King Haakon VII, statue
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King Haakon VII was Norway's first king in 600 years after the liberation from Denmark in 1814 and the dissolution of the union from Sweden in 1905. He was born on 3 August 1872 outside Copenhagen. His name was originally Prince Carl, and he was the second eldest son of the King Frederik and Queen Louise of Denmark In 1905, the Danish prince Carl was offered the Norwegian crown and took the name Haakon VII after a referendum. He was married to Queen Maud, daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of Great Britain. When they arrived in Oslo in 1905, they were met with cheering crowds and ringing church bells from all over the city. The couple was officially crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on 22 June 1906 after a longer coronation journey through Norway. King Haakon VII was a popular king in both good and bad times. During the occupation of Norway during the Second World War, he accompanied the government to England where, together with the allies, he contributed greatly to the liberation of Europe. The king adopted the slogan "All for Norway" which he followed until his last breath on 21 September 1957.