castle eight children	9 February 1670 Copenhagen Castle aged 60
D	Christian V 9 February 1670 – 25 August 1699		15 April 1646 Duborg Castle eldest son of Frederick III and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg	Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel 25 June 1667 Nykøbing Castle eight children	25 August 1699 Copenhagen Castle aged 53
D	Frederick IV 25 August 1699 – 12 October 1730		11 October 1671 Copenhagen Castle eldest son of Christian V and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel	(1) Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 5 December 1695 Copenhagen five children (2) Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg 6 September 1703 one son (3) Anne Sophie Reventlow 4 April 1721 Copenhagen three children	12 October 1730 Odense Palace aged 59
D	Christian VI 12 October 1730 – 6 August 1746		30 November 1699 Copenhagen Castle second son of Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow	Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 7 August 1721 Pretzsch Castle three children	6 August 1746 Hirschholm Palace aged 46
D	Frederick V 6 August 1746 – 14 January 1766		31 March 1723 Copenhagen Castle only son of Christian VI and Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach	(1) Louise of Great Britain 11 December 1743 Altona five children (2) Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 8 July 1752 Frederiksborg Palace one son	14 January 1766 Christiansborg Palace aged 42
D	Christian VII 14 January 1766 – 13 March 1808		29 January 1749 Christiansborg Palace second son of Frederick V and Louise of Great Britain	Caroline Matilda of Great Britain 8 November 1766 Christiansborg Palace two children	13 March 1808 Rendsburg aged 59
D	Frederick VI 13 March 1808 – 7 February 1814 (abdicated)		28 January 1768 Christiansborg Palace only son of Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Great Britain	Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel 31 July 1790 Gottorp Castle eight children	3 December 1839 Amalienborg Palace aged 71
R	Interregnum (7 February 1814–17 May 1814) Christian Frederick as regent
I	Christian Frederick 17 May 1814 – 14 August 1814 (abdicated)		18 September 1786 Christiansborg Palace eldest son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	(1) Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 21 June 1806 Ludwigslust Castle two sons (2) Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg 22 May 1815 Augustenborg Palace no issue	20 January 1848 Amalienborg Palace aged 61
R	Interregnum (14 August 1814–4 November 1814) Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz as Prime Minister

House of Holstein-Gottorp

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
S	Charles II 4 November 1814 – 5 February 1818		7 October 1748 Stockholm Palace second son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia	Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp 7 July 1774 Stockholm Cathedral two children	5 February 1818 Stockholm Palace aged 69

House of Bernadotte

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
S	Charles III John 5 February 1818 – 8 March 1844		26 January 1763 Pau son of Jean Henri Bernadotte and Jeanne de Saint Vincent	Désirée Clary 17 August 1798 Sceaux one son	8 March 1844 Stockholm Palace aged 81
S	Oscar I 8 March 1844 – 8 July 1859		4 July 1799 Paris only son of Charles III John and Désirée Clary	Josephine of Leuchtenberg 19 June 1823 Stockholm Cathedral five children	8 July 1859 Stockholm Palace aged 60
S	Charles IV 8 July 1859 – 18 September 1872		3 May 1826 Stockholm Palace eldest son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Louise of the Netherlands 19 June 1850 Stockholm Cathedral two children	18 September 1872 Malmö aged 46
S	Oscar II 18 September 1872 – 7 June 1905 or 26 October 1905 (deposed)		21 January 1829 Stockholm Palace third son of Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg	Sophia of Nassau 6 June 1857 Biebrich Palace four children	8 December 1907 Stockholm Palace aged 78
R	Interregnum (7 June/26 October 1905–18 November 1905) Christian Michelsen as Prime Minister

House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

In 1905, Carl of Denmark was elected King of Norway and took the name Haakon VII. With him the House of Oldenburg was again sitting on the throne of Norway.

№	Name	Portrait	Birth and death	Reign started	Reign ended	Marriages	Succession right
I	Haakon VII		3 August 1872 Charlottenlund (Denmark) – 21 September 1957 Oslo (aged 85)	18 November 1905	21 September 1957 (7009163596240000000♠51 years, 307 days)	Maud of Wales ∞ 22 July 1896 [1 son]	Son of Frederick VIII of Denmark
I	Olav V		2 July 1903 Norfolk (England) – 17 January 1991 Oslo (aged 87)	21 September 1957	17 January 1991 (7009105159600000000♠33 years, 118 days)	Märtha of Sweden ∞ 21 March 1929 [3 children]	Son of Haakon VII
I	Harald V		21 February 1937 Asker	17 January 1991	Incumbent (7008790754400000000♠25 years, 21 days)	Sonja Haraldsen ∞ 29 August 1968 [2 children]	Son of Olav V

See also

• Monarchy of Denmark
• Monarchy of Norway
• List of heads of government of Norway
• List of Norwegian monarchs' coats of arms
• List of Norwegian monarchs' mottos
• List of Norwegian consorts
• Coronations in Norway
• Line of succession to the Norwegian throne
• Kings of Norway family tree

Notes and references

General references

• "List of Norwegian kings" (in Norwegian). The Royal Court. Retrieved 2008-06-16. 
• Carlyle, Thomas (1875). The Early Kings of Norway: Also an Essay on the Portraits of John Knox. Chapman and Hall. ISBN 978-1-4068-4287-6. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 

Notes

External links

• Official site of the Norwegian Royal House
• Aftenposten: The Royals (News.)