The Norwegian monarchy traces its history and origin back to the
unification and founding of
Norway, as well as Norway's first king,
Harald I of the
Fairhair dynasty. With the introduction of the
Norwegian Law of Succession in 1163, the legal framework established that only one monarch and one royal family was, through succession, allowed to rule. Norway, Sweden and Denmark had joint monarchs during the
Kalmar Union in the late Middle Ages, and Norway remained in union with Denmark after Sweden
left the union in 1523. Following the
reformation a joint
Danish-Norwegian state was established 1536–37, which was ruled from
Copenhagen by the
House of Oldenburg until Norway was ceded to Sweden at the
Treaty of Kiel in 1814 following Denmark-Norway's defeat in the
Napoleonic Wars. Norway was
briefly independent with its own king in 1814, but forced into a new
union with Sweden under the rule of the
House of Bernadotte. Upon becoming independent in 1905, Norway decided through a
referendum to remain as a monarchy, with its first monarch being the Danish-born
King Haakon VII, whose family consisted of the British
Princess Maud and their son
Olav. It is King Haakon's descendants that today make up the current royal family of Norway. Through marriages and historical alliances, the Norwegian royal family is closely related to the
Swedish and
Danish royal families as well as being more distantly related to royal families of
Greece and the
United Kingdom. The current king Harald V descends from all of the four kings belonging to the
House of Bernadotte (1818–1905) that preceded the House of Glücksburg on the throne and is the first Norwegian monarch to be a descendant of all previous Norwegian monarchs since 1818. The royal family is defined as those who hold a royal title. , the website of the royal family stated that the royal house consisted of King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and that the extended royal family consists Prince Sverre Magnus, Princess Märtha Louise, Princess Ragnhild and Astrid. The website mentioned that Märtha Louise has the children Maud Angelica Behn and Leah Isadora Behn, but did not describe them as royal or part of the royal house or royal family, as they are commoners and do not hold any title. The website did not describe
Ari Behn as part of the royal family, only as the father of Märtha Louise's children, in line with traditional practice. The website made no mention at all of
Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship. In September 2024, three days after Märtha Louise married conspiracy theorist
Durek Verrett, the royal court removed the term "royal family" from the website (of the royal court) and clarified that
Marius Borg Høiby is not royal. Mette-Marit's
association with Jeffrey Epstein and the scandals surrounding the King's son-in-law, American conspiracy theorist
Durek Verrett, have been cited as contributing to a deterioration in its reputation. Norwegian media criticized King
Harald V for legitimizing and endorsing the exploitation of national values and symbols for Märtha Louise's and Verrett's personal financial gain. International media have extensively covered scandals involving the Norwegian royal family, linking the Norwegian monarchy to Jeffrey Epstein, rape allegations, and controversy. Experts stated that this sustained international portrayal has damaged Norway's international standing, as the royal family's conduct increasingly undermines its role as a representative of the Norwegian state abroad. Jan Bøhler wrote that "organized crime is today a greater threat to our country than terrorism, and we are allocating increasingly larger resources to combat it. At the same time, a member of the royal family has for years vacationed and partied with central figures in drug-related crime. Individuals known for involvement in serious money laundering cases and violent gangs, including the
Hells Angels, have also participated in the festivities. These enemies of society have been allowed to roam freely on the Crown Prince couple's properties during events referred to as "Skaugum festivals." ==Members==