Royal mottos of Norwegian monarchs
The Royal mottos or valgspråk/valspråk of the Norwegian monarchs are an old tradition, permanent since the reign of Christian II of Denmark and Norway. The latest three kings have adopted the same motto as their personal motto, Alt for Norge, that has a particularly high standing as it became one of the main symbols of the Norwegian struggle during the German occupation of Norway in World War II.
List
| Regent | Reign | Royal motto (in Norwegian) | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian II | 1513 – 1523 | Så var det beskikket | Thus it was ordained |
| Frederick I | 1523 – 1533 | Mitt håp er Gud alene | My hope is God alone |
| Christian III | 1537 – 1559 | Skje Herrens vilje | The Lord's will be done |
| Frederick II | 1559 – 1588 | Intet uten Gud | Nothing without God |
| Christian IV | 1588 – 1648 | Fromhet styrker rikene | Piety strengthens the realms |
| Frederick III | 1648 – 1670 | Herren vil være mitt forsyn | The Lord will be my guide |
| Christian V | 1670 – 1699 | Med fromhet og rettferdighet | With piety and justice |
| Frederick IV | 1699 – 1730 | Herren er min hjelper | The Lord is my aid |
| Christian VI | 1730 – 1746 | For Gud og folket | For God and the people |
| Frederick V | 1746 – 1766 | Ved forsigtighet og bestandighet | By caution and consistency |
| Christian VII | 1766 – 1808 | Fedrelandets kjerlighet min berømmelse | The love of the fatherland my reward |
| Frederick VI | 1808 – 1814 | Gud og den rettferdige sak | God and the just cause |
| Christian Frederik | 1814 | Gud og fedrelandet | God and the fatherland |
| Karl II | 1814 – 1818 | Folkets vel min høyeste lov | The welfare of the people my highest law 1 |
| Karl III | 1818 – 1844 | Folkets kjærlighet min belønning | The love of the people my reward |
| Oscar I | 1844 – 1859 | Rett og sannhet | Right and truth |
| Karl IV | 1859 – 1872 | Land skal med lov bygges | A country should be built on law |
| Oscar II | 1872 – 1905 | Broderfolkenes vel | The good of the brother peoples |
| Haakon VII | 1905 – 1957 | Alt for Norge | All for Norway 2 |
| Olav V | 1957 – 1991 | Alt for Norge | All for Norway |
| Harald V | 1991 – | Alt for Norge | All for Norway |
See also
Note: (1) Compare with the motto of the U.S. state of Missouri (1821): "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law". Originally from Cicero's De Legibus, Book III, Part III, Sub. VIII. (2) The present royal motto is not easily translated into English: the literal meaning is "All for Norway" but this conveys a sense of "Everything for Norway", as opposed to "Everybody for Norway" (since alt is neuter gender, and would rarely refer to people). As such, it conveys a meaning of "Give all for Norway", which is interpreted as the readiness (of the sovereign, but maybe also his subjects) to give up or sacrifice everything for Norway.