Kingdom of Norway (1814-1905)

Kingdom Of Norway (1814-1905)

The Union between Sweden and Norway (Swedish: Svensk-norska unionen, Unionen mellan Sverige och Norge, Norwegian: Unionen mellom Norge og Sverige), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, comprised present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union.

Following the Treaty of Kiel and the declaration of Norwegian independence from their previous union with Denmark, a brief war with Sweden resulted in the Convention of Moss on 14 August and the subsequent Norwegian constitutional revision of 4 November 1814. On the same day, the Norwegian parliament elected Charles XIII of Sweden as King of Norway.

The events of 1814 resulted in a union of two sovereign states that had the same King, foreign policies and diplomatic representations. Each had its own independent laws, parliament, government, administration, church, army, and currency. However, the King mostly resided in Stockholm, Swedes were initially viceroys in Norway, and foreign policy was conducted by the king through the Swedish foreign ministry in Stockholm. Later in the 19th century, a union cabinet consisting of ministers from both countries was called to discuss matters of foreign policy.

On 7 July 1905, the union was unilaterally dissolved by the Norwegian parliament following the adoption of legislation to establish a separate Norwegian consular service, which was vetoed by king Oscar II. After negotiations in Karlstad, the peaceful dissolution of the union was formally recognized by Sweden on 26 October 1905. Prince Carl of Denmark was elected as the new King Haakon VII of Norway on 18 November and arrived in Christiania on 23 November.