en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_V
1 correction found
This would have ended the reign of his family and the Norwegian monarchy, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne.
This overstates the constitutional consequence. Harald remaining unmarried could have ended his direct family line, but it would not automatically have ended Norway's monarchy.
Full reasoning
The claim is incorrect because Norway's Constitution provides a mechanism for continuing the monarchy even if there is no eligible dynastic heir.
- Store norske leksikon states: "Dør kongeslekten ut, velger Stortinget ny konge eller dronning" ("If the royal line dies out, the Storting chooses a new king or queen").
- Article 7 of the Norwegian Constitution likewise says that if there is no Princess or Prince entitled to the succession, the King may propose a successor to the Storting, which has the right to choose if the King's proposal is not accepted.
So even if Harald had remained unmarried and left no children, that would not have automatically ended the Norwegian monarchy. At most, it could have ended the reigning family's direct line and forced a succession decision by the Storting.
2 sources
- Kongen - Norges statsoverhode - Store norske leksikon
Dør kongeslekten ut, velger Stortinget ny konge eller dronning.
- The Constitution of the Kingdom of Norway - Article 7
If there is no Princess or Prince entitled to the succession, the King may propose his successor to the Storting, which has the right to make the choice if the King's proposal is not accepted.