Princess Maud, the fifth and last surviving child of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, was born at Marlborough House on November 26, 1869. Educated at home, she preferred outdoor sports and was known to her family by the affectionate nickname “Harry” for her boyish manner. Although royal circles had speculated that either Maud or her sister Victoria might marry Prince Christian, second in line to the Danish throne, it was his younger brother, Prince Carl, who actively pursued the English princess. Carl proposed, Maud accepted, and the couple married in July 1896.
Their only child, Prince Alexander, was born in July 1903. At the time, Maud appeared destined for a quiet royal life as the wife of a younger son of the future king. That trajectory changed dramatically in 1905, when Norway dissolved its 91-year union with Sweden. Carl was offered the Norwegian throne, and he accepted, choosing the traditional regal name Haakon.
Maud became Queen of Norway, a role she held for the next three decades. Her queenship was marked by quiet charitable work, a well-regarded fashion sense, and the creation of a fund in her name to support those affected by the First World War. In 1938, during a visit to England, Queen Maud fell ill. She underwent stomach surgery, possibly to remove a cancer, and initially seemed to survive the operation.
Four days later, however, she died unexpectedly at the age of 68.