Traditionally established in 872 and existing continuously for over 1,100 years, the Kingdom of Norway is one of the oldest states of Europe: King Harald V, who has reigned since 1991, is the 64th monarch according to the official list.[2] During interregna, Norway has been ruled by variously titled regents.
Kings of Norway used many additional titles between 1450 and 1905, such as King of the Wends, King of the Goths, Duke of Schleswig, Duke of Holstein, Prince of Rügen, and Count of Oldenburg. They called themselves Konge til Norge ("King of Norway"), usually with the style His Royal Majesty.[citation needed] With the introduction of constitutional monarchy in 1814, the traditional style "by the Grace of God" was extended to "by the Grace of God and the Constitution of the Kingdom", but was only briefly in use.[citation needed] The last king to use the by the grace of God style was Haakon VII, who died in 1957. The King's title today is formally Norges Konge ("Norway's King"), with the style "His Majesty".
Besides becoming sole king after his father Harold's death, Eric Bloodaxe was king jointly with his father for three years before the latter's death. After Harald's death, Eric ruled as "overking" of his brothers, who also held status as kings and had control over certain regions.[3] Harald Greycloak also ruled as "overking" of his brothers.[4] All dates for the kings of the Fairhair dynasty are approximate and/or just scholarly estimates. Slight differences might therefore occur between different sources. The following table uses the dates given in Norsk biografisk leksikon/Store norske leksikon.
House of Gorm/Earl of Lade
The Danish king Harald Bluetooth had himself hailed as king of Norway after the Battle of Fitjar (c. 961). Besides gaining direct control of Viken in south-eastern Norway, he let Harald Greycloak rule the rest of Norway as king, nominally under himself.[citation needed] Harald Bluetooth later switched his support to Harald Greycloak's rival, Haakon Sigurdsson, Earl of Lade, who eventually captured Harald Greycloak's kingdom. Haakon thereafter ruled Norway (except Viken), at first nominally under Harald. All dates are estimates and subject to interpretation.[8] Haakon is generally held as the ruler of Norway from 970 to 995.[9]
Fairhair dynasty (restored)
House of Gorm/Earls of Lade (restored)
After the Battle of Svolder, the Danes recaptured Norway under Sweyn Forkbeard. As before, the Danes controlled the petty kingdoms of Viken as vassals, while the two Earls of Lade, Eric Haakonsson and Sweyn Haakonsson, ruled Western Norway and Trøndelag, nominally as earls under Sweyn.[14] Eric is generally held as the de facto ruler of Norway from 1000 to 1015, together with his brother Sweyn, a lesser known figure, with whom he shared his power.[15]
St. Olav dynasty
House of Gorm/Earl of Lade (restored, second time)
^"The unification of Norway". www.royalcourt.no. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
^"Den norske kongerekken".
^ a bKrag, Claus. "Eirik 1 Haraldsson Blodøks". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
^ a bKrag, Claus. "Harald 2 Eiriksson Gråfell". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Harald 1 Hårfagre". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Håkon 1 Adalsteinsfostre". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
^"Harald 2 Gråfell". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 October 2012.
^Krag, Claus (1995). Vikingtid og rikssamling: 800–1130. Aschehougs norgeshistorie (in Norwegian). Vol. 2. pp. 99–101. ISBN 8-2032-2015-0.
^ a bSandnes, Jørn. "Håkon Sigurdsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 November 2012.
^Blom, Grethe Authen. "Harald 1 Blåtand". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 November 2012.
^"Harald 1. Blåtand". Den store danske (in Danish). Retrieved 2 November 2012.
^ a b c d e f gKrag 1995, p. 101.
^Krag, Claus. "Olav 1 Tryggvason". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 November 2012.
^Krag 1995, p. 103.
^ a bKrag, Claus. "Eirik Håkonsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 November 2012.
^"Svend 1. Tveskæg". Den store danske (in Danish). Retrieved 3 November 2012.
^"Svend 1 Tveskæg". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 November 2012.
^"Sweyn I | king of Denmark and England". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
^Krag, Claus. "Svein Håkonsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 November 2012.
^Norseng, Per G. "Olav 2 Haraldsson Den Hellige". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Olav 2 Haraldsson Den Hellige". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^"Knud 2. den Store". Den store danske (in Danish). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Norseng, Per G. "Knud 1 den store". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Norseng, Per G. "Håkon Eiriksson". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Håkon Eiriksson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^"… og over nordmændene og en del af sveerne ." Den store danske (in Danish). Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^"Svend Alfivasen". Den store danske (in Danish). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Norseng, Per G. "Magnus 1 den gode". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Magnus 1 Olavsson Den Gode". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Norseng, Per G. "Harald 3 Hardråde". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Harald 3 Hardråde". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^ a bKrag, Claus. "Magnus 2 Haraldsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Håkon Magnusson Toresfostre". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 5 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Magnus 3 Olavsson Berrføtt". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Arstad, Knut Peter Lyche. "Olav Magnusson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Øystein 1 Magnusson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Krag, Claus. "Sigurd 1 Magnusson Jorsalfare". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Thuesen, Nils Petter. "Magnus 4 Sigurdsson Blinde". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Arstad, Knut Peter Lyche. "eg. Gilchrist Harald 4 Gille". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Helle, Knut. "Sigurd 2 Haraldsson Munn". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Brathetland, Bente Opheim. "Inge 1 Haraldsson Krokrygg". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Brathetland, Bente Opheim. "Øystein 2 Haraldsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Helle, Knut (1995). Aschehougs norgeshistorie : 1130–1350. 3 : Under kirke og kongemakt 1130–1350, p. 14. Aschehoug.
^Koht, Halvdan (1940). Norsk biografisk leksikon. Aschehoug. p. 35.
^Barber, Malcolm (2004). Two Cities: Medieval Europe, 1050–1320. Routledge. p. 347.
^Brathetland, Bente Opheim. "Håkon 2 Sigurdsson Herdebrei". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Helle, Knut. "Magnus 5 Erlingsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Helle, Knut. "Sverre Sigurdsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Bjørgo, Narve. "Håkon 3 Sverresson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
^Helle, Knut. "Guttorm Sigurdsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 November 2012.
Works cited
"List of Norwegian kings" (in Norwegian). The Royal Court. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
Further reading
Carlyle, Thomas (1875). The Early Kings of Norway: Also an Essay on the Portraits of John Knox. Chapman and Hall. ISBN 978-1-4068-4287-6. OL 9883799M. Retrieved 2008-06-15.