Yes, we love the king of Norway

Most people in Norway are happy with the monarchy and our king. We can’t imagine a 17th of May (the Norwegian national day) without the king waving from the castle balcony, or greeting gold medal winners at sporting events. The king plays an important role in the country, although many people are also against the monarchy. How did Norway become a monarchy?

Offisielt portrett av Hans Majestet Kong Harald i uniform

Norway united as one kingdom

Norway has been a monarchy for over a thousand years. The first king, Harald Fairhair, united Norway into one kingdom. According to Snorri Sturluson's royal sagas, he won the important battle in Hafrsfjord, just outside Stavanger, in 872. This led to him being able to crown himself king of Norway.

Harald Hårfagre i slaget ved Hafrsfjord. Maleri av Ole Peter Hansen Balling fra 1870
Harald Hårfagre i slaget ved Hafrsfjord. Maleri av Ole Peter Hansen Balling fra 1870

Norway’s new governance system

Before this, Norway was divided into areas where several chieftains ruled. The idea of uniting the areas into one kingdom must have come from the European continent. Norwegian chieftains on Viking expeditions learned a lot about the state formations in Western Europe. The idea of a country ruled by a common king was brought back home.

Several of the chieftains wanted to center as much power as possible, and one of these was Harald Fairhair. His victory in the battle of Hafrsfjord is therefore considered the first national union.

«Sverd i fjell» er et monument innerst i Hafrsfjord i Stavanger kommune. Monumentet er laget av skulptøren Fritz Røed fra Bryne. Det er tre store sverd som er satt ned i svaberget til minne om slaget i Hafrsfjord i 872.
«Sverd i fjell» er et monument innerst i Hafrsfjord i Stavanger kommune. Monumentet er laget av skulptøren Fritz Røed fra Bryne. Det er tre store sverd som er satt ned i svaberget til minne om slaget i Hafrsfjord i 872.

Norway became a hereditary kingdom

Hereditary electoral monarchy

Throughout the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages, we had a hereditary electoral monarchy. All the king’s sons had an equal right to the throne, and could claim it at ‘Tinget’, which was a public gathering. ‘Tinget’ was like the present ‘Stortinget’,the Norwegian parliament. It was up to those present to choose or reject the one laying the claim. This could lead to disagreement, and in the worst-case scenario, a war between the king’s sons.

The Law of Succession

To avoid disagreements about who would become king, the Law of Succession was introduced in 1163. It decided that the king’s firstborn son would have the right to inherit the throne. In an agreement between the church and the royal throne, Magnus Erlingsson became the first king in Noway to be crowned in 1163. This law was repeated in 1260 by king Håkon Håkonsson.

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Kroning av Magnus Erlingsson. Litografi av Erik Werenskiold hentet fra Heimskringla.
Kroning av Magnus Erlingsson. Litografi av Erik Werenskiold hentet fra Heimskringla.

What happens if the king doesn’t have a son?

When Norway got its own constitution in 1814, it continued the tradition of the eldest royal son inheriting the throne.

In 1990 the constitution was changed on this point to state that gender does not play a role – it is the king’s eldest child that will inherit the throne. This means that Princess Ingrid Alexandra will inherit the throne from her father Crown Prince Haakon.

If the king is childless, Parliament (Stortinget) decides who should become king, after the king has made a suggestion.

📷 Princess Ingrid Alexandra on
her 16th birthday 21.01.2020
Prinsesse Ingrid Alexandra i kjole i anledning hennes 16-års dag

Why is Norway still a monarchy?

Norway could have been a republic. When Norway left the union with Sweden in 1905, the country had to decide on whether it should remain a monarchy or become a republic. At that time there were only two republics in Europe: France and Switzerland.

1905 referendum

The government didn’t want to change the monarchy, but republican rivals demanded to be heard. Danish Prince Carl was going to become the new king, but he didn’t want to become king without the support of the people. Therefore the government arranged for an election to be held, in which the monarchy and Prince Carl won with 79 percent of the votes.

Well-known republicans

Famous people like Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Fridtjof Nansen were republicans, but supported the monarchy to avoid creating any unnecessary conflict in the country. At this time it was important to stand united for the new free nation and its king. Prince Carl chose the royal name Haakon.

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Offisielt kroningsbilde av kong Haakon VII og dronning Maud
Offisielt kroningsbilde av kong Haakon VII og dronning Maud

What is a republic?

A republic is the opposite of a monarchy. It is a form of state where the formal head of the country is not a king or a queen. Most of today’s nations have a republican form of state. Those who are supporters of a republic are called republicans.

A republic is often ruled by a president elected by the people, such as in the United States, France, Iceland or Finland. The people vote for the president, and the president can only serve for a limited amount of time.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, i dagligtale Mount Rushmore, er et nasjonalt minnesmerke som ligger i Keystone, Sør-Dakota, USA.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, i dagligtale Mount Rushmore, er et nasjonalt minnesmerke som ligger i Keystone, Sør-Dakota, USA.

What is the difference between a monarchy and a republic?

Elections or inheritance

One of the differences between today’s monarchies and republics is how the leader of the state gets their role. In a republic the leader is elected by the people. In a monarchy the king or queen inherits their role within their family.

Rule for a lifetime

In a republic, the head of state does not hold his job for life. A president is elected for a set period of time, for example for four or six years. A king or queen, however, will only lose their title after their death. A monarch can choose to retire, or step down before death, but this is very rare.

Not everyone is suited to rule

In a monarchy the people have to accept whichever king or queen they get. Throughout history, there have been monarchs who should definitely not have had the job. One example is King Charles VI of France, who was king from 1380-1422. He was called “the crazy one”.

Strict requirements

In a republic, the people can vote for different candidates. There are strict requirements for the candidates who want to become president. For example, to be qualified as a candidate in the United States you must have been born in the country and must be over the age of 35.

The many tasks of a president

In the United States, Congress makes laws, and the president has the official power to make decisions. The president is head of the country, and is commander of the US armed forces. The president has the right to veto decisions that have been presented by Congress. This means that they can refuse to accept the decisions. The president also plays an important role in the country’s international policy.

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Stemmesedler som blir lagt i stemmeurne
Stemmesedler som blir lagt i stemmeurne

What does the Norwegian monarch do?

Head of state

In a monarchy, the ruling king or queen is Head of state, but doesn’t actually make that many decisions. It is written in the constitution that the monarch has the power to make decisions, but in reality today this means the government.

Leads the Council of Ministers each Friday

The king or queen holds the traditional opening of the Parliament (Stortinget) each autumn, and leads a meeting with all the ministers at the Royal Palace on Fridays. This is a formal ceremony where the government meets to get the monarch’s approval of their decisions.

The country’s most important ambassadors

The monarch travels on state visits in other countries, and acts as host when foreign state leaders visit Norway. King Harald is often involved when Norwegian business is presented in other countries. It is said that he played an important role when Lillehammer was chosen to host the Winter Olympics in 1994. The royal family also makes visits to people all across Norway, and is always there to offer their condolences and sympathy when national tragedies take place.

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Hans Majestet Kong Harald i uniform på vei ut av Stortinget.
Hans Majestet Kong Harald i uniform på vei ut av Stortinget.

The European monarchies

There are twelve monarchies in Europe. They are divided into principalities, kingdoms and duchies. All the kings and queens that reign in the kingdoms today are related through the line of George II of Great Britain. 

The longest-reigning monarch in the UK was Queen Elizabeth II. She was queen for more than 70 years.

📷 King George II of England
Portrett av Georg II av Storbritannia
Read more about some of the events that took place during Queen Elizabeth’s reign.

Resistance to the monarchy

A lot of opposition

European monarchies have faced a lot of protests throughout history, especially during the French revolution (1789-1799) and the American revolution (1775 – 1783). At this point in time, the people wanted to remove the king who held all the power. The people preferred a republic where they could vote for their head of state.

Few monarchies remain

In the world today, there are only 46 monarchies left. Seven of these are the kingdoms of Europe. Monarchy as a form of government is therefore not as strong as it used to be. Democratic processes will probably lead to more countries introducing republics in the future.

The Norwegian king is still popular

In 2019, 38 politicians within Parliament (Stortinget) voted to abolish the monarchy. 130 politicians voted to keep it. The monarchy is clearly still popular.

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Offisielt bilde av Deres Majesteter Kongen og Dronningen, Deres Kongelige Høyheter Kronprinsen og Kronprinsessen. Kongen og Kronprinsen i uniform, og Dronningen og Kronprinsessen i gallakjoler.
Offisielt bilde av Deres Majesteter Kongen og Dronningen, Deres Kongelige Høyheter Kronprinsen og Kronprinsessen. Kongen og Kronprinsen i uniform, og Dronningen og Kronprinsessen i gallakjoler.

Sources:

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Media rights:

    1. Jørgen Gomnæs, Det kongelige hoff
    2. Ole Peter Hansen Balling / Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design
    3. Getty Images
    4. Erik Werenskiold
    5. Ann Cathrin Buchardt, Det kongelige hoff
    6. Peder O. Aune (CC BY 2.0) 
    7. Getty Images
    8. Getty Images
    9. Sverre Chr. Jarild / Stortinget (CC BY-ND 2.0)
    10. Adobe Stock
    11. Jørgen Gomnæs, Det kongelige hoff