Historical connections Kingdom of the Isles in the 12th century Vikings of Norwegian stock particularly settled in certain areas of modern-day
Scotland and
Northern England, and to this day many people in these areas carry surnames derived from
Old Norse words, such as Ainscough, or are of partial Norwegian descent. In England, Norwegian Vikings began to arrive along the coast of the North West after being driven out of Ireland around the early tenth century. They are principally known for settling in
The Wirral and
Chester, but evidence has strongly suggested that this expulsion also led to some settling in nearby
West Derby Hundred (today split between
Greater Manchester and
Merseyside),
Amounderness Hundred and
Lonsdale Hundred in
Lancashire. The Vikings were able to settle comfortably in these areas, as they were sparsely populated at that time. Many place names in this area, such as
North Meols,
Scholes,
Skelmersdale and
Grimsargh are of Old Norse origin, as are certain words in
Lancashire dialect from this area, such as "skrike". The
Cuerdale Hoard and
Silverdale Hoard were both discovered within this area. Around the same time, Norwegian Vikings moved on to settle in the area that today is
Cumbria. In Scotland, the islands of
Shetland and
Orkney have longstanding historical and cultural connections with Norway. Most natives of Orkney and Shetland probably spoke
Norn (
North Germanic language related to dialects in Norway) as a first language until the late 16th and early-to-mid 17th centuries respectively.
1900s Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1905, after
Norwegian independence from Sweden. The UK has an embassy in
Oslo, and Norway has an embassy in
London. Relations, however, go as far back as the
Viking Age when
Norse Vikings raided the
British Isles, founding permanent settlements in the west of
England, the
Isle of Man,
the Hebrides in
Scotland and the islands of
Orkney and
Shetland. As a result, the
English language has been greatly influenced by the
Norwegian language. This cultural bond has persisted to this day, resulting in a close cultural relationship between the two countries. With Norway's complete independence from Sweden, the question arose as to a
king for Norway. The choice of Prince Carl of Denmark, who became King
Haakon VII, was largely seen as being influenced by two unusual factors: Denmark being a smaller nation meant that the
Balance of Power in Europe would not be upset by Norway's instant alliance with the native land of its new king, and Carl's wife,
Maud, was a British princess, which would be expected to lead to a close relationship with the United Kingdom, which could give Norway some protection from German hegemony. During
World War I, Norway was neutral. However, due to largely favouring the British over the Germans, Norway came to be known as
The Neutral Ally.
World War II on 27 December 1941 is donated to the people of London by the city of
Oslo each year since 1947 During
World War II, Norway was
invaded and
occupied by Germany, forcing the Norwegian king and government to create a government-in-exile in London. The British military also helped train and organise
Norwegian commandos to attack Nazi installations in Norway. As a token of appreciation from the
Norwegian people to the people of Britain, a Norwegian Christmas Tree is sent every year from
Oslo to
Trafalgar Square in
London. Each year for the last sixty years,
Newcastle upon Tyne has received a
Christmas tree as a gift from the people of
Bergen, one of Newcastle's twin cities. The impressive Norwegian spruce, standing at 45 feet tall, was personally felled by
Gunnar Bakke who has been the Mayor of Bergen since September 2007. Each year the tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian white lights and is a symbol of peace and goodwill. The people of Norway also send a tree to the town of
Great Grimsby every Christmas since the end of World War II, for the past few years the tree has been selected by the people of
Sortland.
Brexit In January 2020, with the imminent departure of Britain from the European Union, Norway and the UK signed an exclusive Brexit agreement between the two countries that would aim to maintain existing guarantees for citizens of either. In April 2021, negotiations on a bilateral agreement on fishing rights failed to reach an agreement. In June 2021, the two countries signed a trade deal. ==Modern Day==