Following the 1905 dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, the man known as Prince Carl of Denmark was offered the Norwegian crown. He accepted the position after a national referendum, formally taking the Old Norse name Haakon VII. This move marked the start of his tenure as the first independent Norwegian monarch since 1387.
Early Life and Naval Service
Born on 3 August 1872 at Charlottenlund Palace, he was the second son of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Louise of Sweden. He was raised in Copenhagen and received a strict upbringing overseen by his mother. Following his education at the Royal Danish Naval Academy between 1889 and 1893, he served as an officer in the Royal Danish Navy, attaining the rank of first lieutenant.
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The Storting elected him King of Norway in 1905. His reign lasted until 1957, during which he maintained a largely ceremonial role, though the Constitution of Norway technically granted him significant executive authority. He was married to Princess Maud of Wales, with whom he had one son, Olav V, who eventually succeeded him.
Wartime Leadership
During the Second World War, Norway faced invasion by Nazi Germany in April 1940. Haakon VII rejected demands to legitimise a puppet government and refused to abdicate his position while in exile in Great Britain. This stance served to unify Norwegian resistance throughout the five-year occupation. He returned to Norway in June 1945.
Death and Succession
Haakon VII died on 21 September 1957 at the Royal Palace in Oslo at the age of 85. His career spanned decades of political and social change. Upon his death, he was buried at the Royal Mausoleum, and the throne passed to his son, Olav V.
Fast facts
- Born: 1872, Charlottenlund Palace
- Died: 1957, Royal Palace, Oslo
- Reign: 1905-1957
- Spouse: Maud of Wales
- Education: Royal Danish Naval Academy
- Military Rank: First Lieutenant
- Successor: Olav V
- Buried: Royal Mausoleum
Questions readers ask
What name did Haakon VII hold before becoming King of Norway?
He was known as Prince Carl of Denmark.
Did Haakon VII govern Norway during the German occupation?
He went into exile in Great Britain in 1940, refusing to abdicate or legitimise the puppet government, and returned in 1945.
Achievements
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
- Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
- Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath — 1896
- Educated at Royal Danish Naval Academy
- Worked as monarch and aristocrat
