Princess Ragnhild of Norway

Infobox Norwegian Royalty|princess
name = Princess Ragnhild
title = Princess Ragnhild of Norway
full name = Ragnhild Alexandra


caption =
date of birth = birth date and age|1930|6|9
place of birth = Oslo, Norway
royal house = House of Oldenburg
spouse = Erling Sven Lorentzen
issue = Haakon Lorentzen
Ingeborg Lorentzen
Ragnhild Lorentzen
father = Olav V of Norway
mother = Princess Märtha of Sweden

Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen, "Highness" ("Ragnhild Alexandra", born Oslo, 9 June 1930) is the eldest daughter of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha Sweden. She is the sister of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway.

Princess Ragnhild married Erling S. Lorentzen, a commoner of the High Bourgeoisie, in Asker on 15 May 1953, after which the princess is titled "Her Highness Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen". There was great controversy when the princess married Lorentzen, a business man and army officer who had served as her bodyguard during the War, as she was the first Norwegian Royal to marry a commoner. Soon after the couple's wedding, it was announced that the flag of Norway would no longer be flown on the princess's birthday (9 June).

The couple moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where her husband has substantial business holdings. They still live there, but also spend some time in Oslo. The princess has three children: Haakon Lorentzen, Ingeborg Lorentzen (Mrs. Paulo Ribeiro), and Ragnhild Lorentzen (married to the American Aaron Matthew Long and living in San Francisco, California).

A staunch conservative, Princess Ragnhild publicly criticized her niece and nephew, Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon Magnus, their choise of spouses, on TV 2, a Norwegian television network, in 2004. [ [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article727598.ece Here's what Princess Ragnhild said] ] Among her comments was her belief that the younger generation's controversial marriages could bring down the Norwegian monarchy and her hope that she would be dead before her nephew's wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit became queen. Fact|date=May 2008 In a fruitless effort at damage control, the princess's husband reportedly approached TV 2, asking that his wife's scathing comments be edited. [ [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article727598.ece Here's what Princess Ragnhild said] ]

Princess Ragnhild is Patron of the Norwegian Organisation for the Hearing Impaired.

Honours

A 540 000 km² area in Antarctica is named Princess Ragnhild Coast in her honour. The Color Line ferry MS Prinsesse Ragnhild is named in her honour.
*flag|Norway Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
*flag|Norway The Royal House Centenary Medal
*flag|Norway Olav Vs Commemorative Medal of 30. January 1991
*flag|Norway Olav Vs Jubilee Medal 1957-1982
*flag|Norway Olav Vs Centenary Medal
*flag|Norway Royal Family Order of King Haakon VII of Norway
*flag|Norway Royal Family Order of King Olav V of Norway
*flag|Norway Royal Family Order of King Harald V of Norway
*flag|Brazil Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
*flag|Netherlands Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau
*flag|Portugal Grand Cross of the Portuguese Order of Merit
*flag|Sweden Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star

Ancestry

ahnentafel-compact5
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boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
1= 1. Princess Ragnhild of Norway
2= 2. Olav V of Norway
3= 3. Märtha of Sweden
4= 4. Haakon VII of Norway
5= 5. Maud of Wales
6= 6. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
7= 7. Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
8= 8. Frederick VIII of Denmark
9= 9. Lovisa of Sweden
10= 10. Edward VII of the United Kingdom
11= 11. Alexandra of Denmark
12= 12. Oscar II of Sweden
13= 13. Sofia of Nassau
14= 14. Frederick VIII of Denmark ( = 8)
15= 15. Lovisa of Sweden ( = 9 )
16= 16. Christian IX of Denmark
17= 17. Louise of Hesse-Kassel
18= 18. Charles XV of Sweden
19= 19. Louise of the Netherlands
20= 20. Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
21= 21. Victoria of the United Kingdom
22= 22. Christian IX of Denmark (= 16)
23= 23. Louise of Hesse-Kassel (= 17)
24= 24. Oscar I of Sweden
25= 25. Josephine of Leuchtenberg
26= 26. William, Duke of Nassau
27= 27. Pauline of Württemberg
28= 28. Christian IX of Denmark (= 16)
29= 29. Louise of Hesse-Kassel (= 17)
30= 30. Charles XV of Sweden (= 18)
31= 31. Louise of the Netherlands (= 19)

infobox hrhstyles
royal name=Princess Raghnild of Norway


dipstyle=Her Highness
offstyle=Your Highness
altstyle=Ma'am|

External links

* [http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/norway.html Royal House of Norway]
* [http://www.kongehuset.no/c27291/artikkel/vis.html?tid=28752 Princess Ragnhild's biography at kongehuset.no]