King Olav V
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You are now standing in front of the sculpture of King Olav V, who was the King of Norway from 1957 to 1991. He was a very popular king and always had an amusing story to share. The King always stood by the people, and when the oil crisis paralyzed Norway, he left his limousine in the garage and took the tram like any ordinary person. He was the son of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud and was baptized Alexander Edward Christian Frederik and was the Prince of Denmark. When his father was crowned king after the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905, the Prince was only two years old and took the name Crown Prince Olav. The Crown Prince was then the first Norwegian heir to the throne to grow up in Norway since the Middle Ages. He developed an early interest in sports and was an active sailor for over 70 years. The highlight of his sports career was when he won an Olympic gold in Amsterdam in 1928. The year after, Crown Prince Olav married Princess Märtha of Sweden and they had three children together. Monarchy has always been strong in Norway. The motto for the Norwegian kings has been "Alt for Norge" (Everything for Norway). Approachability, warmth, and empathy in good times, and decisive action in bad times, are descriptions that contribute to the Norwegian people not only standing behind our own king but also looking up to and admiring him.