The Swedish and Norwegian royal monarchies are two colourful families whose pasts are inextricably linked, as King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and King Harald of Norway are second cousins, once removed.
Sweden’s ruling House of Bernadotte was founded in 1818 while Norway’s House of Oldenburg was founded just seven years later in 1825.
King XVI Gustaf’s great-great-uncle Prince Carl, brother of King Gustav V had a daughter named Princess Märtha, born in 1901.
Princess Martha was King Gustav’s first cousin, twice removed and went on to marry Crown Prince Olav of Norway.
Their son who is now King Harald of Norway, was born in 1937 and is the second cousin once removed of King XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Here Femail reveals some of the royals who make up these distinguished families…
Meet the Scandis! Members of the Swedish and Norweigan royal households (1) Prince Daniel of Sweden, (2) Princess Sofia of Sweden, (3) Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, (4) Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, (5) Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, (6) Crown Princess Haakon of Norway, (7) Queen Silvia of Sweden, (8) King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, (9) Queen Sonja of Norway, (10) King Harald of Norway, and (11) Princess Märtha-Louise of Norway
SWEDISH ROYAL FAMILY
Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Silvia, the King and Queen of Sweden
At the age of 71 Carl is the second-longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, who took to the throne in 1973 . He and his wife Queen Silvia, 74, a German-Brazilian former flight attendant, have three children: Victoria, 40, Carl, 38 and Madeleine, 35, and six grandchildren, and have increasingly been handing responsibilities down to heir apparent, Crown Princess Victoria.
Crown Princess Victoria, eldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf, and her husband Prince Daniel
Victoria, 40, was not expected to take to the throne when she was born in 1977 but a change in the law of succession three years later changed that. In 2010, Victoria married her former personal trainer Daniel Westling, and the couple share two children, Princess Estelle, five, and Prince Oscar, who turns two in March 2018.
Prince Carl Philip, son of King Carl XVI Gustaf, and his wife Princess Sofia
Prince Carl Philip, 38, caused a stir when he married former glamour model Sofia Hellqvist in 2014. The Prince, who is dyslexic, accused the public of ‘bullying’ her at the time, but the duo went on to welcome Prince Alexander, in April 2016 and another little boy, Prince Gabriel, in August the following year.
Princess Madeleine, youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and her husband Christopher O’Neill
Princess Madeleine, 35, broke off her engagement to a lawyer to marry a ‘commoner’, financier Christopher O’Neill, in 2013. He declined a royal title when he married the princess so he was free to pursue his career and the couple live a relatively private life in London. Currently seventh-in-line to the Swedish throne, the keen equestrian and art history graduate shares Princess Leonore, three, and Prince Nicolas, two, with her husband, and is expecting their third child in 2018.
NORWEGIAN ROYAL FAMILY
King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
King Harald V, 80, took to the throne in 1991 after the death of his father Olav V of Norway. He and his wife Queen Sonja are parents to Princess Märtha Louise, 46, and Crown Prince Haakon, 44 – who will take to the Norwegian throne ahead of his older sister due to the country’s laws of succession.
Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
Norway’s heir, 44, is famous for his fondness of pranks, confusing guests by shaving off his beard during his parents’ formal 80th birthday celebrations last year. He and his wife, Princess Mette-Marit, are also parents to Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 14, who is the goddaughter of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, while Mette-Marit has son Marius Borg Høiby from a previous relationship.
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
Märtha Louise, 46, split with novelist Ari Behn in 2016 after 14 years of marriage and the pair are parents to Maud Angelica Behn, 14, Leah Isadora Behn, 12 and Emma Tallulah Behn, nine. In a joint statement, they said they felt ‘guilty’ that they could not make their marriage work but concluded that it would be ‘unwise’ to continue in their unhappy union. Märtha Louise runs the Her Royal Highness Princess Märtha Louise’s Fund to help disabled children.
How are Norway and Sweden’s royal families linked?
King XVI Gustaf’s great-great-uncle Prince Carl, brother of King Gustav V had a daughter named Princess Märtha, born in 1901.
Princess Martha was King Gustav’s first cousin, twice removed and went on to marry Crown Prince Olav of Norway.
Their son who is now King Harald of Norway, was born in 1937 and is the second cousin once removed of King XVI Gustaf of Sweden.