But so many in the royal family are related to each other, it would have been difficult for Princess. The practice of marrying within royal bloodlines has become less common as royaltys power is lessened. Want to see a family tree? The Royal House of Norway maps it all out on their website. Like many royal couples, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are distantly related through their royal ancestors. He died aged 68 on after several heart attacks and was succeeded his son King George V. He reigned for nine years, overseeing military reforms and was known as 'peacemaker' for fostering good relations with foreign powers.
Queen Elizabeth (the daughter of King George VI) and King Harald of Norway (the son of Crown Prince Olav) are second cousins.Īs Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are themselves third cousins, and Prince Philip is also a direct descendent of Queen Victoria, King Harald is also independently related to him. On the death of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901, Edward became king, marking the beginning of the Edwardian era. The current monarchs of the UK and Norway are also closely related. Maud's brother was King George V therefore, King Haakan is King George VI's uncle by marriage, and Crown Prince Olav is his first cousin. Notably, King Haakan was the grandson of Christian IX, and his wife, Maud of Wales, was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The Norwegian royal family is one such example. Nicknamed the grandmother and father-in-law of Europe, Victoria and Christian were known for the matchmaking prowess, and their ability to marry their descendants into other royal families across the continent. Upon their entrance, you can hear King George call King Haakan, "uncle," and Olav, "cousin."Īnd when Haakan says "Thanks for taking us in," Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, can be heard saying, "That's what family's for, isn't it?" But how exactly are the British royals and the Norwegian royals related? As with so many interconnected monarchies, it all goes back to Queen Victoria and Christian IX of Denmark. Tonight's episode of Atlantic Crossing shows King Haakan and Crown Prince Olav seeking refuge at Buckingham Palace in London during the German occupation of Norway.