Had they simply been first cousins, it probably would not have been an issue. But the fact was that Martha herself was the product of a union involving first cousins, once removed (both her parents were descendants of King Oscar I of Sweden). And Olaf was the product of a first cousin marriage (both parents being grandchildren of King Christian IX of Denmark). As it was, Olaf's father and Martha's mother were brother and sister, both being children of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. Plus, Olaf himself had Bernadott genes, since his paternal grandmother was Princess Louise of Sweden ...
According to the article, Haakon and Maud preferred Princess Ingrid of Sweden as their son's bride. Of course, she was related to Olaf, too: but they were only second cousins (both being great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria of Great Britain). Since Olaf was descended from King Oscar I of Sweden through King Carl XV (not Oscar II), and Ingrid was not a descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark, the match would certainly have been a better one, genetically.
Is all this true? If so, and if Olaf had married Ingrid instead, then I get to wondering whom the future King Frederik IX of Denmark might have married ... Early in his life, he actually got engaged to a second cousin (Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark), but the engagement soon got broken off. She eventually married Prince Paul of Serbia, and he eventually married Princess Ingrid of Sweden.
Of course, he could have married Martha instead. But in that case, his own parents (King Christian X of Denmark and Queen Alexandrine, born a duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin) might have raised issues over their close relationship ...
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