kongehuset.no - Her Highness Princess Ragnhild

Text size

Shortcuts

HRH Crown Prince Haakon & HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Her Highness Princess Ragnhild Mrs Lorentzen was born at the Royal Palace in Oslo on 9 June 1930. She is the oldest child of King Olav V (1903-1991) and Crown Princess Märtha (1901-1954). At an extraordinary meeting of the Council of State after the birth of the princess, King Haakon VII announced that she would be given the name Ragnhild Alexandra.

Neither Princess Ragnhild nor her sister, Princess Astrid, is entitled to succeed to the Throne.

Patronage

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

Early life

With the exception of a period in 1931, when the main house was being rebuilt after a fire, Princess Ragnhild spent her childhood in the peaceful surroundings of the Skaugum Estate, near Oslo. However, this came to an abrupt end on 9 April 1940, when German troops invaded Norway. To avoid being taken into custody by the occupying forces, the Royal Family, the Government and most members of the Norwegian Storting (national assembly) escaped from Oslo by train.

When they reached Elverum, Crown Prince Olav and his family parted company. Crown Princess Märtha and the three children, Princess Ragnhild, Princess Astrid and Prince Harald, fled to safety across the border to Sweden. After several months in Sweden, the Crown Princess and her children travelled to the USA by sea. While King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav had their base in London, the Crown Princess lived with the children in the outskirts of Washington, DC, until 1945, when peace was declared.

Family

Princess Ragnhild lived at Skaugum until her marriage to Mr Erling Sven Lorentzen (born 28 January 1923). The couple were wed in Asker Church on 15 May 1953. King Haakon decided by royal resolution that after her marriage the Princess’s title would be Her Highness Princess Ragnhild Mrs Lorentzen.

Princess Ragnhild and her husband settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they reside today.

They have three children: Mr Haakon Lorentzen, born 23 August 1954, Mrs Ingeborg Ribeiro, born 27 February 1957, and Mrs Ragnhild Lorentzen, born 8 May 1968.

28.04.2010