Dronning Maud

Queen Maud of Norway was born Princess Maud on November 26, 1869. Her parents were the Prince and Princess of Wales, the heirs to Maud's grandmother Queen Victoria. Maud's mother was also Danish Princess. Maud grew up enjoying fine things. Spending time in Palaces in England and abroad while visiting relatives in Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Russia. Maud was considered very pretty when she was younger, and during her teen years had crushes on her cousin Crown Prince George of Russia (their mothers were sisters) and a distant cousin Prince Francis of Teck. This was why she was distressed that her younger cousins including Sophie of Prussia, Alix of Hess, and Marie married the heirs to the thrones of Greece, Russia, and Romania. When Maud was about 25 she went on a family biking tour which included her Danish relatives. Her first cousin Carl or Charles as she called him had a crush on her for some time and during this tour he proposed to her and she accepted. They married on July 22, 1896 in England. Her father gave her a house in England as a wedding present and the newlyweds lived there for several months until Charles and finally Maud moved to Denmark. Maud was never happy in Denmark. The winter weather was too extreme and she longed for England. She could not complain to her mother, because as a Danish Princess Alexandra would not have had it. Maud and Charles lived in an apartment in Coppenhaugen for many years before the birth of their only child born Prince Alexander, but later known as King Olav V of Norway. In 1905 Norway broke apart from Sweden and Maud found herself and her husband becoming King and Queen of Norway. Charles ruled as King Haakon V, but Maud, as always throughly English, kept the name Maud. They did not have a easy reign. World War One started less than 10 years into their reign and the inter-war period was not easy either. Right before the onslaught of World War Two Queen Maud died. To the end the English Princess.