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

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 king ...

from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was born at

Sandringham House Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a est ...

in England, the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales. He became

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Norwegian throne when his father was elected King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905. He was the first heir to the Norwegian throne to be brought up in Norway since Olav IV in the 14th century, and his parents made sure that 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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. His considerate, down-to-earth style made Olav immensely popular, resulting in the nickname ('The People's King'). In a 2005 poll by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Olav was voted " Norwegian of the Century".

Birth and early life

Olav was born as Prince ''Alexander Edward Christian Frederik'' in Appleton House on the royal Sandringham Estate, Flitcham, 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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. In 1905, Carl was elected as Norway's first independent king in 518 years. The fact that Carl already had a son gave him an advantage over the other candidates, as it assured the continuance of the new royal line. When Carl accepted his election, he took the name Haakon VII. The king gave his two-year-old son the Norwegian name Olav after Olav Haakonsson, the last independent king of Norway before its union with Denmark. It was also chosen in honour of Saint Olaf, the first effective king of Norway and a symbol of Norwegian independence and pride. 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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

to have been raised in Norway, and his parents went to considerable length to give him as Norwegian an upbringing as possible. 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 a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. 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 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 (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

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, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, where she struck up a close friendship with

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

. 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. That made him perhaps one of the most knowledgeable Norwegian military leaders, and he 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. Those 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 () is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for navy, naval operations of Norway, including those of the Norwegian Coast Guard. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 i ...

and a general of the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () 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 in 1628. The ...

. During

, Olav stood by his father's side in resisting the German occupation of Norway. 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 that 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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the 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 in England. The Norwegian Government in Exile during the Second World War A4132

The Norwegian Government in Exile during the Second World War A4132

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 Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

; and the French Médaille Militaire, are testament to the international recognition of his contribution to the war against

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

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, despite the fact that he had no

queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

(his wife, Märtha of Sweden, died in 1954). He liked to drive his own cars and would drive in the public lane even though, as king, he was allowed to drive in bus lanes. When driving was restricted during the

1973 energy crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after E ...

, King Olav wanted to lead by example even though he would have been well within his rights to drive. While going on a skiing trip, he dressed up in his skiing outfit and boarded the

Holmenkollbanen The Holmenkollen Line () is an Oslo Metro line which runs between Majorstuen and Nordmarka in Oslo, Norway. Operating as Metro Line 1, it is the route with the fewest passengers and the only one still to have level crossings and short station p ...

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 at the time. 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 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 Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in an army regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family. Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to ...

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 List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...

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

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. King Olav V opened the

14th World Scout Jamboree The 14th World Scout Jamboree was held from 29 July to 7 August 1975, and was hosted by Norway at Lillehammer, on the shore of the Gudbrandsdalslågen river. King Olav V and Crown Prince Harald 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. In practice, his role was almost entirely ceremonial and representative. This not only followed practices dating from the definitive establishment of parliamentary rule in Norway in 1884, but also precedent set by his father. His acts were not valid without the countersignature of a minister–usually the

Prime Minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

–who then became politically responsible for the act in question. While he had the right to appoint the government, in practice it was impossible for him to appoint a government solely of his choosing or keep it in office against the will of the

Storting The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The Unicameralism, unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list propo ...

. 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 princip ...

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 ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, he became ill and died in the evening of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. An interview given by King Harald V 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 , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, which began on the day he died. Olav's son succeeded him as King Harald V. 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 Oslo Cathedral () — formerly Our Savior's Church () — is the main church for the Church of Norway Diocese of Oslo, as well as the parish church for downtown Oslo. The present building dates from 1694 to 1697. The Norwegian royal family and th ...

, over 100,000 people lined up along Karl Johans gate to pay their respects. Prime Minister

Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Brundtland (; née Harlem, 20 April 1939) is a Norwegian politician in the Labour Party, who served three terms as the prime minister of Norway (1981, 1986–1989, and 1990–1996), as the leader of her party from 1981 to 1992, and as the d ...

gave the eulogy at the funeral, before the casket was moved to

Akershus Fortress Akershus Fortress (, ) or Akershus Castle ( ) 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 has been the namesake and centre of the ...

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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation 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 was chosen to portray Crown Prince Olav in the 2016 drama '' The King's Choice'' while Tobias Santelmann portrayed Olav in the 2021 NRK drama '' Atlantic Crossing''. In the period drama ''The Commoner'', premiered in 2025 on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

, Anders Baasmo Christiansen is again portraying Olav V, this time during his reign as

Honours

National honours and medals

* : **

Recipient of the War Cross ** 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 livin ...

(1985) **

Recipient of the St Olav's medal ** Kroningsmedaljen 1906 rib

Recipient of the Haakon VII Coronation Medal ** Krigsmedaljen stripe

Recipient of the War Medal ** Recipient of the Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal ** Haakon VIIs jubileumsmedalje 1905-1955 stripe

Recipient of the King Haakon VII 1905–1955 Jubilee Medal

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

Elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

(13 August 1921) ** Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog (13 August 1921) ** Grand Commander of the

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

(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 (, ''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 awarded during World ...

** Recipient of the Médaille militaire * : 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 (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

* : ** Grand Cross of the

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer (), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state. Establishment The establishment of the Orde ...

** Grand Cross of the Order of St. George and St. Constantine ** 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 the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by Christian X of Denmark, 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. Nowaday ...

(1961) ** Grand Cross of the

(1955) * : ** Grand Cordon of the Order of Pahlavi ** 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 () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

(1965) * : Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum * : Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau * : Grand Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle * : ** 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 (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...

** 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 Aviz (), known previously to 1910 as the Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (), and before 1789 as the Knights of Saint Benedict of Aviz () or ''Friars of Santa Maria of Évora'', is one of the four former ancien ...

** 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 (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

** 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 (, originally ; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OC3) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bes ...

* : ** 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 (19 September 1960) ** Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao * : Grand Cross of the Order of Independence * : Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (1967) * : ** Stranger Knight Companion 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. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

(29 May 1959) ** Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble

Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier order. The ...

** 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 King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

** Recipient of the

Royal Victorian Chain The Royal Victorian Chain is a State decoration, 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 Or ...

** Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

** 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 Ju ...

** Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal ** Recipient of the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family ...

* : ** Chief Commander of the

** Recipient of Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, University of North Dakota * : Great Star of the Order of the Yugoslav Star

Other honours

* – A 180 000 km² area ( Prince Olav Coast) and the Prince Olav Mountains in

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

are named in his honour. * – Olav V Land on

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), previously known as Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen, is a Norway, Norwegian archipelago that lies at the convergence of the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. North of continental Europe, mainland Europe, it lies about midway be ...

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 rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

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

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, and in 1988, he was granted the honorary rank of

Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

. * – Honorary Freeman of Richmond * – Honorary Freedom of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

* – Prince Olav Harbour on

South Georgia South Georgia is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. ...

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, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...

. * , SR Macedonia - 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,

Maud of Wales Maud of Wales (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria; 26 November 1869 – 20 November 1938) was 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 Prin ...

and Crown Prince Olav on 17 July 1913 in Norway File:Royal Monogram of King Olav V of Norway.svg,

Royal cypher In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram or monogram-like device of a country's reigning Monarch, sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a Crown (heral ...

of King Olav V. File:Prince Olav, Norway Christmas seal, 1928.jpg, Prince Olav on a 1928 'National aid' Christmas seal of 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 20th-century regents House of Glücksburg (Norway) Norwegian people of World War II Princes of Denmark Norwegian princes Norwegian male ski jumpers Norwegian male sailors (sport) Olympic sailors for 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 Crown princes of Norway 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 Cross of the Legion of Honour 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 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 Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Ethiopia