Philip of Norway

Philip Simonsson (Old Norse: Filippus Símonsson) (died 1217) was a Norwegian aristocrat and from 1207 to 1217 was the Bagler party pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway.

Philip was the son of Simon Kåresson (d. 1190) and Margrét Arnadóttir. Símon Kåresson had been a prominent opponent of King Sverre, who fought with the unsuccessful pretender Jon Kuvlung in the 1180s and was killed launching a new unsuccessful rising against Sverre in 1190. Philip was the grandson of Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter, the dowager queen of Norway. Philip's mother Margrét was the half-sister of King Inge I of Norway and full sister of Nikolás Arnason, bishop of Oslo and another prominent opponent of King Sverre and the Birkebeiner.

In 1196, Bishop Nikolas and other opponents of King Sverre raised the Bagler party, with Inge Magnusson as their candidate, with the strong support of the Church. The Bagler fought Sverre until his death in 1202, neither side being able to achieve victory. Sverre was succeeded by his son, Haakon III of Norway, who reconciled himself with the church. Deprived of its main support, the Bagler party dissolved, and Inge Magnusson was killed.

In 1204, King Haakon III died unexpectedly, and the Birkebeiner elected an infant King Guttorm, with real power in the hands of earl Haakon the Crazy. In response to this, the old Bagler united their army again, with the support of the King Valdemar II of Denmark. Bishop Nikolas attempted to have his nephew, Philip, elected king. The main body of the Bagler objected to this, as Philip was not of Norwegian royal lineage. Instead, Erling Stonewall, a putative son of King Magnus V of Norway was made their candidate and Philip was given the title of earl, the highest rank below that of king.

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