After nearly seven years of marriage Maud, Edward's daughter, had failed to become pregnant and she was now approaching her 33rd birthday. To ensure Norway's line of succession, a son and heir was required – pronto.
But, according to Bomann-Larssen, Maud's husband King Haakon was infertile and unable to produce an heir.
So, it is alleged, Maud came to London, and in October 1902 underwent a pioneering sperm-donor treatment at the hands of Sir Francis Laking. The donor was his son Guy.
Nine months later Prince Olav was born, and as he grew into manhood the similarity between the two men – king and commoner – became increasingly evident. But it meant that Olav did not have his father's blood.
In Norway, Bomann-Larrsen's theory has been angrily questioned by pro-monarchy supporters. But the answer to the mystery may finally be settled by the publication later this year of a new biography of Queen Maud by historian Arnhild Skre.
Skre has travelled between Norway and Britain and elsewhere in her search for the truth. For the moment, her lips are sealed as to her findings.
But today the Daily Mail can reveal for the first time startling evidence which points directly towards Laking likely being the father of King Olav.
Two months after Queen Maud's alleged artificial insemination, her brother, King George V, issued his first end-of-year Honours List.
Buried in the section devoted to the Royal Victorian Order – the award 'for personal service to the sovereign' – appeared the name of Guy Francis Laking. Everyone else receiving the coveted award that year had served the king on his recent eight-month tour of the British Empire on HMS Ophir, a P&O steam liner temporarily reclassified as the Royal Yacht.
There among the other recipients, and with no explanation as to why he'd qualified for this prestigious award, is Laking's name.
At the time the doctor's son was an armoury expert working for Christie's, the auctioneers, with no special connection to Buckingham Palace. His elevation to this highly exclusive order raised eyebrows within the royal circle – because all the other recipients had close ties to the Crown, and were much older.
Given no explanation why someone who hadn't served the Crown was receiving an intimate decoration from the sovereign himself, a possible conclusion to be drawn is that this was the King's way of thanking Laking for his secret services to his sister Maud, and to the Norwegian crown.
It turned out to be only the start of a major reward for an act requiring very little effort.
Laking was a playboy and a spendthrift, and his earnings at Christie's had done little to cover his expenditure. So King George created a post specially for him at Windsor Castle – as Keeper of the King's Armoury. It brought Laking firmly into the royal compound from where he would become a recognised part of the machine of monarchy.
Once ensconced at Windsor, Laking acquired a status above his station – nobody knew why – and started to flex his muscles.
Soon he was touting the idea of a Museum of London, to be created under royal patronage – no ordinary museum, but one to be housed in the State Apartments of Kensington Palace. King George V and his family, including the future King George VI, obligingly came to the opening night – and from then on Laking was feted for his royal connections and grew rich on them, buying himself a large mansion in Regent's Park.
Whether he ever met Queen Maud, the mother of his child, is not recorded.
Posted by monster_ahhh