Meet Haakon Magnus, New King Of Norway Is A Trained Naval Officer, LSE Graduate And Modern Monarch
Haakon Magnus has succeeded his father, King Harald V, as King Haakon VIII. King Harald V was 89 years old at the time of his death.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleKing Harald V of Norway, Europe's oldest monarch, died on August 28, 2026, at the National Hospital in Oslo. He was 89 years old at the time of his death. Now his only son, 53-year-old Crown Prince Haakon, also known as Haakon Magnus, has automatically succeeded him as King Haakon VIII.
The palace confirmed Harald's death at 6:35 am after a period of declining health during which Haakon served as regent. A trained naval officer with a BA from UC Berkeley and MSc from LSE, Haakon has served as a UN Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador and held senior military rank.
Early life, education, and military path of Haakon Magnus
Haakon Magnus is the only son and second child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. He has one older sister, Princess Märtha Louise. He grew up at the Skaugum Estate in Asker, southwest of Oslo.
His parents wanted a normal upbringing, so he and his sister went to local nursery, primary, and secondary schools. He attended Kristelig Gymnasium and graduated in 1992 with a focus on business economics and law. As per family tradition, he entered military service after school. Unlike his father, who was in the Army, Haakon chose the Navy.
King Haakon VIII joined the naval training school KNM Harald Harfagre and later the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen. He spent a year aboard missile torpedo boats and other naval vessels. He graduated as a naval officer in 1995. He has served in the Norwegian Armed Forces since 1992. Today his rank is Admiral in the Navy and General in the Army and Air Force.
In 2016, he also completed the Army's paratrooper course. For higher studies, he went abroad. He received a BA in political science in 1999 from the University of California, Berkeley.
In 2000, he was part of Norway's delegation to the UN General Assembly. He then took the Foreign Ministry's civil servant introductory course and attended lectures at the University of Oslo in 2001. Furthermore, he completed an MSc in development studies at the London School of Economics, with a focus on international trade and Africa, in 2003.
Family, marriage and journey in the Council of State
Haakon Magnus married commoner Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on August 25, 2001, at Oslo Cathedral. They met in 1999 at a music festival in Kristiansand. At the time, Mette-Marit was a single mother to a son, Marius Borg Høiby. The couple has two children together, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born in 2004, and Prince Sverre Magnus, born in 2005. Haakon is also stepfather to Marius. The family lives a relatively low-key life for royals.
Haakon is known for his interest in outdoor sports. He enjoys surfing, skiing, paragliding, and biking. He has said that if he were not royal, he would have wanted to be a pro surfer. In public duties, Haakon started attending the Council of State early and presided over meetings when his father was ill or abroad. He has served as regent multiple times, including in 2003-2004, 2005, 2020, 2024, and from August 18, 2026. He also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme and was part of the Young Global Leaders network.
King Haakon VIII holds the Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St. Olav and Grand Cross of the Order of Merit. Apart from this, he holds foreign orders such as Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim from Sweden, Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon from Iceland, and more. He even received the Bridge Building Prize in 2011 and lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.
What are your thoughts about King Haakon VIII’s early life and career? Let us know.
PC: Josemn1_/X, FrenchAnglican/X
Also Read: Garth Brooks' Daughter Allie Colleen Faces Backlash Over 'Confusing' Comment On Dolly Parton's Death
