Ahoy! A Royal Encounter in Kristiansand: HNoMY Norge

David Eugene Perry

2y July 2026: Ahoy! Our first port of call today aboard Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam was charming Kristiansand, Norway. As we sailed into the harbor, my “ship spotter” eagle eye spied a gorgeous, and clearly classically designed, white yacht. To my delight, it turned out to be the Royal Yacht of the Norwegian Royal Family. Better yet—they were onboard, the Royal Standardflying proudly from the mainmast.

Naturally, I grabbed my camera and Alfredo and I made our way over to where she was berthed alongside Kristiansand’s striking Kunstsilo Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of Nordic Modernist art. So, below: a little history of this splendid vessel—HNoMY Norge. *

At first glance, Norge looks every inch the purpose-built royal yacht. In reality, however, she has had a remarkable second life. She was originally launched in 1937 by the celebrated British shipbuilders Camper & Nicholsons as the luxury yacht Philante, commissioned by aviation pioneer and yachtsman Sir Thomas Sopwith. During the Second World War, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and served as an auxiliary patrol vessel in the North Atlantic.

Following the war, an extraordinary chapter began. Rather than purchasing a yacht through government funds, the people of Norway decided to give one to their king. In anticipation of King Haakon VII’s 75th birthday, Norwegian newspapers organized a nationwide fundraising campaign. Schoolchildren contributed coins, families donated what they could, businesses added their support, and together hundreds of thousands of Norwegians raised approximately 1.5 million Norwegian kroner—enough to purchase and refit Philante.

In 1947, she was presented to the King and renamed HNoMY Norge (“His Norwegian Majesty’s Yacht Norway“). It was far more than an elegant birthday gift. It was a heartfelt national thank-you. To understand why, one must understand King Haakon VII. Although born a Danish prince, Haakon became Norway’s king in 1905 after the peaceful dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden. Over the following decades he earned the deep respect and affection of the Norwegian people through his modesty, accessibility, and unwavering devotion to constitutional government. His greatest test came on April 9, 1940, when Nazi Germany invaded Norway.

As dramatized so effectively in the superb film The King’s Choice, German authorities demanded that Haakon appoint the collaborationist politician Vidkun Quisling as prime minister and effectively legitimize the occupation. Haakon refused. He told his government that if they chose to accept Germany’s demands, he would rather abdicate than place his signature on such a decision.

Forced to flee northward before eventually escaping to Britain, Haakon spent the remainder of the war in exile in London alongside the Norwegian government. Throughout the occupation he became the living symbol of Norwegian resistance, speaking regularly by radio to his countrymen and reminding them that their legitimate government—and their freedom—still endured. When peace finally returned in 1945, King Haakon’s homecoming was one of the defining moments of modern Norwegian history. Crowds packed the streets of Oslo to welcome the man who had become, in many ways, the embodiment of Norway itself.

The gift of Norge two years later was therefore much more than the presentation of a beautiful yacht. It was the gratitude of an entire nation made tangible.

King Haakon VII died on September 21, 1957, at the age of 85. He is buried beside his beloved wife, Queen Maud, in the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Fortress in Oslo. He was succeeded by his son, King Olav V, himself one of Norway’s most beloved monarchs, remembered affectionately as “The People’s King.” Upon Olav’s death in 1991, the throne passed to his son, King Harald V, who continues to reign today alongside Queen Sonja. Which made today’s encounter all the more special.

The very yacht that grateful Norwegians presented to King Haakon nearly eighty years ago was sitting quietly in Kristiansand Harbor with the present-day royal family aboard. The same polished white hull. The same graceful lines. The same Royal Standard fluttering above the deck. In an age when so much seems temporary, Norge remains a floating symbol of continuity—a working royal residence maintained not as an extravagant display of wealth, but as a living link between Norway’s constitutional monarchy, its naval traditions, and the remarkable king who helped guide the nation through its darkest hour.

For a maritime historian, spotting Norge was an unexpected highlight of the day. And for anyone who has seen The King’s Choice, seeing the yacht in person makes that remarkable story feel just a little more real. Ahoy!

*  HNoMY is the Norwegian abbreviation for “His / Her Norwegian Majesty’s Yacht”. Norge is “Norway” in Norwegian