Born: 1872, Charlottenlund Palace, Gentofte, Denmark Died: 1957, The Royal Palace, Oslo, Norway
Haakon VII was king of Norway from 1905 until his death in 1957.
King Haakon was consistent and bold in his support for Roald Amundsen. Amundsen, for his part, appreciated the king’s support and named several places after him on his expeditions.
On 2 June 1910, a few days before the polar ship Fram left Kristiana (Oslo), King Haakon and Queen Maud came aboard, bringing with them gifts of a silver mug and three signed portrait photographs. The photographs subsequently followed Amundsen on several expeditions. They hung on board Fram, Maud and in the airship Norge on the flight across the Arctic Ocean, before they were finally hung on the wall in the blue room at Amundsen’s home.
Roald Amundsen and King Haakon VII in conversation on the deck of Fram. Photo: Follo museum, MiA.
There are also several other pictures of the king in the Amundsen collection. Hung on one wall of Framheim, the winter hut used during the Fram expedition, were three cut-out portraits of the royal family. And still hanging on the wall above the desk in Amundsen’s study at Uranienborg is a postcard featuring a portrait of the king framed in wool yarn.
The royal family in Framheim. Hung on the wall to the left, above the two Norwegian flags, were portraits of the royal family that had been cut out of an illustrated newspaper and pasted onto blue cardboard. Photo: Norwegian Polar Institute / National Library of Norway.
The postcard featuring a picture of the king that Amundsen had hanging above his desk at home at Uranienborg. Photo: Follo museum, MiA.
The framed portrait of the king presented to Amundsen in 1910 before leaving with Fram, and which later joined the Maud and the airship Norge. Photo: Follo museum, MiA.
In the tent Amundsen left at the South Pole in 1911, he left a letter to King Haakon VII with a request for the Englishman Robert Falcon Scott to deliver it. Although the letter was found by Scott and his polar party, all five men died on their return from the pole. The letter was found with the remains of Scott, Wilson and Bowers in their tent and was later delivered to the king. It is preserved today in Norway’s National Library 📜.
In 1935, King Haakon spoke at the official opening of Roald Amundsen’s home as a museum.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage, 1903-06. A tinted photograph of him hangs in Amundsen’s home.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog together with Amundsen in 1922 where they lived until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Betty was one of the key women in Amundsen’s life. She was the nanny when he grew up, and when Amundsen moved to Svartskog, she joined him and moved into the gatehouse, which became “Betty’s house”.
Eivind Astrup became one of the world’s most experienced polar explorers of his time and a great role model for Roald Amundsen. He chose to end his life when only 24 years old.
Roald Amundsen had strong feelings for Kristine Elisabeth “Kiss” Bennett. She visited Uranienborg several times, but even though Amundsen transferred ownership of it to her, she never moved in.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog with Amundsen in 1922 and lived there until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Sigrid Flood Castberg, often called “Sigg”, was one of the women Amundsen had a relationship with. But when Amundsen proposed, she was already married and wanted to wait, and when she was ready he wanted…
Håkon Hammer met Roald Amundsen in Seattle in 1921. He quickly became a collaborator and supporter, but was later named by Amundsen as one of the reasons for his personal bankruptcy.
Participated in the Maud expedition, but left the expedition in 1919, together with Peter Tessem. Both perished. What really happened to them is still unknown.
The Alaska Inupiaq called Elizabeth Magids “Queen of the Arctic”, Amundsen’s crew referred to her as “the mysterious lady”. Amundsen called her “Bess”. She went to live with Amundsen in Norway in 1928….
Participated as a research assistant on the Maud expedition, and as a meteorologist on the Norge expedition. Died on Umberto Nobile’s airship expedition in 1928.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a window in Amundsen’s home.
Nobile was the airship engineer whom Amundsen criticized after the expedition in 1926. During the search for his wrecked expedition in 1928, Roald Amundsen disappeared.
Joined the Maud expedition after visiting the ship in Khabarovsk. Also participated in the Norge expedition, but was left out from the actual voyage across the Arctic Ocean.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of her hangs in Amundsen’s home.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a door in Amundsen’s home.