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House of Sverre facts for kids

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House of Sverre
Country:
Quick facts for kids
Kingdom of Norway and Kingdom of Scotland
Parent House: Gille dynasty (claimed)
Titles: Chieftain of the Birkebeins
King of Norway
Queen of Scots (disputed)
Founder: Sverre Sigurdsson
Current Head: last monarch of this House was Haakon Magnusson but his direct descendants are the House of Rosensverd (Norway) and reportedely Tre Rosor (Sweden)
Founding Year: 1184
Cadet Branches: House of Rosensverd
Håkon Magnusson
A sculpture believed to be of King Haakon V Magnusson as Duke of Oslo, Oppland, Ryfylke, the Faroe Islands, and Shetland.
Haakon V burial site Oslo
Burial site of Haakon V Magnusson in Oslo.

The House of Sverre (Norwegian: Sverreætten) was a royal house or dynasty which ruled, at various times in history, the Kingdom of Norway, hereunder the kingdom's realms, and the Kingdom of Scotland. The house was founded with King Sverre Sigurdsson. It provided the rulers of Norway from 1184 to 1319.

History

Norwegian Hereditary Empire excluding Greenland
Norway at its greatest extent, around 1263.

The house was founded with King Sverre Sigurdsson, who claimed to be an illegitimate son of King Sigurd Munn, when he was made King of Norway. After Sverre's death, his descendants would expand the influence, wealth, and power of the dynasty. Under his grandson Haakon IV's rule, the Kingdom of Norway reached its peak, the civil war era ended, and it was the start of a golden age in Norway.

Margaret, Maid of Norway, a queen-designate of the Kingdom of Scotland, was also a member of this family.

His descendants consist of the House of Rosensverd (Norway)

The house replaced the Gille dynasty, and was again replaced by the House of Bjelbo, which inherited Norway's throne. They were the last reigning family that claimed patrilineal descent from Harald Fairhair.

Coat of arms

The main arms of the kings belonging to the House of Sverre, was a golden crowned lion on a red field. The lion was later supplied with a silver axe symbolising Olaf the Holy. This became the coat of arms of Norway.

List of kings

The rulers within the royal house or dynasty would often have a "junior king" along with a "senior king" (three dates show the reign as junior king to the start of reign as senior to the end of their reign). Here is a list of the rulers when the house held the power in Norway:

Name Reign
Sverre Sigurdsson 1184–1202
Haakon III Sverresson 1202–1204
Guttorm Sigurdsson 1204
Rule of Inge Baardson of the Gille branch 1204–1217
Haakon IV the Old 1217–1263
Haakon Haakonsson the Young 1240–1257
Magnus VI Lagabøte 1257–1263–1280
Eric II Magnusson 1273–1280–1299
Haakon V Magnusson 1299–1319

Other members

See also

  • List of Norwegian monarchs
  • Norwegian royal family
  • Norwegian nobility
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