1905-2005, March biography: Märtha

[norwegianne]

A 21-gun salute was fired in both Sweden and Norway on the evening of March 28th, 1901. A princess of Sweden and Norway was born. She was the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Västergötland, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden and Norway. Princess Margaretha, who was two years old, now had a sister. An hour after the new princess’ birth, her father met with her grandfather, King Oscar II, and put forth five names for the royal seal of approval: Sofia after her paternal grandmother, Queen Sofia of Sweden; Lovisa after her Danish grandmother; Crown Princess Louise of Denmark; Dagmar and Thyra after her mother’s sisters; and Märtha. The last name was chosen by her father because he thought it was beautiful, and that is the name by which she was known throughout her life.

In 1905, Märtha had a younger sister, Princess Astrid, and when she was ten years old, the family was complete with the birth of her younger brother, Prince Carl. The children of the Duke and Duchess of Västergötland lived quiet lives. Their parents wanted them to have normal lives and so, they started early in helping with household chores, but were allowed plenty of time to play. The girls had a small cottage at their holiday home, Fridheim, where they played house. Märtha was especially concerned with keeping her surroundings tidy and cozy. The children each had a small plot of land, where they could grow whatever they wanted. As a four-year-old Märtha told someone that she was going to grow herring and potatoes, because that was something her father certainly would buy.

She was educated at home, with her sisters, and a few friends of the family. After her confirmation, the home-schooling was expanded to include classes in childcare and cooking. She also took a formal education in childcare, as well as sewing classes.

As time went on, the Swedish princesses were married off by the media to every available prince on the continent. When Princess Margaretha got married, it became evident to the press that there were two other Swedish princesses of marriageable age. In April 1925, The Minneapolis Tribune had an “absolutely true source” citing that an engagement between the Swedish Princess Märtha and the Prince of Wales would happen soon. The same year, during the summer, several French newspapers were “absolutely certain” that Princess Märtha would soon be Crown Princess of the Belgians. In September a newspaper in Norway came forth with the news that Princess Astrid of Sweden was secretly engaged to Crown Prince Olav of Norway. Astrid and Leopold of Belgium were already secretly engaged and were married in 1926.

But, back to Märtha and Olav. They first met in 1904 at their mutual grandparents when Märtha was three and Olav was one. They met many more times over the years, but as King Olav said in an interview in 1990: “I think it was at my grandmother’s 70th birthday, at Charlottenlund, that I first realized that I could fall in love with Princess Märtha.” The pair got to know each other better at Queen Louise’s yearly birthday gatherings.

In 1928, when Crown Prince Olav was in Amsterdam to participate in the Olympic Summer games, he took a quick tour into Belgium, and “popped the question.” He got the right answer, though the engagement didn’t become public until January the following year. There were concerns regarding public reactions to Olav marrying a Swedish Princess, and Märtha marrying a Norwegian Prince, less than 25 years after the dissolution of the Union. But it was resolved, and the couple was married in Oslo, March 21, 1929. Queen Maud had pushed forward and gotten her wish: the wedding was held in Oslo, and not in Stockholm. It was the first Royal wedding in Oslo since King James I of England, and VI of Scotland, had married a Danish princess there in 1589, and the citizens of Oslo were out in full force to celebrate with the Royals. After the wedding, they honeymooned in the south of Europe, and later traveled to England so that Märtha could see Appleton House where Olav was born.

Unfortunately, honeymoons have their ending. And the question that remained, where would the newlyweds live since Norway did not have an official palace for the Crown Prince? Olav had lived with his parents prior to his wedding. Several suggestions were put forth before the wedding such as Oscarshall, a leisure palace, as possible residences for the crown prince couple. A better solution came from Baron Wedel-Jarlsberg who owned a property called Skaugum that he wished to give to the couple as a wedding present. Olav and Märtha moved into Skaugum in the beginning of 1930. They spent their free time decorating their home amid the official engagements they had during the jubilee year. Unfortunately Skaugum burnt to the ground, in three hours, in May the same year, just as they had finished the redecorating. Olav and some of the workers managed to save some priceless belongings, and a few things for the baby that was expected any day. Märtha and Olav moved to the Palace in Oslo, and it was there, on June 9th, 1930, that their first child saw the light of day.

After a few weeks at the Palace, they moved to Villa Victoria on Bygdøy, and from there they moved to a white wooden villa, Solbakken, in another part of Oslo. There, Crown Princess Märtha gave birth to another daughter, in February 1932, and the family of three had become a family of four: Märtha, Olav, Ragnhild and Astrid. Six months later, on King Haakon’s 60th birthday, Skaugum had been rebuilt, and was complete enough for the family to move back in.

Shortly after her wedding, Crown Princess Märtha took Norwegian language lessons. And while she was still unsure about her pronunciation, she talked to her children in Swedish, because she wanted her children to learn only proper Norwegian language.

Crown Princess Märtha played with her daughters. She enjoyed working in the kitchen and she enjoyed the garden. She accompanied Crown Prince Olav on the many representation duties that had to be performed. During the depression the Crown Prince couple traveled throughout Norway to find out how people were managing through the hard times. In 1934 they visited the northernmost parts of Norway.

Tragedy struck Crown Princess Märtha in 1935. Her younger sister, Queen Astrid of Belgium was killed in a car crash. The two sisters had been very close, and King Olav later said that it took his wife more than ten years to come to term with it. But he didn’t think that she ever really got over her sister’s death. It had been so unexpected for the entire family.
Two years later Märtha was in a car accident of her own. It could have ended badly, as she was nearly at the due date with her third child, and she was accompanied by her two daughters but everything ended well. On February 21, 1937, Märtha fulfilled one of her duties as Crown Princess, she gave birth to an heir. He was named Harald and, with his birth, the family at Skaugum was complete.

The parents were engaged in their children’s upbringing, played with them when they had the time, and participated in their birthday parties. Queen Maud used to host Princess Ragnhild’s birthday parties at Bygdøy Kongsgård, and she invited Ragnhild’s friends, the grandchildren of her own friends, the children of Olav and Märtha’s friends, and the children of the staff. As a result the princesses were invited to quite a few birthday parties in return. Princess Astrid remembers that their mother accompanied them to any birthday party they were invited to before the war.

When Queen Maud died in 1938, Crown Princess Märtha became the new first lady of the Norwegian Royal family which meant taking on additional duties. Märtha was patron of many Norwegian organizations, among them the Norwegian Female Scout association.

continued below

[norwegianne]

1) Märtha with her sister Margaretha and their grandmother, Queen Sofia in 1902
2) Märtha, 1908
3) Märtha and her sister Margaretha
4) Princess Ingeborg of Sweden and her three daughters, Margaretha, Märtha and Astrid.

[norwegianne]

Photos from the engagement, around the engagement, and wedding picture.

[norwegianne]

1) 1930, with Olav.
2) 1930, with Ragnhild
3) 1931, playing with Ragnhild
4) 1931, with Ragnhild and Queen Maud
5) 1931, with Ragnhild and Olav
6) 1931, with Olav
7) 1931, with Ragnhild in the snow.
8) 1931, skiing with her sister, Astrid.

[norwegianne]

1) 1932
2) 1932, family picture of the four in the family
3) 1932, with Ragnhild and Astrid.
4) 1933, with Olav, going to watch a sporting event.
5) 1934, working as a volunteer.
6) 1934, Astrid and Mum
7) 1934, trip to Finnmark
8) 1934, official photo
9) 1934, family sledding

[norwegianne]

1) 1935, in Princess Ingeborg and Prince Carl's home. The last time all four of their children were together. From left: (Front) Princess Margaretha of Denmark, Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, Prince Carl, Princess Ingeborg. (Back) Prince Carl jr. and Queen Astrid of the Belgians.

2) 1936, playing with her daughters
3) 1936, the family going on a trip?
4) 1937, the baptism of Prince Harald
5) 1937, with her daughters and her newborn son.
6) 1938, official family portrait
7) 1938, from the balcony on the Palace on May 17th.
8) 1939, official portrait
9) 1939, picture from the trip to USA.

[sm1939]

I thought she might of , thanks

[Antoine]

Beatiful pictures.
Thanks!!!!!

[marine2109]

Thanks for the wonderful pictures!!!

[norwegianne]

Princess Astrid said in a recent interview that the rumours that her mother (Crown Princess Märtha) died of cancer were false. The Crown Princess died of
liver failure, brought on by jaundice.
Kongen avviste kvinneryktene på dødsleiet