Blue Plaque for King Haakon VII of Norway

The blue plaque commemorating King Haakon VII of Norway (c) Buckingham Palace Press Office As part of this year's 100th anniversary celebrations of Norway's independence from Sweden in 1905, King Haakon VII of Norway (1872-1957), first King of Norway following its independence, was commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque on Thursday 27 October at 10.30am at the Residence of the Norwegian Ambassador, 10 Palace Green, London W8.

The blue plaque was unveiled by Princess Astrid of Norway in the presence of King Harald V of Norway (grandson of King Haakon and second cousin of Her Majesty The Queen), and his wife, Queen Sonja of Norway, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh also attended the ceremony at which a statue of King Haakon's wife, Queen Maud, was unveiled by King Harald V of Norway. Queen Maud was formerly the British Princess Maud, daughter of Edward VII and grand-daughter of Queen Victoria.

King Haakon became a potent symbol for Norwegian nationalism when he led the government-in-exile from 10 Palace Green in London during the Second World War.

King Haakon is the second Norwegian to be commemorated with an English Heritage blue plaque. The composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was also honoured in September 2004. Other European royalty to have been commemorated with blue plaques include Charles X (1757-1836), last Bourbon King of France, and Napoleon III (1808-73), Emperor of the French, who is honoured with the earliest surviving blue plaque, erected by the Society of Arts in 1867.

Queen Sonja of Norway, HM the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the unveiling of the blue plaque (c) Buckingham Palace Press Office Haakon was born Christian Frederick Charles George Valdemar Axel, the second son of Crown Prince King Frederick VIII and Princess Queen Louise of Denmark and was known as Prince Carl of Denmark. He joined the Danish Navy at the age of 14 and was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in 1893. In 1896 he married his first cousin, Princess Maud, daughter of King Edward VII and his wife, HRH Princess Alexandra of Denmark. After marriage, Carl continued to serve as a naval officer, dividing his time between England and Denmark and the couple had a son in 1903, Prince Alexander, later King Olav V of Norway.

In 1905, Carl was invited to become constitutional monarch of a newly-independent Norway and became King Haakon VII, taking his name from the medieval Norwegian rulers. His accession was confirmed, at his own insistence, by a national vote. Haakon's reign saw Norway's rapid economic expansion although the world slump in the 1930s saw unemployment reach 33%.

Sir Neil Cossons and Princess Astrid of Norway unveil the blue plaque (c) Buckingham Palace Press Office The German invasion of Norway in April 1940 brought Haakon into greater personal prominence. He escaped capture, arriving in London early in June 1940 and resided at Buckingham Palace until the first heavy air raid on the capital in September. He then moved to Bowdown House in Berkshire and, two years later, to Foliejohn Park in Windsor Great Park. It was at the Norwegian Legation at 10 Palace Green, Kensington, that Haakon met with his ministers, held regular weekly cabinet meetings and listened to reports of conditions back home from Norwegian refugees. It was also here that Haakon worked on speeches broadcast regularly by the BBC, aimed at bolstering the spirits of his subjects in Norway.

Haakon's tireless efforts on behalf of his people inspired opposition to the German occupation throughout the war, and his monogram 'H7', which was chalked up on buildings across Norway, became the symbol of the Norwegian resistance movement. Equally important was the practical contribution to the war effort made by his government-in-exile. By 1945, 25,000 Norwegians were fighting on behalf of the Allies and Norway's merchant navy provided an invaluable service carrying supplies to Britain, especially during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Following the defeat of Germany, Haakon returned to an enthusiastic reception in Norway in June 1945, and enjoyed great popularity for the rest of his reign. He presided over Norway's entry into NATO in 1949 but withdrew from public life in 1955 at the age of 82 after a bad fall. He died in September 1957 at the age of 85.