A look at Norway’s King Haakon VIII

King Haakon VIII is now on the Norwegian throne following the death of his father, King Harald, on 28 August.

Prince Haakon Magnus was born on 20 July 1973 at Oslo’s National Hospital to then-Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja. He joined his older sister, Princess Märtha Louise, who was born in 1971.

At the time of his birth, he was second in line to the throne because Norway did not allow for female accession at the time. The law changed in 1990 to absolute primogeniture, but Haakon retained his place in the line of succession ahead of his sister.

By Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) from Oslo, Norway – Kongefamilien på Skaugum 1974, No restrictions

Haakon was christened into the Church of Norway on 20 September 1973 with King Olav (paternal grandfather), Princess Astrid (paternal aunt), Prince Carl Bernadotte of Sweden (cousin), King Carl Gustaf of Sweden (cousin), Queen Margrethe of Denmark (cousin) and the Princess Royal (cousin) serving as godparents.

The future monarch was educated in Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. He also earned a master’s degree in developmental studies from the London School of Economics.

By Jonathan Mazin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Anette Ask / The Royal Court

Haakon served in the Norwegian military, training in all three branches of the armed forces.

Crown Prince Haakon married single mother and commoner Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in 2001 in what was described as a Cinderella story. Mette-Marit had a young son, Marius, from a previous relationship, and Haakon helped to raise the child after their marriage.

Haakon and Mette-Marit have two children together, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra (b. 2004) and Prince Sverre Magnus (b. 2005).

Mette-Marit, who became Queen of Norway upon her husband’s accession, is still recovering from a lung transplant she underwent earlier in 2026 following a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Her royal engagements will be limited as she continues her recovery.

Photo: Ola Vatn / Det kongelige hoff

In 1991, his grandfather died, and he became the Crown Prince of Norway upon his father’s accession to the throne. He regularly represented the Royal Family at home and abroad, and as his father’s health worsened over the years, he increasingly stepped in as Regent. His charitable endeavours include sports, the arts, healthcare and refugees.

Friends describe him as sensible and funny, with the warmth of both his father and mother. He retained his father’s royal motto “All for Norway” upon his accession.  With large shoes to fill, Norwegians believe their new monarch will represent them and their country in a way that will make them proud.