Dalla Ólafsdattir

*This name uses Velkanian naming customs; the last name is a patronymic, not a family name. This person should be properly referred to by the given name* Dalla.

 **Children** | 4

**Dalla Ólafsdattir** (17 January 1910 – 14 December 2004) was a Velkanian noblewoman who came to national prominence in the 1930s due to her friendship with Princess Dóró. The two women shared an apartment together from 1931 until 1937, where they became notorious for their wild partying and disorderly antics, inspiring widespread tabloid attention and controversy.

Born in Narísandur to a noble family, Dalla attended private schooling in Narísandur and Orgland. After graduating from Blake School in 1928, Dalla enrolled in the Women's University of Narísandur, graduating with a degree in Eurean history in 1931. Following her graduation, Dalla moved into a two-bedroom apartment with Dóró in Narísandur, paid for by the royal family. The two women resided there for six years together, where they became well-known in the Velkanian press for throwing lavish parties full of excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, and group sex. The documentation of Dalla and Dóró's personal lives became a *cause célèbre* in the Velkanian media, with disputes regarding whether the behavior was appropriate and whether it was acceptable for the press to report on the personal life of a private citizen, which Dalla was considered to be. She ultimately moved out of the apartment in 1937, following her marriage, and retreated from the public eye to live a private life.

Dalla was diagnosed with breast cancer two times. She first was diagnosed in 1989, and went into remission the following year. Her cancer ultimately returned in 2001, and after three-years of treatment she ultimately died of the disease in hospice care in Húsavík on 14 December 2004.

## Early life and education

Dalla was born on 17 January 1910 in Narísandur to parents Ólaf Heiðbjartarson (1879–1980) and Marselína Sigurliðadattir (1880–1962). Her parents both came from the Velkanian nobility, while her father worked as a financial researcher at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Velkanian Duchy and her mother was a homemaker. Dalla was reported to be a "daddy's girl," who had a close relationship with her father but a strained relationship with her mother. She was the younger of two siblings; her elder brother was Jósef (1908–1995).

Dalla began her education in 1916, attending the Narísandur Primary School for Girls, a private all-girls primary school. While in primary school, Dalla befriended Princess Dóró, who was in her class, and they soon became close friends. Dóró struggled with behavioral issues at school, but teachers have stated that Dalla was a "sweet girl" who often attempted to act as a good influence on Dóró. After graduating from primary school in 1926, Dalla enrolled in Blake School, an independent all-girls boarding school in Hodgehell, Orgland. Dalla was a popular student at boarding school, but did not enjoy it, as she frequently felt homesick and missed her family. She ultimately graduated in 1928. After graduating from boarding school, Dalla returned to Narísandur and enrolled in the Women's University of Narísandur, graduating with a degree in Eurean history in 1931.

## Friendship with Princess Dóró

### 1931–1937: Tabloid attention

After Dalla graduated with her university degree in 1931, her close friend Princess Dóró was looking for a roommate as she was planning on moving out of Árbæjarheimar Palace and her family did not want her living alone. Dóró asked Dalla if she would be interested, and since Dalla had no immediate plans for what she planned to do after graduating, she accepted the offer. The two women moved into a two-bedroom apartment in the Raufarnes neighborhood of Narísandur. The apartment was reported to be lavish, and was the penthouse unit in an exclusive building. Dalla was not asked to contribute to the apartment's upkeep or expenses at all, as it was entirely covered by the royal family.

After moving into the apartment, Dalla and Dóró became media darlings, with their reported antics and wild parties being frequently documented by the press. News reports relied on leaks from party guests, and included allegations of excessive alcohol consumption, drug usage, and group sex. Dalla and Dóró instantly become celebrities and prominent socialites in the world of Narísandur youth culture. While remaining popular with the youth, they were frequently ridiculed and criticized by older generations for the tabloid articles. As a princess, Dóró had been a fixture of the Velkanian media since her birth, but Dalla was a private citizen who was unknown to the general public. This generated controversy, with some defenders of Dalla and Dóró stating that the press was violating the right to privacy of Dalla by heavily reporting on the private life of a private citizen. This defense of Dalla began to strengthen in 1933, after profiles about her backstory, family life, and prior relationships began to appear in tabloids. Despite the alleged invasion of privacy, Dalla never took legal action against the tabloids or spoke out against their reporting. In private, she was rumored to enjoy the attention that the media had been giving her, which was why she and Dóró never took action to prevent leakers from attending their parties.

As Narísandur socialites, both Dalla and Dóró became well-known in the city's nightlife scene, often appearing as very-important-persons at exclusive nightclubs and bars. Throughout their media attention, the royal family remained silent on rumors and allegations against the two that had emerged. This was unusual, as royals were typically quick in coming out against malicious rumors being spread about other royals.

### Subsequent years

In January 1937, Dalla became engaged to investment broker Björn Bjarkason, whom she had been dating for two years. Following the engagement, Dalla informed Dóró that she would be moving out of the apartment after her wedding and planned to distance herself from party life. Dóró understood, and they agreed to remain friends. Dalla and Björn later married in a lavish wedding in September 1937, and Dóró served as a bridesmaid; no other member of the royal family was reportedly invited.

After the wedding, Dalla moved out of the apartment and into a newly constructed home in Húsavík with Björn. She distanced herself from the party girl reputation she had cultivated, and soon the tabloids lost their interest in her, although Dóró continued to be frequently chronicled. Dalla and Dóró continued to remain friends up until Dóró's death in 1969. After her death, Dalla became involved in the investigation into it. She confirmed to investigators that the owner of the house that Dóró's body was found in was a frequent no-strings-attached lover of Dóró's, whom she had met several times and determined to be a "good person." At Dóró's funeral, she was selected to give the eulogy.

In 1983, Dalla returned to the public eye amidst renewed media attention. In an interview, she stated that Dóró "would have hated" being buried beside her family in the royal mausoleum, and that it was "one final way to impose their control over her." She received pushback from the media for her comments, criticizing her comments for insensitivity and disrespect, but she did not apologize as resistance was "what Dóró would have wanted." She released the memoir *Dóró og ég* ("Dóró and I") in October 1983, which chronicled her experiences living with Dóró, the truth behind their parties, and their friendship in the final months preceding Dóró's death; the memoir went on to become a best-seller in the Velkanian Isles. In the years following Dalla's return to the public conscience, she became considered to be a D-list celebrity in the Velkanian Isles, making guest appearances on red carpets and game shows.

## Personal life

Dalla began a relationship with Velkanian investment broker Björn Bjarkason in 1935. They had met after being introduced by their respective parents, and soon began a relationship. Björn was reported to have been a frequent guest of Dalla and Dóró's parties throughout their relationship, along with many of his friends and coworkers. They became engaged in January 1937, and later married that September. After marrying, they moved into a newly constructed home in Húsavík, and Dalla became a homemaker. She had very little working experience; during the era of her media attention, both she and Dóró earned money through product promotion and making appearances at nightlife establishments, in addition to numerous appearances in the media.

Dalla and Björn had four children together: Guðjón Ríkarður, born  (1940-05-20) 20 May 1940 (age 83), Stefanía Helga, born  (1942-09-12) 12 September 1942 (age 81), Vilhjálmur, born  (1946-07-19) 19 July 1946 (age 77), and Gréta, born  (1951-06-08) 8 June 1951 (age 72). Björn died in June 1993, after a bout with pneumonia.

In 2002, Dalla publicized that she identified as bisexual, although she remained closeted for most of her life. She confirmed that during her partying days, she had sexual relationships with both men and women, as did most of their party guests. Dalla was additionally reported to be a "lifelong atheist."

## Death

Dalla was first diagnosed with breast cancer in May 1989. She began radiation treatments, and ultimately was declared cancer-free in June 1990. Her cancer returned in an aggressive form in March 2001, when she began chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The treatments proved futile, and she ultimately died of the illness in hospice care in Húsavík on 14 December 2004.

Following her death, a private funeral was held for family and friends. Prime Minister Davíð Brynnsteinsson and Hrafnhildur III both publicly spoke positively of her, with Hrafnhildur stating that she was a "symbol for disobedient women who was ahead of her time."