King Haakon & Queen Maud of Norway (nee Princess Maud of Wales), Part II

"A new book by Norwegian author Tor Bomann-Larsen casts light on the Norwegian Royal Family’s WWII history. Against a backdrop of Norway-Germany negotiations to unite against the Bolsheviks, come rumours Queen Maud was euthanized by her own physician."

"In his new book written ‘Æresordet’ (Word of Honour), Norwegian author Tor Bomann-Larsen, alleges his sources indicate Queen Maud could also have been euthanized almost three years after King George V’s passing to avoid a painful death from terminal cancer.

“I don’t have a very good description of how she died. What’s special about this is that the English physician in charge [Lord Dawson] was a declared fan of euthanasia,” Dagbladet quotes Mr Bomann-Larsen as informing talk Loz Pycock/Flickrshow host Fredrik Skavlan on his programme when it was recorded yesterday.

“Queen Maud had left home strong and healthy and would return in a coffin, without Norwegian doctors having had any connections to what happened,” he writes in the book. Mr Bomann-Larsen also describes how the British peer allegedly corresponded with his Norwegian counterpart Hans L.C. Huitfeldt, physician to both King Haakon VII (born Prince Carl of Denmark) and Queen Maud, following her death on 20 November 1938, officially from heart failure.

Allegedly quoting from Lord Dawson notes, the author claims the peer notified the doctor of the Queen’s real cause of death, cancer, “with the King’s permission to inform you under absolute secrecy.” “ [...] When reading this account, you will agree that the Queen’s sudden death was a relief and which saved her from these last painful stages of the disease both you and I know only too well.” Dr Huitfeldt replied the King told him after his visit to England that he “was extremely grateful that her sudden death freed her from the huge suffering that would have been the inevitable result of her continued existence. This has been a great comfort to His Majesty in his grief. ”
Nevertheless, Mr Bomann-Larsen also told Fredrik Skavlan that, “I don’t think a lot points towards euthanasia, I feel I must explain her physician’s attitudes and views and publicise the letters.”

All references to Queen Maud and the alleged euthanasia were cut when the programme was aired this evening.

“I haven’t read his book, but think he’s stretching things a little too far. King Haakon VII was not present when the Queen died. He was on his way from Norway to England, and had only reached Copenhagen when he received the news. The Queen’s doctors would have done everything they could to keep her alive,” political scientist Carl-Eric Grimstad M.A., who has researched royalty for many years, tells The Foreigner. According to him, Queen Maud became quite well-liked in Norway, even though she was first-and-foremost a British Princess and never became Norwegian. Nonetheless, she described the country as “dreary”, and spent much time at Appleton House in Norfolk.
“She ran off to stay there quite frequently because of the Norwegian temperatures,” he says. The property, where Prince Alexander, later King Olav V of Norway was born on 2 July 1903, was attached to the family seat on the Sandringham Estate. It became known as “The Queen’s empty house” as it stood empty for years. The last-known inhabitants were King George V and The Queen Mother. It became derelict following WWII, and was pulled down in 1984.

However, relations between Queen Maud and her British family became strained following her marriage to King Haakon. Mr Grimstad stumbled across some notes, entitled “A dirty attempt to defraud Queen Maud”. She was disinherited when she married King Haakon VII. “He got extremely annoyed about it and stopped going to Britain after she died.” says Mr Grimstad. Meanwhile, Queen Maud was transported back to Norway in her coffin on the HMS ‘Royal Oak’ following her death, and she was subsequently buried at Akershus Castle in Oslo. The deceased Queen’s body was subsequently moved to a small church in Oslo to save it from the bombing.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor the Royal Court in Oslo confirm claims that Queen Maud was euthanized."