An additional title for Queen Sonja of Norway (Sonja von Norwegen) has sparked controversy.
The term that appeared in a court announcement following the death of King Harald 5 was “Kongemoren.”
It has not yet been decided whether this expression will continue to be used for Queen Sonja, who retains her title as queen.
3-Line Summary
1. Queen Sonja retains her title as queen
2. “Kongemoren” appeared in an announcement for the first time
3. It remains undecided whether the additional title will become established
“Kongemoren” First Appeared in a Funeral Announcement
Promiflash reported that discussions continue over Queen Sonja’s official title following the death of King Harald 5. What is clear from the report is that Queen Sonja will continue to hold her existing title of queen. The issue is not removing her status as queen, but rather deciding what additional designation should be used alongside it.
The court first used “Kongemoren” in the funeral announcement for Princess Astrid. The article explains it as a term close in meaning to “mother of the king.” An interpretation also emerged that, after her son King Haakon ascended the throne, the term may have been intended to distinguish Queen Sonja from another queen.
However, this expression was introduced as a form that had hardly been used in Norway until now. It has not been confirmed whether the designation used in a single funeral announcement will continue as an official title or was limited to that announcement.
Diverging Assessments of the Compound Word’s Meaning
Historian and writer Trond Norén Isaksen expressed the view to Aftenposten that “Kongemoren” is inappropriate. His explanation is that the first part of the compound word should refer to the title of the person in question. By that standard, he argued, the term sounds awkward because it reads literally like “a person who is both king and the mother of a monarch.”
Critic Sigrid Hvidsten also told Dagbladet that it was an expression she had never seen before. Although the purpose of avoiding confusion is understandable, she considered it difficult to accept a title that seems to define Queen Sonja primarily as the king’s mother. She pointed out that the role Queen Sonja has held in the royal family for many years could be reduced to a single family relationship.
There is also an opposing view. Royal expert Caroline Vagle explained that the more conventional term “Dronningmoren,” meaning “mother queen,” has been discussed, while also saying that she did not necessarily consider “Kongemoren” problematic because it intuitively shows the relationship of being the king’s mother.
The Status of Queen and the New Description Are Different
GALA.de also reported that Queen Sonja’s position within the royal family would change following the death of King Harald 5. However, according to Promiflash’s report, Queen Sonja’s title as queen remains unchanged. Therefore, the current controversy is closer to a question of how the royal family will describe her than to the removal of her status.
A title may be short, but it also contains a way of interpreting a person’s role. Even if a name is intended to clarify a family relationship, it can provoke opposition if it makes someone who has represented the royal family for many years appear to be defined only by the role of mother. Queen Sonja’s case shows that a single official designation can test both the naturalness of a word and a person’s public position.
References
Tags #QueenSonja #SonjavonNorwegen #NorwegianRoyalFamily #QueenofNorway #Kongemoren #MotheroftheKing #RoyalTitles #Harald5 #KingHaakon #PrincessAstrid #Dronningmoren #EuropeanRoyalFamilies