Two centuries of Viking raids tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav Tryggvason in 994. A period of civil war ended in the 13th century when Norway expanded its control overseas to parts of the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland. Norwegian territorial power peaked in 1265, but competition from the Hanseatic League and the spread of the Black Death weakened the country. In 1380, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by the Third Reich. In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a founding member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.

Norway is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with King Harald V as its head of state. It is a unitary state with administrative subdivisions on two levels known as counties (fylke) and municipalities (kommuner). The Sámi people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament and the Finnmark Act. Although having rejected European Union membership in two referenda, Norway maintains close ties with the union and its member countries, as well as with the United States. Norway remains one of the biggest financial contributors to the United Nations, and participates with UN forces in international missions, notably in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan and Libya. Norway is a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, the Council of Europe, and the Nordic Council; a member of the European Economic Area, the WTO, and the OECD; and is also a part of Schengen Area.

Norway has extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood, fresh water, and hydropower. The country has the fourth-highest per capita income in the world. On a per-capita basis, it is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle East, and the petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. The country maintains a Nordic welfare model with universal health care, subsidized higher education, and a comprehensive social security system. From 2001 to 2006, and then again from 2009 through 2011, Norway has had the highest human development index ranking in the world. In 2011, Norway also ranked the highest on the Democracy Index.

List of Norwegian Monarchs - 1450-Present

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
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 Wales 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 Wales	Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel 31 July 1790 Gottorp Castle eight children	3 December 1839 Amalienborg Palace aged 70
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 issues	20 January 1848 Amalienborg Palace aged 61

House of Oldenburg - Line of Holstein-Gottorp

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
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	References
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- 26 October 1905		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

House of Oldenburg - Line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

P	Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	References
I	Haakon VII 18 November 1905- 21 September 1957		3 August 1872 Charlottenlund Palace second son of Frederick VIII of Denmark and Louise of Sweden	Maud of Wales 22 July 1896 Buckingham Palace one son	21 September 1957 Royal Palace aged 85
I	Olav V The People's King 21 September 1957- 17 January 1991		2 July 1903 Sandringham House only son of Haakon VII and Maud of Wales	Märtha of Sweden 21 March 1929 Oslo Cathedral three children	17 January 1991 Royal Lodge Kongsseteren aged 87
I	Harald V 17 January 1991- present		21 February 1937 Skaugum only son of Olav V and Märtha of Sweden	Sonja Haraldsen 29 August 1968 Oslo Cathedral two children	Incumbent

 

House of Oldenburg

The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden. The current Queen of Denmark, the King of Norway and the ex-King of Greece as well as consorts of Spain, Greece and the United Kingdom belong to this House. It rose to prominence when Count Christian I of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark in 1448, and of Norway in 1450. The house has occupied the Danish throne ever since. Marriages of medieval counts of Oldenburg had paved the way for their heirs to become kings of various Scandinavian kingdoms. Through marriage with a descendant of King Valdemar I of Sweden and of King Eric IV of Denmark, a claim to Sweden and Denmark was staked, since 1350.

 

At that time, its competitors were the successors of Margaret I of Denmark. In the 15th century, the Oldenburg heir of that claim married Hedwig of Schauenburg, a descendant of Euphemia of Sweden and Norway and also a descendant of Eric V of Denmark. Since descendants better situated in genealogical charts died out, their son Christian (the abovementioned) became the king of all three kingdoms of the whole Kalmar Union. The House of Mecklenburg was its chief competitor regarding the Northern thrones, and other aspirants included the Duke of Lauenburg. Different Oldenburgine branches have reigned in several countries. The House of Oldenburg was briefly poised to claim the thrones of England and Scotland through the marriage of the Stuart Princess Anne (later Queen) to Prince George of Denmark and Norway; however, following the early death of their only heir, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, the line of succession passed to the House of Hanover.

The Family Titles and Styles

 

The members of this family bear the title Prince or Princess of Norway, together with the formal appellation of His or Her Royal Highness.

 

 

 

The Genealogy of the Royal House

 

 

Carl, Pr of Denmark (see Denmark), was b.Charlottenlund 3 Aug 1872; he was elected King of Norway 18 Nov 1905 and assumed the throne as King HAAKON VII; he d.Oslo 21 Sep 1957; he m.Buckingham Palace 22 Jul 1896 Maud Pss of Great Britain and Ireland, etc (Marlborough House 26 Nov 1869-London 20 Nov 1938)

 

 

1a) OLAV V, King of Norway [born Alexander Edward Christian Frederik Pr of Denmark] (Appleton House, Sandringham, 2 Jul 1903-Kongsseteren, Oslo 17 Jan 1991); m.Oslo 21 Mar 1929 Märtha Pss of Sweden (Stockholm 28 Mar 1901-Oslo 5 Apr 1954)

 

 

1b) Ragnhild Alexandra [currently bears the title Pss Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen (Highness)] (b.Oslo 9 Jun 1930); m.Asker 15 May 1953 Erling Sven Lorentzen (b.Oslo 28 Jan 1923)

 

 

 

2b) Astrid Maud Ingeborg [currently bears the title Pss Astrid, Mrs. Ferner (Highness)] (b.Oslo 12 Feb 1932); m.Asker 12 Jan 1961 Johan Martin Ferner (b.Oslo 22 Jul 1927)

 

 

 

3b) HARALD, King of Norway (b.Skaugum 21 Feb 1937); m.Oslo 29 Aug 1968 Sonja Haraldsen (b.Oslo 4 Jul 1937)

 

 

 

1c) Märtha Louise (b.Oslo 22 Sep 1971); m.Trondheim 24 May 2002 Ari Mikael Behn (b.Århus 30 Sep 1972)

 

 

1d) Maud Angelica Behn (b.Oslo 29 Apr 2003)

 

 

 

2d) Leah Isadora Behn (b.Bloksbjerg, Fredrikstad 8 Apr 2005)

 

 

 

3d) Emma Tallulah Behn (b.Lommedalen 29 Sep 2008)

 

 

2c) Haakon Magnus, Crown Prince of Norway (b.Oslo 20 Jul 1973); m.Oslo 25 Aug 2001 Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby (b.Kristiansand 19 Aug 1973)

 

 

1d) Ingrid Alexandra (b.Oslo 21 Jan 2004)

 

 

 

2d) Sverre Magnus (b.Oslo 3 Dec 2005)