historyWikipedia1905 · Norway

A Danish prince said he would only be Norway's king if the people voted for him

the gist

On 12 and 13 November 1905 Norway held a referendum on whether to offer its throne to Prince Carl of Denmark. Norway had just become independent from its union with Sweden, and the Storting, its parliament, wanted Carl as king. But the prince insisted that the Norwegian people should have a choice, rather than parliament alone deciding. Voters were asked whether they approved the Storting's decision to offer the throne. The proposal was approved by 79% of voters, and the Storting formally offered Carl the crown.

so what

The vote made Norway's monarchy depend on popular consent, which was rare in 1905. Prince Carl took the name Haakon VII, and his descendants still reign today.

the bigger pattern

Other states that left empires or unions in this period, such as Ireland and Finland, faced similar choices about their forms of government.

fun fact

The prince took the old Norwegian royal name Haakon VII and named his son Olav.

Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons