Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingd ...

from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and

Maud of Wales Maud of Wales (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria; 26 November 1869 – 20 November 1938) was the Queen of Norway as the wife of King Haakon VII. The youngest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, she was known as ...

. He became

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the Norwegian throne when his father was elected King of Norway in 1905. He was the first heir to the Norwegian throne to be brought up in Norway since

Olav IV no, Olav Håkonsson , house = Bjelbo , father = Haakon VI of Norway , mother = Margaret I of Denmark , birth_date = , birth_place = Akershus Castle, Oslo , death_date = , death_place = Falsterbo Ca ...

in the fourteenth century, and his parents made sure he was given as Norwegian an upbringing as possible. In preparation for his future role, he attended both civilian and military schools. In 1929, he married his first cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

his leadership was much appreciated and he was appointed Norwegian Chief of Defence in 1944. Olav became king following the death of his father in 1957. Owing to his considerate, down-to-earth style, King Olav was immensely popular, resulting in the nickname ('The People's King'). In a 2005 poll by the

Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the larges ...

, Olav was voted " Norwegian of the Century".

Birth and early life

Den norske kongefamilie, 1921 (6812749750)

Olav was born as Prince ''Alexander Edward Christian Frederik'' in Appleton House on the royal Sandringham Estate,

Flitcham Flitcham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located north-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich, along the River Babingley. Together with the villages of West Newton, Shernborne and Anmer, Fli ...

, United Kingdom. His parents were Prince Carl, second son of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark (later King Frederick VIII), and Princess Maud, youngest daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, who was the eldest son of Britain's

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

. In 1905, Carl was elected king of Norway and took the name Haakon VII. On the day Haakon was crowned, he gave his two-year-old son the Norwegian name Olav after Olaf Haakonsson, king of Norway and Denmark. Olav was thus the first heir to the throne since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

to have been raised in Norway. Unlike his father, who was a naval officer, Olav chose to complete his main military education in the army. He graduated from the three-year Norwegian Military Academy in 1924, with the fourth best score in his class. Olav then went on to study jurisprudence and economics for two years at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...

. During the 1930s, Crown Prince Olav was a naval cadet serving on the minelayer/cadet training ship '' Olav Tryggvason''. Olav moved up the ranks of the Norwegian armed forces, rising in the army from an initial rank of first lieutenant to captain in 1931 and colonel in 1936. He was an accomplished athlete. Olav jumped from the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo and competed in sailing regattas. He won a gold medal in sailing at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

and remained an active sailor into old age. On 21 March 1929 in Oslo, he married his first cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden with whom he had two daughters, Ragnhild and Astrid and one son, Harald. As exiles during

, Crown Princess Märtha and the royal children lived in Washington, D.C., where she struck up a close friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt. She died in 1954, before her husband ascended the throne. The British Film Institute houses an early film, made in 1913, in which a miniature car (a "baby Cadillac") commissioned by Queen Alexandra for Crown Prince Olav tows a procession of Londoners through the streets of the capital, before being delivered to a pair of "royal testers" of roughly Olav's age. The car is a battery-powered, one-third size replica on a four-foot wheelbase, and is on permanent loan to the Norsk Teknisk Museum in Oslo.

World War II

As Crown Prince, Olav had received extensive military training and had participated in most major Norwegian military exercises. Because of this he was perhaps one of the most knowledgeable Norwegian military leaders and was respected by other Allied leaders for his knowledge and leadership skills. During a visit to the United States before the war, he and his wife had established a close relationship with President Roosevelt. These factors would prove to be important for the Norwegian fight against the attacking German forces. In 1939, Crown Prince Olav was appointed an admiral of the

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, ...

and a general of the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army ( no, Hæren) is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway ...

. During

, Olav stood by his father's side in resisting the

German occupation of Norway The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...

. During the campaign he was a valuable advisor both to civilian and military leaders. When the Norwegian government decided to go into exile, he offered to stay behind with the Norwegian people, but this was declined. He reluctantly followed his father to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, where he and his staff and servants and aides continued to be a key advisor to the government-in-exile and his father. One source states that Olav helped "to build and lead a free fighting force" and made radio broadcasts" while in England. Olav made several visits to Norwegian and Allied troops in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. In 1944, he was appointed to the post of Norwegian Chief of Defence and after the war he led the Norwegian disarmament of the German occupying forces. On 13 May 1945 Crown Prince Olav and five government ministers returned to a liberated Norway. The arrival was documented in a newsreel by British Pathé News. His war decorations from other nations, including the War Crosses of Norway, France, Greece and the Netherlands, the US

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

and the French

Médaille Militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic ...

, are testament to the international recognition of his contribution to the war against

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

Reign

Haakon was injured in an accident in 1955; his son Olav served as regent until his death. Haakon died at the Royal Palace in Oslo on 21 September 1957. He was 85 years old. After his death, Olav succeeded him as Olav V. Olav reigned as a "People's King," and became extremely popular. He liked to drive his own cars, and would drive in the public lanes, even though as a monarch he was allowed to drive in bus lanes. When driving was restricted during the 1973 energy crisis, King Olav – who could have driven legally – wanted to lead by example; while preparing for a skiing trip, he dressed up in his skiing outfit and boarded the Holmenkollbanen suburban railway carrying his skis on his shoulder. When later asked how he dared to go out in public without bodyguards, he replied that "he had 4 million bodyguards" – the population of Norway was at the time 4 million. For his athletic ability and role as King, Olav earned the Holmenkollen medal in 1968, the Medal for Outstanding Civic Achievement in 1970 and was made

Name of the Year Name of the Year ( no, Årets navn) is a prize awarded by one of Norway's biggest newspapers, Verdens Gang (VG). Instituted in 1974,

in 1975. He had a strong interest in military matters and took his role as titular Commander-in-Chief very seriously. As well as his ceremonial roles in the Norwegian Army, he also served as Colonel-in-Chief of the Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Yorkshire Regiment), the British regiment named for his grandmother

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of Kin ...

. The King represented Norway extensively abroad during his reign, conducting state visits to both neighbouring countries and more distant destinations such as

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

. King Olav V opened the

14th World Scout Jamboree The 14th World Scout Jamboree was held July 29 to August 7, 1975, and was hosted by Norway at Lillehammer, on the shore of Lake Mjøsa. King Olav V and Harald V of Norway, who then was crown prince, opened "Nordjamb '75", as it became popularly ...

in July 1975 in the presence of 17,259 Scouts from 94 countries. Although the constitution nominally vested Olav with executive power, he was not responsible for exercising it. One source states that his "duties were largely ceremonial". His acts were not valid without the countersignature of a minister–usually the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

–who then became politically responsible for the act in question. He had the right to appoint the government, but in practice it was not possible for him to keep a government in office against the will of the

Storting The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years ...

. Thus, in practice, his role was mostly representative in nature. Nonetheless, like his father before him, he commanded great

moral authority Moral authority is authority premised on principles, or fundamental truths, which are independent of written, or positive, laws. As such, moral authority necessitates the existence of and adherence to truth. Because truth does not change, the princi ...

as a symbol of the nation's unity.

Illness and death

During the summer of 1990, the King suffered from health problems, but recovered somewhat during Christmas the same year. At the age of 87, on 17 January 1991, while residing in the Royal Lodge Kongsseteren in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, he became ill and died in the evening of a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ...

. An interview given by King

Harald V Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the lin ...

and hints in a biography by Jo Benkow, who was the President of the Storting at that time, mention the possibility that King Olav suffered great trauma upon learning of the outbreak of the first

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

, which began the day of his death. Olav's son

succeeded him as

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

. On the night of his death and for several days up until the state funeral, Norwegians mourned publicly, lighting hundreds of thousands of candles in the courtyard outside the Royal Palace in Oslo, with letters and cards placed amongst them. The National Archives have preserved all these cards.

Funeral

The state funeral of King Olav V was held on 30 January 1991. During the funeral procession from the Royal Palace to Oslo Cathedral, over 100,000 people lined up along

Karl Johans gate Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Charles III John, who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John. Karl Johans gate is a composite of several older streets that used to be ...

to pay their respects. Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland gave the eulogy at the funeral, before the casket was moved to

Akershus Fortress Akershus Fortress ( no, Akershus Festning, ) or Akershus Castle ( no, Akershus slott ) is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress ha ...

where a private service was held. Olav was finally laid to rest next to his wife Märtha in the green sarcophagus of the Royal Mausoleum.

Legacy

King Olav's leadership during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

made him a symbol of Norwegian independence and national unity. As King Olav's wife, Princess Märtha, died of cancer, the King Olav V's Prize for Cancer Research was established in 1992. A 2005 poll by the

named King Olav " Norwegian of the Century".

In popular culture

Viktor Andersen portrayed the two-year-old Prince Alexander (Olav) in the 2009 NRK drama series '' Harry & Charles.'' Actor

Anders Baasmo Christiansen Anders Baasmo (born 29 January 1976) is a Norwegian actor originally from Hamar. Baasmo graduated from the Norwegian Acting Academy in 2000. He started his professional career at the Trøndelag Teater in Trondheim, Norway. He later joined the ...

was chosen to portray Crown Prince Olav in the 2016 drama ''

The King's Choice ''The King's Choice'' ( no, Kongens nei, meaning "The King's No") is a 2016 biographical war film directed by Erik Poppe. It is a co-production of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland, and was selected as the Norwegian entry for the Best Foreig ...

'' while

Tobias Santelmann Tobias Santelmann (born August 8, 1980) is a German-born Norwegian actor. He is best known for starring in the Academy Award-nominated film '' Kon-Tiki'' (2012). He has also had supporting roles in the films '' Hercules'' (2014) and '' Point B ...

portrayed Olav in the 2021 NRK drama '' Atlantic Crossing''.

Honours

National honours and medals

* : **

Recipient of the War Cross ** Borgerdådsmedaljen stripe

Recipient of the Medal for Outstanding Civic Achievement in gold ** St Olavs Orden storkors stripe

Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (18 November 1905); Grand Master (21 September 1957) **

Den kongelige norske fortjenstorden storkors stripe

Founder of the

Royal Norwegian Order of Merit The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: ''Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden'' (Bokmål) or ''Den Kongelege Norske Fortenesteordenen'' (Nynorsk)) was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens livi ...

(1985) **

Recipient of the

St Olav's medal The St. Olav's Medal and the St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch were instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 17 March 1939. They are awarded in recognition of "outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading of information about No ...

Recipient of the Haakon VII Coronation Medal ** Krigsmedaljen stripe

Recipient of the War Medal ** Haakon VIIs 70-årsmedalje stripe

Recipient of the

Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal is a Norwegian military award, which was instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 27 October 1942. It was awarded in recognition of military personnel who served in the Norwegian armed forces in Britain on the ...

Haakon VIIs jubileumsmedalje 1905-1955 stripe

Recipient of the

King Haakon VII 1905–1955 Jubilee Medal The King Haakon VII 1905–1955 Jubilee Medal ( no, Kong Haakon VIIs jubileumsmedalje 1905–1955), also known as the King's Jubilee Medal ( no, Kongens jubileumsmedalje), is a Norwegian award instituted in November 1955 by Haakon VII of Norway ...

Foreign honours

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin * : Grand Star of the

Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (german: Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the ...

* : Grand Cordon of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Rose The Imperial Order of the Rose ( pt, Imperial Ordem da Rosa) was a Brazilian order of chivalry, instituted by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil on 17 October 1829 to commemorate his marriage to Amélie of Leuchtenberg. On 22 March 1890, the order was can ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Merit of Chile * : ** Knight of the

Elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

(13 August 1921) **

Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

(13 August 1921) ** Grand Commander of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known ...

(11 September 1958) ** Recipient of the King Christian X's Liberty Medal ** Recipient of the Commemorative Medal for King Christian IX's 100th birthday ** Recipient of the Commemorative Medal for King Frederik VIII's 100th birthday * : Grand Cross of the Order of Solomon * : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose * : ** Grand Cross of the Order of Legion of Honour ** Recipient of the

Croix de guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

** Recipient of the

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic ...

* : Grand Cross Special Class of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

* : ** Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer ** Grand Cross of the

Order of St. George and St. Constantine The Royal Family Order of Saints George and Constantine ( el, Βασιλικόν Οἰκογενειακόν Τάγμα Ἁγίων Γεωργίου καὶ Κωνσταντίνου, Vasilikon Oikogeneiakon Tagma Agion Georgiou kai Konstantinou) ...

** Recipient of the War Cross ** Recipient of the Commemorative Badge of the Centenary of the Royal House of Greece * : ** Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon ( is, Hin íslenska fálkaorða) is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. ...

(1961) ** Grand Cross of the

(1955) * : ** Grand Cordon of the

Order of Pahlavi The Order of Pahlavi of the Empire of Iran, in Persian: "Neshan-e Pahlavi" was the highest order of the former Imperial State of Iran. History The Order was instituted in 1932 by Rezā Shāh, the founder of the Dynasty of the Pahlavi, and it was ...

** Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14/10/1971). * : Knight Grand cross with Collar of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-rankin ...

(1965) * : Collar of the

Order of the Chrysanthemum is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously. Apart ...

* : Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau * : Grand Cross of the

Order of the Aztec Eagle The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle ( es, Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca) forms part of the Mexican Honours System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners in the country. History It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 ...

* : ** Grand Cross of the

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...

** Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange ** Recipient of the War Cross ** Recipient of the Queen Juliana Juliana Inauguration Medal (1948) * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun * : ** Grand Cross of the Military

Order of Aviz The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...

** Grand Collar of the Order of Saint James of the Sword * : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Star * : Grand Cross of the Ernestine Order (Saxony, Germany) * : ** Knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriag ...

** Collar of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

* : ** Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (1 November 1926) ** Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of King Gustaf V (1928) ** Recipient of the 90th Birthday Medal of King Gustaf V (1948) King Gustaf V's 90th Anniversary Medal * : ** Knight of the Most Illustrious

Order of the Royal House of Chakri The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri ( th, เครื่องขัตติยราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติคุณรุ่งเรืองยิ่งมหาจัก� ...

(19 September 1960) ** Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Illustrious

Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์จุลจอมเกล้า; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand ...

* : Grand Cross of the Order of Independence * : Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (1967) * : ** Stranger Knight of the Most Noble

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...

(29 May 1959) ** Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle ** Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as ...

** Recipient of the

Royal Victorian Chain The Royal Victorian Chain is a decoration instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the monarch (i.e. not an award made on the advice of any Commonwealth realm government). It ranks above the Royal Victorian Order, with which ...

** Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, ...

** Recipient of the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

** Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal ** Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal * : Chief Commander of the

* : Great Star of the

Order of the Yugoslav Star The Order of the Yugoslav Star sr, Орден југословенске звезде, ''Orden jugoslovenske zvezde'' sl, Red jugoslovanske zvezde mk, Орден на југословенската ѕвезда, ''Orden na jugoslovenskata zvezda'' ...

Other honours

* – A 180 000 km² area (

Prince Olav Coast Prince Olav Coast ( no, Kronprins Olav Kyst) is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land between the east entrance point of Lutzow-Holm Bay, marked by the coastal angle at 40° E, and Shinnan Glacier at 44° 38' E. It was discovered by Capt. ...

) and the

Prince Olav Mountains The Prince Olav Mountains is a mountain range of the Queen Maud Mountains in Antarctica stretching from Shackleton Glacier to Liv Glacier at the head of the Ross Ice Shelf. Discovered in 1911 by Roald Amundsen on the way to the South Pole, and na ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...

are named in his honour. * – Olav V Land on Svalbard is named in his honour. * – In 1961 the King was a laureate of the Nansen Refugee Award. * – In 1968 he was awarded the Holmenkollen medal. * – In 2005, Olav was proclaimed the Norwegian of the Century, with 41 percent of the tele-votes in a popular competition held by NRK. * – In 1959, Olav was granted the honorary rank of

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Adm ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. * – In 1958, Olav was granted the honorary rank of Admiral in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

, and in 1988, he was granted the honorary rank of Admiral of the Fleet. * –

Honorary Freeman The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

of Richmond * – Honorary Freedom of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is a ...

* – Prince Olav Harbour on

South Georgia South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east ...

is also named in his honour. * – Member of the

Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd ...

. * ,

SR Macedonia The Socialist Republic of Macedonia ( mk, Социјалистичка Република Македонија, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia or Yugoslav Macedonia, was ...

- In 1966, Olav became an honorary citizen.

Issue

Gallery

File:Kong Haakon ankommer Norge 1905.jpg, File:Kronprins olav 1906 av a bloch.jpg, File:Time-magazine-cover-scandanavian-royalty-marries-1929.jpg, Märtha and Olav on the cover of ''Time'' on the occasion of their wedding File:Kongebjorka.jpeg, File:Martha and Olav 1950.jpg, File:Olafofnorway.jpg, File:Haakon VII of Norway 3775425108 c95d6db9fc o.jpg, Haakon VII of Norway,

and Crown Prince Olav on 17 July 1913 in Norway

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Official Website of the Royal House of Norway

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20151214082116/http://www.saintolav.com/ The Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav – H.M. King Olav V the former Grand Master of the Order
Holmenkollen medalists
– click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file * {{DEFAULTSORT:Olav 05 Of Norway 1903 births 1991 deaths 20th-century Norwegian monarchs Norwegian monarchs House of Glücksburg (Norway) Norwegian people of World War II Danish princes Norwegian princes Norwegian male ski jumpers Norwegian male sailors (sport) Olympic sailors of Norway Sailors at the 1928 Summer Olympics – 6 Metre Olympic gold medalists for Norway Norwegian Military Academy alumni Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Norwegian Army generals Royal Norwegian Navy admirals Crown Princes of Norway Protestant monarchs Royal Olympic medalists Royal Air Force officers holding honorary commissions Holmenkollen medalists Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Chief Commanders of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Collars of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Recipients of the Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Grand Crosses of the Order of Saints George and Constantine Recipients of the War Cross (Greece) Grand Crosses of the Order of the House of Orange Grand Crosses of the Order of the Sun of Peru Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz Grand Collars of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Honorary Knights of the Thistle Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Extra Knights Companion of the Garter Grand Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog Recipients of the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Recipients of the War Cross (Norway) Norwegian people of German descent Norwegian people of English descent Burials at the Royal Mausoleum (Norway) Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Olympic medalists in sailing Norwegian Army World War II generals Royal Norwegian Navy World War II admirals Medalists at the 1928 Summer Olympics Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Sons of kings Nansen Refugee Award laureates