Members of Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish royal families have been Norwegian monarchs. Norwegian territories were not united until about 860 and were ruled by jarls. Harald Fairhair united the territories about 860, creating the Norwegian kingdom and founding the Fairhair dynasty.[1]
Norway was under the control of Danish monarchs from 1380 until 1814.[2] During this time, several political entities were created which included both Norway and Denmark. Margaret I of Denmark created the Union of Kalmar in 1397, merging the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In 1481, after the death of Christian I, Sweden abandoned the Union and a two-year interregnum in Norway resulted. Many Norwegians wished to remain in union with Denmark; others preferred to join with Sweden.[3] In 1536, after the Swedish secession, the Kingdom of Denmark–Norway was formed; it included the dependencies of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands and lasted until 1814. In that year, Norway briefly regained independence but, after several months, was forced into union with Sweden.[4] Since 1905, Norway has been a constitutional monarchy ruled by a cadet line of the Danish House of Glücksburg.[2]
Early regnal dates are traditional and of uncertain accuracy. Before the Norwegian Law of Succession was introduced in 1163, inheritance of the throne was an affair filled with deep conflicts; in many cases, brothers would initially share it. Early Viking kings are listed using the name common in historic sources, with the Norwegian name in parentheses.
Contents |
| P | Period of rulership |
|---|---|
| I | Independent period |
| D | Union with Denmark |
| S | Union with Sweden |
| DS | Union with Denmark and Sweden |
| R | Interregnum |
| P | Name | Dynasty | From | Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) |
Fairhair | 862 | 933 | — |
| I | Eirik Bloodaxe (Eirik Blodøks) |
Fairhair | 930 | 934 | [5] |
| I | Håkon the Good (Håkon den Gode) |
Fairhair | 934 | 961 | — |
| I | Harald Greycloak (Harald Gråfell) |
Fairhair | 961 | 970 | — |
| I | Earl Haakon (Håkon Jarl) |
Jarls | 970 | 995 | [6] |
| I | Olaf Tryggvason (Óláfr Tryggvason) |
Fairhair | 995 | 1000 | — |
| D | Sveinn Hákonarson | Jarls | 1000 | 1015 | [7][8] |
| D | Eiríkr Hákonarson (Eiríkr jarl Hákonarson) |
Jarls | 1000 | 1012 | [7] |
| D | Håkon Eiriksson | Jarls | 1012 | 1015 | [8] |
| I | Olaf Haraldsson, Saint Olav (Sankt Olav / Olav den Hellige) |
Fairhair | 1015 | 1028 | — |
| D | Canute the Great (Knut den Mektige) |
Fairhair | 1028 | 1035 | [9][10] |
| D | Håkon Eiriksson | Jarls | 1028 | 1029 | [9] |
| D | Sveinn Knútsson | Fairhair | 1030 | 1035 | [10] |
| I | Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) |
Fairhair | 1035 | 1047 | [11] |
| I | Harald Hardrule (Harald Hardråde) |
Fairhair | 1045 | 1066 | [11] |
| I | Magnus Haraldsson | Fairhair | 1066 | 1069 | [12] |
| I | Olaf the peaceful (Olaf Kyrre) |
Fairhair | 1067 | 1093 | [12] |
| I | Håkon Magnusson | Fairhair | 1093 | 1094 | [13] |
| I | Magnus Barefoot (Magnus Berføtt) |
Fairhair | 1093 | 1103 | [13] |
| I | Olaf Magnusson | Fairhair | 1103 | 1115 | [14] |
| I | Øystein Magnusson | Fairhair | 1103 | 1123 | [14] |
| I | Sigurd the Crusader (Sigurd Jorsalfar) |
Fairhair | 1103 | 1130 | [14] |
| I | Magnus the Blind (Magnus Blinde) |
Fairhair | 1130 | 1135 | [15] |
| I | Harald Gille | Fairhair | 1130 | 1136 | [15] |
| I | Sigurd Mouth (Sigurd Munn) |
Fairhair | 1136 | 1155 | [16] |
| I | Øystein Haraldsson | Fairhair | 1136 | 1157 | [16] |
| I | Inge Hunchback (Inge Krokrygg) |
Fairhair | 1136 | 1161 | [16] |
| I | Haakon the Broadshouldered (Håkon Herdebrei) |
Fairhair | 1157 | 1162 | — |
| I | Magnus Erlingsson | Hardrada | 1162 | 1184 | — |
| I | Sverre Sigurdsson | Sverre | 1177/1184 | March 9, 1202 | [17] |
| I | Håkon Sverreson | Sverre | March 9, 1202 | 1204 | — |
| I | Guttorm Sigurdsson | Sverre | 1204 | August 11, 1204 | [18] |
| I | Inge Bårdsson | Gille | August 11, 1204 | April 23, 1217 | — |
| I | Håkon IV Håkonsson | Sverre | April 23, 1217 | 1263 | — |
| I | Magnus the law-mender (Magnus Lagabøte) |
Sverre | 1263 | 1280 | — |
| I | Eirik Magnusson | Sverre | 1280 | 1299 | — |
| I | Håkon V Magnusson | Sverre | 1299 | 1319 | — |
| S | Magnus Eriksson | Bjelbo | 1319 | 1343 | — |
| S | Håkon VI Magnusson | Bjelbo | 1343 | 1380 | — |
| D | Olav IV Håkonsson | Bjelbo | 1380 | 1387 | — |
| DS | Margaret I (Margrethe I) |
— | 1387 | 1389 | — |
| DS | Eric III (Eric of Pomerania) |
— | 1389 | 1442 | [19] |
| DS | Christopher of Bavaria | Wittelsbach | 1442 | 1448 | — |
| S | Carl I of Norway (Karl Knutsson Bonde) |
Bonde | 1448 | 1450 | — |
| DS | Christian I | Oldenburg | 1450 | 1481 | — |
| R | Interregnum | — | 1481 | 1483 | — |
| D | Hans | Oldenburg | 1483 | 1513 | — |
| D | Christian II | Oldenburg | 1513 | 1523 | — |
| D | Frederick I | Oldenburg | 1523 | 1533 | — |
| D | Christian III | Oldenburg | 1534 | 1559 | — |
| D | Frederick II | Oldenburg | 1559 | 1588 | — |
| D | Christian IV | Oldenburg | 1588 | 1648 | — |
| D | Frederick III | Oldenburg | 1648 | 1670 | — |
| D | Christian V | Oldenburg | 1670 | 1699 | — |
| D | Frederick IV | Oldenburg | 1699 | 1730 | — |
| D | Christian VI | Oldenburg | 1730 | 1746 | — |
| D | Frederick V | Oldenburg | 1746 | 1766 | — |
| D | Christian VII | Oldenburg | 1766 | 1808 | — |
| D | Frederick VI | Oldenburg | 1808 | 1814 | — |
| I | Christian Frederik | Oldenburg | May 17, 1814 | October 10, 1814 | — |
| S | Charles II | Holstein-Gottorp | 1814 | 1818 | — |
| S | Karl III Johan | Bernadotte | 1818 | 1844 | — |
| S | Oscar I | Bernadotte | 1844 | 1859 | — |
| S | Karl IV | Bernadotte | 1859 | 1872 | — |
| S | Oscar II | Bernadotte | 1872 | November 18, 1905 | — |
| I | Haakon VII | Glücksburg | November 18, 1905 | September 21, 1957 | — |
| I | Olav V | Glücksburg | September 21, 1957 | January 17, 1991 | — |
| I | Harald V | Glücksburg | January 17, 1991 | present | — |
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