The life of Queen Maud of Norway

From unimportant Princess to Queen of Norway, Princess Maud of Wales is perhaps one of the least known daughters of King Edward VII. Join me in todays blog as I explore her life and reign!

Born at Marlborough House on 26th November 1869, Princess Maud was the fifth child and youngest daughter of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and his wife, Alexandra. On Christmas Eve the same year, Marlborough House hosted the Princess’s christening. She was given the named Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria and her godparents were: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; Carl XV of Sweden; Marie Feodorovna, Tsarina of Russia; Crown Princess Louise of Denmark; Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel; Count Von Gleichen; Princess Adelheid Marie, Duchess of Nassau; Princess Marie of Leiningen; and Cecilia, Duchess of Inverness.

As the second youngest child of the future king, Maud experienced a much more relaxed upbringing than her older siblings. She was known for her tomboyish nature and love of various sports, which earned her the nickname “Harry”. It is also thought that Maud was her father’s favourite child.

Although it was custom for women to marry young, Maud was in her late twenties when she began looking for a husband. Her first choice was Prince Francis of Teck, brother of Princess Mary, wife of King George V. The two shared several letters between one another but it soon became clear that, despite benefiting from Mauds status, Francis wasn’t interested in the love match.

With a failed first attempt at flirtation, Maud turned her attention to Prince Carl of Denmark, who had previously met the princess during her family holidays in Denmark. The two got along well and became engaged on 29th October 1895, marrying less than a year later on 22nd July at Buckingham Palace. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon at Appleton House on the Sandringham estate, which had been given to Maud to live in whenever she visited England. However, the princess was reluctant to leave her homeland and the couple ended up living there for five months before moving to Bernsorff Palace, Grtntofte, near Copenhagen in Denmark. Maud struggled to adapt to her new home, particularly its cold winters, and often returned home to Britain. It was here at Appleton House that Maud gave birth to the couples only child, Alexander, on 2nd July 1903.

By 1905, the union between Norway and Sweden finally dissolved and the Norwegian government began its hunt for a new monarch. While several candidates were put forward, Carl soon became the favourite option. He was a decedent of the last independent Norwegian Kings and his wife’s British heritage would help form strong alliances. However, the fact that Maud and Carl had a son was a huge factor in him being chosen as it meant they had already secured an heir. While he was honoured to be selected, Carl wanted a referendum to allow the Norwegian people to decide if they wanted monarchy or a republic. Monarchy won with 79% of votes and Carl was officially elected King on 18th November 1905.

On 23rd November, the family left Copenhagen on board the Danish Royal Yacht, Donneberg, and arrived in Norway just two days later. On 27th Carl became the first Norwegian King to take the oath in 518 years but unfortunately he would also be the last to undergo a ceremony of its kind. During the ceremony, Carl changed his name, becoming known as King Haakon VII. His son, Alexander, also changed his name and became Olaf, Crown Prince of Norway.

The couple’s coronation took place on 22nd June 1906 in Nidaros Cathederal in Trondheim, Norway. Having been brought up in the presence of Queen Victoria, Maud understood how important it was for the monarch to be seen by their public. As a result, the new King and Queen embarked on an extensive tour of Norway, where they explored its culture, gained a love of native pass times and were also photographed wearing Norwegian folk costume. It wasn’t long before the couple were adored by the people of Norway.

Although Maud never became fluent in the native language, she loved her new role and began supporting numerous charities. Like many higher class women of the time, those charities mostly cared for animals and children but Maud also supported women’s rights and the welfare of unmarried women. During the First World War, she founded Dronningens Hjelpekomité (the Queen’s Relief Committee), which helped people that had been forced into difficult circumstances by war.

Like her mother, Queen Alexandra, Maud was known for her tiny waist and often used jewellery and fashion as a way to show her status. While today’s standards might see this as showing off, she was often complemented as an icon.

Throughout her life and reign, Maud continued visiting England. Her last public appearance here was to the coronation of her nephew, King George VI (father of Queen Elizabeth II), in 1937. The following year Maud returned to England, staying at Appleton House before moving to a London hotel. While she was there, she began complaining of abdominal pains. She was taken to a nursing home in Marylebone, where she received surgery on 16th November. The Queen survived the surgery but died unexpectedly just four days later, on 20th November, of heart failure. She was aged 68 and was the last surviving child of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, who had died exactly thirteen years earlier. Mauds body was moved to Marlborough House before being returned to Norway onboard HMS Royal Oak. When she arrived, she was placed in a small church in Oslo before her being buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle on 8th December.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s blog. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below or message me on Instagram and I will do my best to help. You can also support my research by visiting and subscribing to my Ko-fi page. Don’t forget, you can also subscribe to by blog for email updates about new blogs! Thank you, Shannon x

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