King Haakon VIII has acceded to the Norwegian throne following the death of his father, Harald V, who had been Norway's monarch since 1991. Haakon, 53, had increasingly stepped in as his father's health declined in recent years.
Born two years after his sister Princess Märtha Louise, Haakon became heir to the throne when his grandfather King Olav died in 1991. The Norwegian Constitution was altered in 1990 to allow future firstborns—regardless of gender—to take precedence in succession, but the change was not applied retroactively, meaning Haakon remained heir as the eldest male.
The new king holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's in development studies from the London School of Economics, focusing on international trade and Africa. He graduated from the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in 1995 and completed the foreign ministry's diplomatic trainee program. An avid surfer, skier, and sportsman, Haakon told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that if he had not been a royal, he would have been a surfer. He is known for liking rock and rap music and attending festivals.
Norway's monarchy traces its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the 9th century. After Norway regained independence from Sweden in 1905, three-quarters of voters approved restoring the monarchy in a referendum. Today the role is largely symbolic, with power held by an elected parliament, but the royal family retains a celebrity role in promoting the nation internationally.
One significant task for the new king will be to rebuild public support for the monarchy, which has suffered reputational damage in recent years due to his wife's prior contacts with Jeffrey Epstein and his stepson’s rape conviction.