Haakon VII 1905-1957

 

Coins from 
Haakon VII 

 

Haakon VII was the second son of King Frederick VII of Denmark and his wife, Queen Louise. Haakon was baptised under the name Christian Frederick Carl Georg Valdemar Axel. 

On 31 October 1905 the Norwegian parliament decided to offer him the Norwegian Crown. Prince Carl's accepted the offer on the condition that it be approved by the Norwegian people. In a referendum held in November there was large majority in favour of a monarchy. Prince Carl took the name Haakon for himself and the name Olav for his son Alexander. As his motto he chose "Alt for Norge", pledging to give his "All for Norway". King Haakon and his wife, Queen Maud, were crowned in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on 22 June 1906. 

The King's conduct in April 1940 was of great significance for the resistance movement during the German occupation. Together with his son Olav, the members of government and the members of parliament, he left Oslo on the 9th of April. Later the same day he rejected any suggestion of surrender. On the following day, at Elverum, King Haakon refused to appoint a government that was to be led by Quisling. The King and his entourage left Norway from Tromsø on the Devonshire, a British cruiser on the 7th of June. The King stayed in Great Britain throughout the five years of the war, returning to Norway with his family on June 7, 1945. 

 In 1955 Crown Prince Olav took over as regent. King Haakon died on September 21, 1957 after a long period of illness, having been Norway's king for 52 years. 

 
Monetary units: 
Twenty-krone, ten-krone, two-krone, krone, 50-øre, 25-øre, ten-øre, five-øre, two-øre, one-øre
Mint sites: 
Kongsberg, London