Ancestors of King Harald V of Norway

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

King Harald V of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early part of its existence (872-1319), the Kingdom of Norway was ruled, for the most part, by independents kings who were actual Norwegians. However, from 1319-1905, the Kingdom of Norway was either in a union with the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Sweden, or the Kalmar Union which was a union of the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. During this time period, Norway was ruled by either the monarch of Denmark or the monarch of Sweden.

In 1905, upon the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Because of his descent from the early independent Norwegian kings, as well as the British connections of his wife and first cousin Princess Maud, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite. Before accepting, Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard in regards to retaining a monarchy. Following a referendum with a 79% majority in favor, Prince Carl was formally offered and then accepted the throne. Carl took the Old Norse name Haakon which had been the name of six early independent Kings of Norway and reigned as King Haakon VII. His two-year-old son Prince Alexander of Denmark was renamed Olav, became Crown Prince of Norway, and later reigned as King Olav V of Norway. King Olav V and King Haakon VII are the father and grandfather of King Harald V.

Among King Harald V’s ancestors are monarchs of Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom. His ancestors going back five generations were all born royal except for two ancestors. King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden had been born in France as Jean Baptiste Bernadotte. In 1809, King Carl XIII had become King of Sweden but he had no living children, and his adopted son and heir had died the following year. The Swedes had the idea to offer the position of Crown Prince to Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, one of the Marshals of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, who was well-liked in Sweden. Upon the death of King Cark XIII of Sweden in 1818, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte and his wife Désirée Clary became King Carl XIV Johan and Queen Desideria of Sweden.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of King Harald V of Norway (born February 21, 1937)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty or Wikipedia.

Parents

King Harald V’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

King Haakon VII of Norway and Princess Maud of Wales, paternal grandparents of King Harald V; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Great-Great-Grandparents two times, King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents


King Oscar I of Sweden and Princess Josephine of Leuchtenberg, great-great-grandparents and great-great-great-grandparents two times; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

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