Royal Style: summer's end, but not for style ❤️

[Maireas]

The end of summer lies ahead, but we're hoping for more bling!

Harald seems to have been a good man and I think he and Sonja are one of the great royal love stories, with the way he told his father he'd marry her or he wouldn't marry at all and end the Norwegian royal line.

I didn't know that, that's a great story.

Yes, apparently his father wanted him to marry a princess, perhaps because their branch of the Norwegian monarchy was fairly new and only dated from Harald's grandfather, who'd started life as a relatively obscure prince of Denmark. But Harald held firm for 9 years and married his Sonja!

I think he was the European monarch who was most closely related to the BRF - he and QEII were second cousins as his grandmother was a George V's sister. And no doubt he was related to Daisy and King CG in too many ways to count!

Poor Sonja, tomorrow would have been their 58th wedding anniversary. 😢

Wow, I remember reading a biography of the Mountbattens and it got difficult to follow at times about how the royal families are all related.

I just tried googling and there are Swedes and Danes all over the place!
Lord Mountbatten's sister was Queen of Sweden but no relation to the SRF as she was King CG'S step-grandmother.

Interesting to note that Harald and his father, and now Haakon all didn't succeed to the throne until their 50s. They are a long-lived bunch!

I think he was the European monarch who was most closely related to the BRF - he and QEII were second cousins as his grandmother was a George V's sister. And no doubt he was related to Daisy and King CG in too many ways to count!

The Scandinavian inter-marriages are very complicated! The most direct link (I think) is that Harald’s mother, Princess Martha of Sweden, was the cousin of King CG’s grandfather.

Also, Felipe's mother, Queen Sofia is from the House of Glucksburg, like Prince Philip.

Also, Princess Martha of Sweden’s (Harald’s Mum) sister Astrid married King Leopold III of Belgium and current King Phillipe of Belgium is her grandson, and recently abdicated Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is her grandson too!

The wider family tree must look like a Jackson Pollock version of the Tube map.

I know!

Ah and the other Danish connection is that Harald's grandmother was a princess of Denmark too. In fact, his parents were first cousins! It's quite incredible that we have so many healthy monarchs given the amount of intermarrying that went on. Thank goodness all the current kings and heirs "married out"!!

Blimey. Thank goodness that they're all marrying out; William, Frederick, Felipe, Haakon....

What's also interesting is that the Dutch and Danes haven't had a native-born consort in hundreds of years! Letizia is the first Spanish-born consort in 100 years and I think Mathilde the first Belgian to ever be Queen of the Belgians.

... and Letizia is from a non aristocratic background.
The Hapsburgs seem to still marry titles though.

Yes but I think a lot of them are just courtesy titles as Germany and Austria don't allow official use of them.

Out of the current crop of consorts, I think only Mathilde and Stephanie are from aristocratic backgrounds? They may even be related to each other, I can't recall

I rarely post on the royal board but this thread is an interesting one for those interested in historic royals
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5571874-random-royal-stories-or-facts

Thinking about titles, it's rumoured that Caroline of Monaco won't divorce her estranged husband because she'd have to go back to being a Serene Highness rather than a Royal one. But Ernst-August has no official title in Germany - I think his HRH is because he's somehow still a prince of Great Britain? I'm on a train so have poor reception and I can't Google!

Sad news from Norway. I see Haakon has been netting with the government. Apparently he is Haakon viii. I hadn’t realised it was such a popular name for a Norwegian King

Yes, you're right! Being a Hanover he is in the LoS to the British throne. She's an HRH through him, and doesn't want the demotion back to HSH!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_August_von_Hannover_(born_1954)
He has a great name.

https://www.tatler.com/gallery/who-is-princess-ingrid-alexandra-of-norway-heir-to-throne
Ingrid is now the heir, nice picture

Yes, his great-grandfather took the name Haakon but before that I think there hadn't been a Haakon since medieval times.

All the heirs of Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain are now female.

Her eyes are very much her father's, aren't they (and a lovely picture). Sad times - my Norwegian colleagues of all ages were fond of King Harald. MM definitely looked better in the anniversary pictures, and I hope that continues for her.

I was just about to ask - is the heir to the throne of the UK now the only male heir in Europe?