Norway–United Kingdom relations

Bilateral relations

Norway-United Kingdom relations

Norway |
United Kingdom
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Norway, London| Embassy of the United Kingdom, Oslo
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Bergen, December 2024. The Norwegian stone in Hyde Park, London

Norway–United Kingdom relations encompass the diplomatic, economic, and historical interactions between the Kingdom of Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 November 1905.[1]

Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic Co-operation Pact,[2] the Council of Europe, the International Criminal Court, the Joint Expeditionary Force, NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Free Trade Agreement,[3] a Green Partnership,[4] and a Strategic Partnership Agreement.[5]

## History

[edit]

### Historical connections

[edit]

See also: Scandinavian Scotland, Viking Age, and Norse activity in the British Isles

The Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of the Isles in the 12th century

Vikings of Norwegian stock particularly settled in certain areas of modern-day Scotland and Northern England, and to this day many people in these areas carry surnames derived from Old Norse words, such as Ainscough, or are of partial Norwegian descent.

In England, Norwegian Vikings began to arrive along the coast of the North West after being driven out of Ireland around the early tenth century. They are principally known for settling in The Wirral and Chester,[6] but evidence has strongly suggested that this expulsion also led to some settling in nearby West Derby Hundred (today split between Greater Manchester and Merseyside), Amounderness Hundred and Lonsdale Hundred in Lancashire. The Vikings were able to settle comfortably in these areas, as they were sparsely populated at that time.[7][8][9] Many place names in this area, such as North Meols, Scholes,[10] Skelmersdale[11] and Grimsargh[12] are of Old Norse origin, as are certain words in Lancashire dialect from this area, such as "skrike".[13] The Cuerdale Hoard and Silverdale Hoard were both discovered within this area. Around the same time, Norwegian Vikings moved on to settle in the area that today is Cumbria.[14]

In Scotland, the islands of Shetland and Orkney have longstanding historical and cultural connections with Norway. Most natives of Orkney and Shetland probably spoke Norn (North Germanic language related to dialects in Norway) as a first language until the late 16th and early-to-mid 17th centuries respectively.[15]

### 1900s

[edit]

Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1905, after Norwegian independence from Sweden. The UK has an embassy in Oslo, and Norway has an embassy in London. Relations, however, go as far back as the Viking Age when Norse Vikings raided the British Isles, founding permanent settlements in the west of England, the Isle of Man, the Hebrides in Scotland and the islands of Orkney and Shetland. As a result, the English language has been greatly influenced by the Norwegian language. This cultural bond has persisted to this day, resulting in a close cultural relationship between the two countries.

With Norway's complete independence from Sweden, the question arose as to a king for Norway. The choice of Prince Carl of Denmark, who became King Haakon VII, was largely seen as being influenced by two unusual factors: Denmark being a smaller nation meant that the Balance of Power in Europe would not be upset by Norway's instant alliance with the native land of its new king, and Carl's wife, Maud, was a British princess, which would be expected to lead to a close relationship with the United Kingdom, which could give Norway some protection from German hegemony.

During World War I, Norway was neutral. However, due to largely favouring the British over the Germans, Norway came to be known as The Neutral Ally.

### World War II

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British troops with Norwegian civilians after the Måløy Raid on 27 December 1941 The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is donated to the people of London by the city of Oslo each year since 1947

During World War II, Norway was invaded and occupied by Germany, forcing the Norwegian king and government to create a government-in-exile in London. The British military also helped train and organise Norwegian commandos to attack Nazi installations in Norway. As a token of appreciation from the Norwegian people to the people of Britain, a Norwegian Christmas Tree is sent every year from Oslo to Trafalgar Square in London.[16]

Each year for the last sixty years, Newcastle upon Tyne has received a Christmas tree as a gift from the people of Bergen, one of Newcastle's twin cities. The impressive Norwegian spruce, standing at 45 feet tall, was personally felled by Gunnar Bakke who has been the Mayor of Bergen since September 2007. Each year the tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian white lights and is a symbol of peace and goodwill. The people of Norway also send a tree to the town of Great Grimsby every Christmas since the end of World War II, for the past few years the tree has been selected by the people of Sortland.[17]

### Brexit

[edit]

In January 2020, with the imminent departure of Britain from the European Union, Norway and the UK signed an exclusive Brexit agreement between the two countries that would aim to maintain existing guarantees for citizens of either.[18]

In April 2021, negotiations on a bilateral agreement on fishing rights failed to reach an agreement.[19][20]

In June 2021, the two countries signed a trade deal.[21]

## Modern Day

[edit]

British Foreign Secretary William Hague (right) and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre sign a Memorandum of Understanding on UK-Norway co-operation on polar research and cultural heritage in London, England, on 30 November 2011.

After the English town of Harwich was badly affected by the North Sea Flood of 1953, in which several people were made homeless, the Norwegian Government responded by funding the building of some wooden houses in the town. Despite being considered temporary, the houses still stand in Harwich today.[22]

Norway and the U.K. share mutual border boundary lines in Antarctica, and mutually recognise each other's claims as well as those of Australia, France and New Zealand.

Both countries are full members of NATO and of the Council of Europe. There are around 18,000 Norwegians living in the United Kingdom and around 13,395 British people living in Norway.[23] British people are one of the largest immigrant groups in many cities. The cities with the most Britons are Oslo (2,535), Stavanger (1,542), Bergen (1,014), Bærum (716), Trondheim (360), Asker (307), Kristiansand (238), Drammen (144) and Fredrikstad (111).[24]

Queen Elizabeth II made three state visits to Norway during her reign, in 1955, 1981 and most recently in 2001 when she was received by King Harald V.

## Economic relations

[edit]

On 4 January 1960, Norway and the United Kingdom became founding members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA); the UK left the EFTA to join the European Economic Community (EEC) on 31 December 1972.[25][26]

From 1 July 1973 until 30 December 2020 trade between Norway and the UK was governed by the European Union–Norway Trade Agreement, and through the European single market through the European Economic Area from 1 January 1994, while the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union.[27]

Following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom signed the Iceland–Norway–United Kingdom Trade Agreement on 8 December 2020. The Iceland–Norway–United Kingdom Trade Agreement was a continuity trade agreement, based on the EU free trade agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 2021 however was superseded by a modernised agreement.[28][29][30]

On 8 July 2021, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom signed a modernised free trade agreement; the agreement expanded to cover services in addition to goods.[31][32] Trade value between Iceland–Norway and the United Kingdom was worth £56,325 million in 2022.[33]

In June 2025, UK energy firm Centrica announced a £20 billion deal to import gas from Norwegian energy giant Equinor until 2035, deepening UK-Norway energy ties.[34]

## Military relations

[edit]

The Royal Marines train annually in Norway, and are integrated into Norway's defence plans.[35] In March 2023, the UK opened a new military base in Norway, named Camp Viking.[36] In August 2024, Norwegian Defence Secretary Bjørn Arild Gram described the UK as Norway's "closest and most important European Ally" and pledged two ships to join the UK Carrier Strike Group during its Pacific deployment in 2025.[37]

In December 2024, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a Strategic Partnership between the two countries.[38]

Analyst and journalist Anthony Heron proposed that the UK and Norway should be central to the creation of a North Sea Defence Alliance (NSDA), aimed at enhancing regional security through closer defence collaboration. [39][40] The two countries are part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, formed in 2018 with eight other Northern European nations, to respond to emerging crises in Northern Europe.

Recently, the two have collaborated extensively to provide intelligence and arms to Ukraine during Russia's invasion of that country in 2022.[41][42]

## Diplomatic missions

[edit]

* Norway maintains an embassy in London, and an honoury consulate general in Edinburgh.[43]
* The United Kingdom is accredited to Norway through its embassy in Oslo.[44]

## Twinnings

[edit]

* Alnwick, Northumberland and  Time, Rogaland
* Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and  Stavanger, Rogaland
* Barnstaple, Devon and  Harstad, Troms
* Burntisland, Fife and  Flekkefjord, Agder
* Dunfermline, Fife and  Trondheim, Trøndelag
* Lerwick, Shetland and  Måløy, Vestland
* Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire and  Kristiansand, Agder
* Newcastle, Tyne and Wear and  Bergen, Vestland
* Orkney and  Hordaland county
* Peterhead, Aberdeenshire and  Ålesund, Møre og Romsdal

## Gallery

[edit]

Gallery

* The Norwegian and British flags outside Buckingham Palace

* The British embassy in Oslo

* Embassy of Norway in London.

* A nearer picture of the Norwegian stone in Hyde Park

* The similar Norwegian stone in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

* Plaque in Harwich thanking the Norwegian government for the building of new homes

* The Norwegian seaman's church in Rotherhithe, London.

* Trafalgar Square Christmas tree

## See also

[edit]

* Foreign relations of Norway
* Foreign relations of the United Kingdom
* List of diplomats from the United Kingdom to Norway
* Trafalgar Square Christmas tree
* Anglo-Norse Society in London
* Gunboat War

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Government.no (27 April 1999). "Norges opprettelse af diplomatiske forbindelser med fremmede stater" (PDF). regjeringen.no (in Norwegian). p. 24\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
2. ^ Politi, James (19 September 2023). "US unveils Atlantic co-operation pact". Financial Times. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
3. ^ Department for International Trade; Jayawardena, Ranil (8 July 2021). "United Kingdom signs free trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein". GOV.UK (Press release). Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
4. ^ Norway in the United Kingdom (20 October 2023). "Norway enters into green partnership with the UK". Norway in the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
5. ^ Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street; Starmer, Keir (16 December 2024). "PM meeting with Prime Minister Støre of Norway: 16 December 2024". GOV.UK (Press release). Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.`{{cite press release}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. ^ "Early medieval Chester 400-1230 | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk.
7. ^ "North Meols and the Scandinavian settlement of Lancashire". 23 May 2014.
8. ^ Visiter, Southport (12 January 2011). "New book shows Vikings still alive in West Lancashire". southportvisiter.
9. ^ Hodgson, Geoffrey M. (1996). The Viking Trail from Lancaster to Dent And the History of the Hodgson Surname (PDF). Martlet Books. ISBN 0 9521853 1 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2022.
10. ^ "Medieval Wigan". www.wiganarchsoc.co.uk.
11. ^ "Cheshire Viking History - CheshireTrove". www.cheshiretrove.com.
12. ^ "The days when Vikings and Romans lived here - Lancashire Evening Post". Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
13. ^ Flom, George Tobias (January 2008). Scandinavian Influence on Southern Lowland Scotch. ISBN 9781434667700.
14. ^ "History of Cumbria". www.english-lakes.com.
15. ^ Trudgill, Peter (1984). Language in the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. p. 354. ISBN 978-0-521-28409-7
16. ^ British Embassy Oslo. "Oslo's Christmas tree gift to Trafalgar Square". GOV.UK. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
17. ^ "Festive cheer as giant Christmas tree from Norway arrives at Grimsby docks". Grimsby Telegraph. 6 November 2014. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
18. ^ "Norway, UK sign own Brexit deal". www.newsinenglish.no. 28 January 2020.
19. ^ "UK and Norway fail to reach fishing deal". BBC News. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
20. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (1 May 2021). "Brexit: failure to secure UK-Norway fishing deal a 'disaster' for sector". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
21. ^ "Brexit: UK announces trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein". BBC News. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
22. ^ "Norway's lasting gift after floods". Harwich and Manningtree Standard. 14 January 2015.
23. ^ "Table 1 Population 1 January 2010 and 2011 and changes in 2010, by immigration category and country background. Absolute numbers". www.ssb.no.
24. ^ "Table 10 Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by country of birth, (the 20 largest groups). Selected municipalities. 1 January 2011". www.ssb.no.
25. ^ "European Free Trade Association (EFTA)". EUR-Lex. 31 December 2020.
26. ^ "European Free Trade Association (EFTA)". World Trade Organization. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
27. ^ "EU - Norway". World Trade Organization. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
28. ^ Department for International Trade; Jayawardena, Rahil (8 December 2020). "United Kingdom, Norway and Iceland sign trade continuity agreement". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
29. ^ Young, Sarah (8 December 2020). "UK, Norway and Iceland sign trade continuity deal". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
30. ^ "United Kingdom - Norway and Iceland". World Trade Organization. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
31. ^ Department for International Trade; Jayawardena, Ranil (8 July 2021). "United Kingdom signs free trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
32. ^ Morris, Chris (4 June 2021). "Brexit: UK announces trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
33. ^ Department for International Trade (3 November 2022). "UK trade agreements in effect". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
34. ^ Armstrong, Ashley; Moore, Malcolm; Millard, Rachel (5 June 2025). "Centrica strikes £20bn deal to import gas from Norway until 2035". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
35. ^ Williamson, Gavin (30 September 2018). "Defence Secretary announces new Defence Arctic Strategy". Government Digital Service. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018.
36. ^ Tringham, Kate (9 March 2023). "UK establishes new military base in Northern Norway". Jane's Information Group. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
37. ^ "Norway to join UK Navy deployment to Indo-Pacific next year". GOV.UK. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
38. ^ Starmer, Keir (16 December 2024). "PM meeting with Prime Minister Støre of Norway: 16 December 2024". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
39. ^ Atlas Institute – A North Sea Defence Alliance
40. ^ UK Parliament Submission
41. ^ "Norway, UK to Donate Nano Drones to Ukraine". The Defense Post. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
42. ^ "UK and allies agree expanded International Fund for Ukraine support". GOV.UK. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
43. ^ "Norway in the United Kingdom". Norway in the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
44. ^ "British Embassy Oslo". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2024.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Almlid, Geir K. Britain and Norway in Europe Since 1945: Outsiders (Springer Nature, 2020).
* Barnes, Richard. "United Kingdom/Norway: Framework Agreement on Fisheries between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Norway." International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 36.1 (2021): 155-164.
* Garau, Salvatore. Fascism and Ideology: Italy, Britain, and Norway (Routledge, 2015) online.
* Lucas, Colin. "Great Britain and the Union of Norway and Sweden." Scandinavian Journal of History 15.3-4 (1990): 269-278.
* Nelsen, Brent F. "Explaining Petroleum Policy in Britain and Norway, 1962‐90." Scandinavian political studies 15.4 (1992): 307-328. online
* Riste, Olav. "Britain and Norway: from War to Cold War, 1944–1951." Scandinavian journal of history 37.2 (2012): 164-170.
* Wilkins, William Henry. A Queen of Tears: Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway and Princess of Great Britain and Ireland (Longmans, Green, and Company, 1904) online.

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