Olav IV of Norway
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Olav Håkonsson Oluf Håkonssøn |
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King of Denmark, Norway, the Vends and the Goths | ||
Reign | 3 May 1376-23 August 1387 (Denmark) 29 July 1380-23 August 1387 (Norway) |
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Coronation | None | |
Born | 1370 | |
Akershus castle, Oslo | ||
Died | 3 August 1387 | |
Falsterbo castle | ||
Predecessor | Haakon VI of Norway (Norway) Valdemar IV of Denmark (Denmark) |
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Successor | Margaret | |
Consort | None | |
Issue | None | |
Royal House | Folkung | |
Father | Haakon VI of Norway | |
Mother | Margaret I of Denmark |
Olav IV Haakonsson (1370 - August 23, 1387) was king of Denmark as Oluf III (1376–1387) and king of Norway as Olav IV (1380–1387). He also had designs on the throne of Sweden (in opposition to Albert of Mecklenburg) from 1385 until 1387.
Olav was son of Haakon VI of Norway and Margaret of Denmark. Haakon was son of King Magnus II of Sweden and Norway, and Margaret daughter of King Valdemar Atterdag of Denmark. After Olav, no Norwegian king was to be born on Norwegian soil for more than 550 years, until prince Harald was born in 1937. His death was also the end of the male line of the Folkung dynasty in Sweden.
Olav was heir to the Norwegian throne when he was elected King of Denmark in 1375. On his father's death, he inherited the throne of Norway in 1380. Norway and Denmark were thus united in a personal union. The two countries were to have the same king, with the exception of short interregnums, until 1814. In 1385 he came of age, and was hailed as king in Scania, which had been held by the cities of the Hanseatic league since 1370.
Following his premature death in 1387, his mother Margaret was able to unite the three Scandinavian kingdoms in personal union under one crown, by the Kalmar Union in 1389.
Preceded by Valdemar IV Atterdag |
King of Denmark 1376–1387 |
Succeeded by Margaret I |
Preceded by Haakon VI Magnusson |
King of Norway 1380–1387 |