The Line of Succession to the Norwegian Throne


Contents

Current line of succession
Earlier lines of succession
Notes
Links

The King

Harald V (born 21 February 1937, succeeded on 17 January 1991).

Current line of succession

1. HRH Haakon, Norway's Crown Prince (20 July 1973)
2. HRH Ingrid Alexandra, Norway's Princess (21 Jan 2004)
3. Sverre Magnus, Prince (3 Dec 2005)
4. Märtha Louise, Princess (22 Sept 1971)
5. Maud Angelica Behn (29 April 2003)
6. Leah Isadora Behn (8 April 2005)
7. Emma Tallulah Behn (29 Sept 2008)

Earlier lines of succession since 1905

3 December 2005 – 29 September 2008

1. HRH Haakon, Norway's Crown Prince (20 July 1973)
2. HRH Ingrid Alexandra, Norway's Princess (21 Jan 2004)
3. Sverre Magnus, Prince (3 Dec 2005)
4. Märtha Louise, Princess (22 Sept 1971)
5. Maud Angelica Behn (29 April 2003)
6. Leah Isadora Behn (8 April 2005)

8 April 2005 – 3 December 2005

1. HRH Haakon, Norway's Crown Prince (20 July 1973)
2. HRH Ingrid Alexandra, Norway's Princess (21 Jan 2004)
3. Märtha Louise, Princess (22 Sept 1971)
4. Maud Angelica Behn (29 April 2003)
5. Leah Isadora Behn (8 April 2005)

21 January 2004 – 8 April 2005

1. HRH Haakon, Norway's Crown Prince (20 July 1973)
2. HRH Ingrid Alexandra, Norway's Princess (21 Jan 2004)
3. Märtha Louise, Princess (22 Sept 1971)
4. Maud Angelica Behn (29 April 2003)

29 April 2003 – 21 January 2004

1. HRH Haakon, Norway's Crown Prince (20 July 1973)
2. Märtha Louise, Princess (22 Sept 1971)
3. Maud Angelica Behn (29 April 2003)

17 Jan 1991 – 29 April 2003

1. HRH Haakon, Norway's Crown Prince (20 July 1973)
2. Märtha Louise, Princess (22 Sept 1971)

29 May 1990 – 17 January 1991

1. HRH Harald, Norway's Crown Prince (21 Feb 1937)
2. HRH Haakon, Norway's Prince (20 July 1973)
3. HRH Märtha Louise, Norway's Princess (22 Sept 1971)

20 July 1973 – 29 May 1990

1. HRH Harald, Norway's Crown Prince (21 Feb 1937)
2. HRH Haakon, Prince (20 July 1973)

21 September 1957 – 20 July 1973

1. HRH Harald, Norway's Crown Prince (21 Feb 1937)

21 February 1937 – 21 September 1957

1. HRH Olav, Norway's Crown Prince (2 July 1903)
2. HRH Harald, Norway's Prince (21 Feb 1937)

18 November 1905 – 21 February 1937

1. HRH Olav, Norway's Crown Prince (2 July 1903)

Notes

  1. The line of succession to the Norwegian throne has authority in the Constitution Art. 6. The succession law is Cognatic (absolute) primogeniture, with the exception that «for those born before the year 1971, Article 6 of the Constitution as it was passed on 18 November 1905 shall, however, apply. For those born before the year 1990 it shall nevertheless be the case that a male shall take precedence over a female».
    This means that King Harald's sisters Princess Ragnhild Mrs. Lorentzen and Princess Astrid Mrs. Ferner and their descendants have no succession rights.
    If the line runs out, Art. 7 of the Constitution will apply: «[...] the King may propose his successor to the Storting, which has the right to make the choice if the King's proposal is not accepted.»
    Before 1990, the succession law was Agnatic where only males could succeed (Constitution of 17 May 1814, confirmed on 18 November 1905).
  2. HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit gave birth to a daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, at Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital), Gaustad, Oslo, on 21 January 2004 (at 09:13). The pregnancy was announced in form of a communication to the state council as well as a press statement on 4 July 2003.
  3. HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit gave birth to a son, Prince Sverre Magnus, at Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital), Gaustad, Oslo, on 3 December 2005 (at 10:45). The pregnancy was announced in form of a press statement on 25 April 2005.

    The prince was not given the style Royal Highness, cf. the press statement from the Royal Palace on 5 December 2005 following the extraordinary Council of State.

  4. Princess Märtha Louise gave birth to a daughter, Maud Angelica Behn, at Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital), Gaustad, Oslo, on 29 April 2003. The pregnancy was announced in form of a press statement from the Palace on 21 October 2002.
  5. Princess Märtha Louise gave birth to her second daughter, Leah Isadora Behn, at Bloksbjerg, Hankø, Fredrikstad (home birth) on 8 April 2005 (at 08:20), cf. a press statement from the Royal Court the same day. The pregnancy was announced in form of a press statement from the Palace on 20 September 2004.
  6. Princess Märtha Louise gave birth to her third daughter, Emma Tallulah Behn, at her home in Burudveien 63, Lommedalen in Bærum (neighbour municipality to Oslo), on 29 September 2008, cf. a press statement from the Royal Court the same day. The pregnancy was announced in form of a press statement from the Palace on 13 March 2008.
  7. Princess Märtha Louise gave up her style of Royal Highness with effect from 1 February 2002. From then on she was styled HH in an international context, just like her aunts Princess Ragnhild and Princess Astrid, but the style is not to be used in Norway. The same goes for Prince Sverre Magnus. The website editor has decided to use styles only used in the national context.
  8. King Olav V died on 17 January 1991 and was succeeded by his only son, King Harald V.
  9. On 29 May 1990 the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) modified the Constitution Art. 6 to allow women to succeed to the throne (published 13 July 1990 No. 550). It was decided that Princess Märtha Louise should follow her younger brother in the line of succession. But in the event of births after 1990 the oldes child will succeed regardless of sex (see note 1 above).
  10. King Haakon VII died on 21 September 1957 and was succeeded by his only son, King Olav V.
  11. The Storting elected on 18 November 1905 Prince Carl of Denmark as new King of Norway following the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden earlier that year. He took the name Haakon VII. His only son, Prince Alexander of Denmark, thus became Norway's Crown Prince under the name Olav.

This page was last updated on Sunday 9 June 2013
(first time published on Wednesday 16 April 2003).

© 2003–2013 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth