:List of heirs to the Norwegian throne

Traditionally the Norwegian kings had been elected by the several things held around the country. This practise often led to there being several kings at the same time. After the civil wars in the 12th century, Erling Skakke introduced a new law that there would be only one king, and that the oldest surviving son of the previous king should inherit the throne. At the same time, Erling introduced a system where the most powerful men in the country would meet with the power to veto a candidate if they found him to be unsuitable.

Erling's son Magnus V had no heirs.

1184-1204

class="wikitable" !Heir !! Status !! Relationship to Monarch !! Became heir !! Reason !! Ceased to be heir !! Reason !! Monarch
Sigurd Lavard	Heir apparent	Son	15 June 1184	Father became king	c. 1200	died	Sverre
Håkon	Heir apparent	Son	c.1200	Elder brother died	9 March 1202	Became king	Sverre
Guttorm	Heir presumptive	Nephew	9 March 1202	Uncle became king	1 January 1204	Became king	Håkon III

1204-1226

During the reign of Inge II there was never any clear heir, and after his death several relatives claimed the throne. At a church meeting in 1223 it was decided that the church was backing the candidacy of Håkon Håkonsson. There was no heir until his first son was born in 1226.

1226-1387

class="wikitable" !Heir !! Status !! Relationship to Monarch !! Became heir !! Reason !! Ceased to be heir !! Reason !! Monarch
Olav	Heir apparent	Son	1226	Born	1229	Died	Håkon IV
Håkon	Heir apparent	Son	19 November 1232	Born	5 May 1257	Died	Håkon IV
Magnus	Heir apparent	Son	5 May 1257	Older brother died	16 December 1263	Became king	Håkon IV
Olav	Heir apparent	Eldest son	1262	Born	1267	Died	Magnus VI
Eric	Heir apparent	Son	1268	Born	9 May 1280	Became king	Magnus VI
Håkon	Heir presumptive	Younger brother	9 May 1280	Brother became king	15 July 1299	Became king	Eric II
Magnus	Heir presumptive	Grandson	1316	Born	8 May 1319	Became king	Håkon V
Erik	Heir apparent	Eldest son	1339	Born	15 August 1343	Treaty (brother became king)	Magnus VII
Olav	Heir apparent	Only son	1370	Born	29 July 1380	Became king	Håkon VI

1387-1665

:Hereditary Kingdom of Norway#Unions with Denmark and Sweden

Norway became an elected kingdom, and joined several unions with Sweden and Denmark. However, the tradition arose that during his own lifetime the King would choose an heir among his sons and have him hailed as such, strongly influencing the electing council's choice.

class="wikitable"

!Heir !! Status !! Relationship to Monarch !! Became heir !! Reason !! Ceased to be heir !! Reason !! Monarch

Frederick

Heir elect

Son

1536

Elected

1 January 1559

Became king

Christian III

Christian

Heir elect

Son

1610

Elected

2 June 1647

Died

Christian IV

1665–present

Monarch ! Heir ! Relationship to monarch ! Became heir (Date; Reason) ! Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) ! Next in line of succession
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" \|+Heirs to the Norwegian throne ! colspan="6" style="background: skyblue;" \| In real union with the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark–Norway); House of Oldenburg (1665–1814)
Frederik III \| Crown Prince Christian \| Son \| 14 November 1665 King's Law established \| 9 February 1670 Father died, became king \| Prince Jørgen, brother
rowspan="8"\|Christian V \| Prince Jørgen \| Brother \| 9 February 1670 Brother became king \| 2 October 1671 Son born to king \| Anna Sophie, Hereditary Electress of Saxony, sister
rowspan="7"\|Crown Prince Frederik \| rowspan="7"\|Son \| rowspan="7"\|2 October 1671 Born \| rowspan="7"\|25 August 1699 Father died, became king \| Prince Jørgen, 1671–1672, uncle
Prince Christian Vilhelm, 1672–1673, brother
Prince Jørgen, 1673–1675, uncle
Prince Christian, 1675–1695, brother
Prince Carl, 1695–1697, brother
Prince Christian, 1697–1698, son
Prince Carl, 1698–1699, brother
rowspan="7"\|Frederik IV \| Prince Carl \| Brother \| 25 August 1699 Brother became king \| 10 December 1699 Son born to king \| Prince Vilhelm, brother
rowspan="6"\|Crown Prince Christian \| rowspan="6"\|Son \| rowspan="6"\|10 December 1699 Born \| rowspan="6"\|12 October 1730 Father died, became king \| Prince Carl, 1699–1701, uncle
Prince Frederik Karl, 1701–1702, brother
Prince Carl, 1702–1703, uncle
Prince Jørgen, 1703–1704, brother
Prince Carl, 1704–1723, uncle
Prince Frederik, 1723–1730, son
rowspan="2"\|Christian VI \| rowspan="2"\|Crown Prince Frederik \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|12 October 1730 Father became king \| rowspan="2"\|6 August 1746 Father died, became king \| Princess Louise, 1730–1745, sister
Prince Christian, 1745–1746, son
rowspan="5"\|Frederik V \| Crown Prince Christian \| Son \| 6 August 1746 Father became king \| 3 June 1747 Died \| Princess Sophie Magdalene, sister
rowspan="2"\|Princess Sophie Magdalene \| rowspan="2"\|Daughter \| rowspan="2"\|3 June 1747 Brother died \| rowspan="2"\|29 January 1749 Son born to king \| Princess Louise, 1747, aunt
Princess Vilhelmine Karoline, 1747–1749, sister
rowspan="2"\|Crown Prince Christian \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|29 January 1749 Born \| rowspan="2"\|14 January 1766 Father died, became king \| Princess Sophie Magdalene, 1749–1753, sister
Prince Frederik, 1753–1766, half-brother
rowspan="7"\|Christian VII \| Hereditary Prince Frederik \| Half-brother \| 14 January 1766 Half-brother became king \| 28 January 1768 Son born to king \| Sophie Magdalene, Crown Princess of Sweden, half-sister
rowspan="6"\|Crown Prince Frederik \| rowspan="6"\|Son \| rowspan="6"\|28 January 1768 Born \| rowspan="6"\|13 March 1808 Father died, became king \| Prince Frederik, 1768–1791, uncle
Prince Christian, 1791, son
Prince Frederik, 1791–1797, uncle
Prince Christian, 1797, son
Prince Frederik, 1797–1805, uncle
Prince Christian Frederik, 1805–1808, first cousin
rowspan="2"\|Frederik VI \| rowspan="2"\|{{nowrap\|Hereditary Prince Christian Frederik}} \| rowspan="2"\|First cousin \| rowspan="2"\|13 March 1808 First cousin became king \| rowspan="2"\|7 February 1814 First cousin abdicated, real union dissolved and independence of Norway \| Prince Ferdinand, 1808, brother
Prince Frederik, 1808–1814, son
colspan="6" style="background: skyblue;" \| Kingdom of Norway (1814); House of Oldenburg (1814)
Monarch ! Heir ! Relationship to monarch ! Became heir (Date; Reason) ! Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) ! Next in line of succession
{{nowrap\|Christian Frederik}} \| Prince Frederik of Denmark, 1814, son \| Son \| 17 May 1814 Father elected as king \| 10 October 1814 Father abdicated, personal union with Sweden established \| Prince Ferdinand of Denmark, uncle
colspan="6" style="background: skyblue;" \| In personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden (Sweden–Norway); House of Holstein-Gottorp (1751–1818)
Monarch ! Heir ! Relationship to monarch ! Became heir (Date; Reason) ! Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) ! Next in line of succession
Karl II \| Crown Prince Karl Johan \| Adopted son \| 4 November 1814 {{nowrap\|Adoptive father elected as king}} \| 5 February 1818 {{nowrap\|Adoptive father died, became king}} \| Prince Oscar, Duke of Södermanland, son
colspan="6" style="background: skyblue;" \| In personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden (Sweden–Norway); House of Bernadotte (1818–1905)
Monarch ! Heir ! Relationship to monarch ! Became heir (Date; Reason) ! Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) ! Next in line of succession
rowspan="2"\|Karl III Johan \| rowspan="2"\|{{nowrap\|Crown Prince Oscar, Duke of Södermanland}} \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|5 February 1818 Father became king \| rowspan="2"\|8 March 1844 Father died, became king \| None, 1818–1826
Prince Karl, Duke of Skåne, 1826–1844, son
rowspan="4"\|Oscar I \| rowspan="4"\|Crown Prince Karl, Duke of Skåne \| rowspan="4"\|Son \| rowspan="4"\|8 March 1844 Father became king \| rowspan="4"\|8 July 1859 Father died, became king \| Prince Gustaf, Duke of Uppland, 1844–1852, brother
Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland, 1852, brother
{{nowrap\|Prince Carl Oscar, Duke of Södermanland, 1852–1854, son}}
Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland, 1854–1859, brother
Karl IV \| Prince Oscar, Duke of Östergötland \| Brother \| 8 July 1859 Brother became king \| 13 September 1872 {{nowrap\|Brother died, became king}} \| Prince Gustaf, Duke of Värmland, son
rowspan="2"\|Oscar II \| rowspan="2"\|Crown Prince Gustaf, Duke of Värmland \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|13 September 1872 Father became king \| rowspan="2"\|7 June 1905 Father deposed, personal union dissolved \| Prince Oscar, Duke of Gotland, 1872–1882, brother
Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Skåne, 1882–1905, son
colspan="6" style="background: skyblue;" \| After the personal union with Sweden; House of Glücksburg (1905–present)
Monarch ! Heir ! Relationship to monarch ! Became heir (Date; Reason) ! Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) ! Next in line of succession
rowspan="2"\|Haakon VII \| rowspan="2"\|Crown Prince Olav \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|18 November 1905 Father elected as king, confirmed by referendum \| rowspan="2"\|21 September 1957 Father died, became king \| None, 1905–1937
Prince Harald, 1937–1957, son
rowspan="2"\|Olav V \| rowspan="2"\|Crown Prince Harald \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|21 September 1957 Father became king \| rowspan="2"\|17 January 1991 Father died, became king \| None, 1957–1973
Prince Haakon, 1973–1991, son
rowspan="2"\|Harald V \| rowspan="2"\|Crown Prince Haakon \| rowspan="2"\|Son \| rowspan="2"\|17 January 1991 Father became king \| rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"\|Incumbent \| Princess Märtha Louise, 1991–2004, sister
Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 2004–present, daughter

Category:Heirs to the throne

Category:Lists of heirs