Meet Norway’s Royal Family: All About the 1,000-Year-Old Monarchy

King Harald V is current monarch of Norway, having acceded the throne in January 1991

Norway’s monarchy stems back over 1,000 years.

The Scandinavian country was first ruled by Harald Fairhair, who is thought to have taken the throne around the year 885. Today, the country is under the rule of the House of Glücksburg, a European dynasty that has been in power in Norway since 1905. King Harald V of Norway acceded the throne on Jan. 17, 1991, and was consecrated, alongside his wife Queen Sonja, on June 23, 1991, at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

Next in the line of succession is Crown Prince Haakon, the second child and only son of King Harald and Queen Sonja. He married Crown Princess Mette-Marit in 2001. The royal couple are parents to two children: Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Princess Mette-Marit also has a son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby.

The Norwegian royal family also has close ties to the British monarchy. The late Prince Philip, who was born into the Greek and Danish royal families, belonged to the House of Glücksburg. King Harald and the late Queen Elizabeth were also second cousins and shared the same great-grandparents.