Norway has a new monarch after Crown Prince Haakon succeeded his father, King Harald, following the latter’s death on Friday.
Now aged 53, Haakon Magnus was born on July 20, 1973, and grew up in Norway under the expectations of royal life while also experiencing aspects of the country’s relatively egalitarian education system.
He attended a state primary school before continuing his secondary education at a private school. Haakon later served in the navy and went on to study politics at the University of California, Berkeley, followed by development studies at the London School of Economics.
Away from official duties, the new king has long had a passion for music and surfing. He has previously said that had he not been born into the royal family, he would have liked to pursue a professional surfing career.
Marriage Once Sparked Controversy
Haakon’s marriage to Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoeiby initially attracted intense media attention. The couple met at a music festival in Kristiansand in 1999, when Mette-Marit was a commoner and single mother to a son from an earlier relationship.
Their relationship later faced further scrutiny after extensive email correspondence between Mette-Marit and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released by the US Justice Department.
The controversy coincided with legal proceedings involving her eldest son, Marius Borg Hoeiby, who was accused of rape and domestic violence. He denied the charges.
In June, Hoeiby was found guilty of two of four rape charges and one count of domestic violence, receiving a four-year prison sentence. Both Hoeiby and prosecutors have appealed the ruling.
Throughout the turmoil, Haakon has publicly supported his wife while also saying he wanted to stand by his stepson. He expressed sympathy for the alleged victims and stressed that Hoeiby should face the judicial process like any other citizen.
Haakon Expected To Keep His Name
The new monarch will formally inform the Norwegian government of the royal name he has chosen during an extraordinary Council of State meeting early in his reign.
He is widely expected to retain the name Haakon, following his father’s example, which would make him King Haakon VIII. However, he remains free to choose another royal name.
Norway’s royal family does not use a surname.
Daughter Becomes Heir Apparent
With Haakon now king, his 22-year-old daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, becomes the heir apparent.
She is expected to become Norway’s first female head of state since Queen Margrete I, who ruled over Norway, Sweden and Denmark around the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.
Norway changed its succession rules in 1990, allowing the eldest child to inherit the throne regardless of gender.
Ingrid Alexandra is followed in the line of succession by her younger brother, 20-year-old Prince Sverre Magnus. He attracted widespread attention as an 11-year-old after performing a “dabbing” dance on the royal balcony during Norway’s national day celebrations in 2017.
Although Marius Borg Hoeiby is the oldest child in the family, he is not part of the royal line of succession.
A Royal Family With European Roots
Haakon becomes Norway’s fourth king since the country achieved full independence from Sweden in 1905.
His great-grandfather, King Haakon VII, selected the name to connect his reign with the six earlier medieval Norwegian kings who had also carried the name Haakon.
Norway was ruled from Denmark from the late 14th century until 1814 before coming under Swedish rule until independence in 1905.
The Norwegian royal family also has close historical links with other European monarchies. Haakon VII was the brother of Denmark’s king when the Norwegian parliament invited him to become the country’s monarch.
His wife, Queen Maud, was the daughter of Britain’s King Edward VII, making King Haakon VIII the great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.
