King Haakon VII: Curious Facts On King Of Norway Revealed!

Baptized as Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel, King Haakon VII was born in Charlottenlund, Denmark on August 3, 1872.

Prince Carl was born in the household of the future king of Denmark. He only took up the name that he is most widely known by after ascending to the throne of Norway in the year 1905.

Prince Carl was one of the top contenders who were supposed to take up Norway's throne after the union with Sweden was broken off. When his name came up in connection to becoming the king of Norway, he was adamant that the people of Norway should be asked if they wanted a monarch or if they wished for the country to become a republic. It was only with the nod of the people that Prince Carl agreed to sit on the throne. He embarked on a journey from Britain to Norway on a Norwegian naval ship and was received very warmly by the people.

After coming to the throne, Prince Carl lived a humble life and respected the democratic rights of the people even though the decisions did not always sit right with him. He is also fondly remembered for upholding the Norwegian pride during the German invasion in the Second World War. He eventually took refuge in Northern Norway with his family and some important government officials. He also spent some time in Britain since he had to flee the country. Keep reading for more facts!

King Haakon VII Life History

King Haakon VII was a very famous and beloved monarch and is remembered for his contributions to the Norwegian administration. He was named Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel at the time of birth, however, he was most fondly referred to as Prince Carl. This was because he was the second son to Crown Prince, Frederick VIII.

Prince Carl's father later went on to become the king of Denmark but this happened after he was already sitting on the throne of Norway. His mother was the crown princess of Denmark and was named Louise. Through his father, he was related to a number of famous and influential families. One of the most important familial connections that Prince Carl had was to Queen Alexandra of Britain. He later also went on to also marry into the British Royal Family. He got married to Princess Maud, his cousin, and had a son - Crown Prince Olav. Prince Olav later sat on the Norwegian throne.

Another interesting fact about King Haakon is that his elder brother, King Christian X, sat on the throne of Denmark way after his own accession to the throne of Norway. Whether or not King Haakon VII was more successful than his father, brother and nephew is a matter of speculation but what we do know is he was the elected king that was loved by many and whose death was mourned by many civilians.

Prince Carl and his brother were home-schooled before he went on to study at the Royal Danish Naval Academy. He started his training at the Royal Danish Naval Academy, to become a naval officer, in the year 1886, and it was in 1893 that he graduated. He rose through the ranks to become the sublieutenant of the Royal Danish Navy in 1893 and eventually became the first lieutenant. His fame as a naval officer was sufficient to put him on the radar and make him a viable candidate to become the future king of Norway but his position was further consolidated when he married Princess Maud at the Buckingham Palace in 1896. This Danish prince had a son with Princess Maud and named him Prince Alexander. However, the crown prince was renamed Prince Olav after his father's accession to the Royal Palace of Norway as the king.

His legacy in Norway is unmatched since he was adamant against German control of the land and was deeply devoted towards the people. He ruled Norway with a deep-rooted belief in democracy and believed that even if his views did not match with those of the government, the power ultimately lay in the hands of the people of Norway to determine whether or not decisions were good for them. He was succeeded by King Olav V and King Harald to the throne, but his position as the first king that Norway had since 1387 would remain unscathed due to his personality for years to come.

King Haakon VII Family

King Haakon VII was not known by this name until he ascended the throne and took up an old Norse name.

King Haakon VII was Scandinavian and was the second son to the crown prince and crown princess of Denmark. His father, King Frederick VIII sat on the throne of Denmark way after his first son and this was to do with Prince Carl's position and fame as a naval officer and a member of a respected family. Prince Carl was born in the royal family and there is no way to deny the fact that he climbed through the ranks at the Danish Navy pretty quickly. He and his brothers were home-schooled before he went on to join the Royal Danish Naval Academy in the year 1886. This was the beginning of his career and his rise to fame. He graduated in the year 1893 and was the sub-lieutenant of the Royal Danish Navy, but he eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant. He was from the House of Oldenburg and the particular branch that his family belonged to was the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg branch. Through his father, King Frederick VIII, Prince Carl was related to a number of royal families around the world such as King George I of Greece, Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom. He was the nephew of all these notable people. However, Prince Carl was to later extend his familial relations with just one family, namely the Royal Family of the United Kingdom. Prince Carl married his first cousin, Princess Maud, making him a forerunner for the Norwegian crown once the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. The legacy of Norwegian kings had ended for a period of over 500 years since 1387, and his election to the throne was one of the most significant things to ever take place.

What is King Haakon VII known for?

King Haakon VII was known for the contributions he made as king of Norway.

King Haakon VII was a humble king and made sure that his family, too, lived in humble ways. This was in order to make sure that he and his family did not give off the impression that Norway was a rich country. Before his appointment as the king of Norway, he was also the first lieutenant of the Danish Royal Navy and after his marriage to the daughter of King Edward VII, Princess Maud, he was also appointed as the honorary chief of the British fleet.

He was adamant that he and Queen Maud made sure Norway remained neutral in the First World War. In World War II, when the German troops made their way into the country and asked for submission from the government and the Norwegian people, the Norwegian king said that he would step down from the throne if the government complied. As Germany threatened Norway continuously, King Haakon VII fled the country. This happened when Norway's west coast was constantly threatened, wherein the government officials and the king and his family were taking refuge.

During his time away from Norway, Haakon VII made sure to inspire his people through radio broadcasts. After the end of World War II, King Haakon VII returned to Norway and was welcomed warmly by his people. Although the king spoke Danish his entire life, his knowledge of the Norwegian language was a huge boon when it came to the people connecting with him and accepting him as their king.

After returning from Britain, he made sure to survey his country for the damages done by the German troops. He spent two summers assessing the situation and judging the recovery measures that were underway. On his 75th birthday, he was gifted the Royal Yacht by the people of Norway, which he used for many of his journeys.

His life ended with illness. Even though King Haakon VII fell in his washroom right before his 83rd birthday and fractured his thigh bone, his spirit was not broken. King Haakon VII died on September 21, 1957, inside the palace premises in Oslo. He was buried at the Royal Mausoleum and his death was mourned by many civilians as they lined up along the streets to witness the procession. After him, his son, Prince Olav ascended the throne.