Haakon, 53, becomes Norway's king after Harald V's death
After King Harald V's death, his son who once shunned publicity becomes Norway's monarch; his path ran from California surfing and music to royal duties.
Haakon, 53, assumed the Norwegian throne after the death of his father, King Harald V. The new monarch spent years wrestling with the expectations of royal life before gradually embracing public duties.
He reflected on his younger feelings in his memoir: "Yes, I was a member of the royal family, but I didn't want to talk about it. At school it made me anxious," he wrote in his 2023 autobiography.
Haakon matured into his role over time: he became crown prince in 1991 and increasingly took on official duties as his father's health deteriorated.
From California back to the crown
Breaking with family precedent, Haakon chose not to study at Oxford; instead he enrolled at the University of California because he wanted to be as far from home as possible. He was drawn to California's music scene and to surfing.
After returning to Norway in 1999, he met his future wife, Mette-Marit, at a music festival. When their relationship became public, media attention focused on her background as a commoner and a single mother who had spent time in Norwegian nightclubs. That scrutiny eased after King Harald publicly accepted her into the royal family — a step the elder king himself had taken years earlier when he married outside traditional royal circles.
The couple married in 2001 and have two children: Princess and heir apparent Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship was tried this year for rape and received a four-year prison sentence.
Haakon is the fourth king in Norway's modern monarchical era that began after a 1905 referendum on independence from Sweden. If he keeps his regnal name, he will reign as Haakon VIII, though he retains the right to choose a different name.
Photo: Fejsbuk)
