The Norwegian Royal Family
The King of Norway, His Royal Highness King Harald V, Her Royal Highness Queen Sonja, His Royal Highness Crownprins Haakon and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette Marit. Photo: Bjørn Sigurdsøn, The Royal Court / Scanpix The present King of Norway, Harald V and the Norwegian Royal Family are highly respected among its people. When the Norwegians elected their first king in 1905, they chosed his grandfather, the Danish prins Carl to become King Haakon VII of Norway.
Norwegian Monarchy HistoryThe Norwegian monarchy actually goes more than thousand years back. Harald Fairhair, or Harald Hårfagre in Norwegian language, is regarded as the first Norwegian king, who united the many small kingships of Norway into a one country around year 885.Even if Norwegian history goes back many centuries, Norway as an independent nation is quite young. When Norway and Denmark were merged under a single monarch in 1380 , Norway came under Danish control. After the Napoleonic Wars the union with Denmark was dissolved in 1814, and for a short time Norway again became an independent nation, and was even drawing up its own constitution. However Norway was forced into a union with Sweden – in a way as an independent nation, but with a common king and joint foreign policy. In 1905 the union of Norway and Sweden was dissolved, and the Norwegian people chose its own monarch: King Haakon VII. The present king of Norway, King Harald V (the fifth) was born on February 21. in 1937, as the first Norwegian-born prince for 567 years.He is the son of King Olav V and Crown princess Märtha. He took over as King of Norway when his father died in 1991.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette Marit.(Foto: Jo Michael, The Royal Court) Princess Ingrid Alexandra
This week the Princess Ingrid Alexandra had her 6 years anniversary, and the Royal family released som photos for the press. The Royal Princess is also an interested skier, like her parents and grandparents. 
Photos: Jo Michael / The Royal Court The HMS "NORGE"
HMS NORGE was a gift from the Norwegian people to King Haakon in 1947, and people from all over the country gave money to contribute to the wonderful gift.The HMS NORGE is owned by His Majesty The King, and is runned by the Norwegian navy. The Royal flag in the stern mast shows that the King is on board.
Originally the ship was a British motoryacht, named PHILANTE, and build in 1937 for the airplaneproducer Sopwith. After servicing as escorting vessel during WW II the Philante was purchased for this new purpose in 1947.
The Royal Family enjoy travelling, and are popular guests wherever they visit in Norway. HMS NORGE is often used for official travels along the coast, and here it is visiting the municipality Vestnes in Møre and Romsdal in 2003. The HMS Norge has anchored in Tomrefjord in the late evening of June. 11. To the right on this photo you can see King Harald V and Queen Sonja entering the ship after an official reception in Vestnes by the mayor, Roald Fiksdal.
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