Haakon Crown Prince of Norway

Haakon was born on 20 July 1973 at The National Hospital in St. Hanshaugen, Oslo, the only son and younger child of Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja. His father was the son of the reigning Norwegian monarch, King Olav V. At birth he was named Haakon Magnus, and it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon. He was named in honor of his paternal great-grandfather, King Haakon VII, and his maternal uncle Haakon Haraldsen. When Haakon was only 17, his grandfather Olav died on 17 January 1991, leading to the ascension of his father as King Harald V and himself as crown prince.

Haakon has one sibling, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (born 1971). In 1990, the Norwegian constitution was altered, granting absolute primogeniture to the Norwegian throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. This was not, however, done retroactively (as, for example, Sweden had done in 1980), meaning that Haakon continues to take precedence over his older sister.

He has also been part of Olympics ceremonies. In 1994, the Crown Prince and his father played roles during the opening ceremony in Lillehammer. While the King declared open the Games, the Crown Prince lit the cauldron, paying tribute to his father and grandfather having served as Olympians. He attended the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Haakon has served in the Royal Norwegian Navy, where he undertook his first-level officer's education at the Norwegian Naval Academy. This was then followed with a year aboard missile torpedo boats and other vessels. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1999. Haakon later attended lectures at the University of Oslo and took the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' civil servant introductory course in 2001. He completed his education in 2003 at the London School of Economics, where he was awarded an MSc in development studies, specializing in international trade and Africa.

Haakon married a commoner and single mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on 25 August 2001, at Oslo Cathedral. Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark was the best man. When the engagement between Crown Prince Haakon and Høiby was announced, many Norwegians felt that his choice of wife was inappropriate. This was primarily about her being a single mother, but information concerning her involvement in the rave scene in Oslo, which included a significant drug-subculture, also added to the controversy. In addition, the father of her child was convicted of drug-related offences. In a heartfelt press conference before the wedding the bride explained her past, saying among other things that her youthful rebelliousness might have been stronger than most young people. The issue of Mette-Marit's past was an ongoing discussion in Norwegian public discourse in the early years after their engagement and marriage.

In 2003, the Crown Prince was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 2006, the Crown Prince was one of three founders of the organization Global Dignity. In 2013, Crown Prince Haakon established the SIKT conference. The Crown Prince attends the annual conference of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), and met the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) for an introduction in the Tripartite cooperation in 2016.

In addition to his official duties, Haakon has a strong interest in cultural matters. He also has given patronage to a number of organisations. In 2006, Haakon established Global Dignity with Pekka Himanen and John Hope Bryant. Global Dignity is an independent, non-political organization that promotes the universal right of every human being to lead a dignified life. Members of the organization include entrepreneurs Sir Richard Branson and Sandro Salsano.

Det Norske Kongehus

Happy 47th birthday to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon!

Crown Prince Haakon Celebrates His 45th Birthday

Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, Princess Martha Louise and Maud Angelica Behn

Majesty magazine

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway celebrates his 44th birthday today, 20 July 2017.

Det Norske Kongehus

HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY CROWN PRINCE HAAKON MAGNUS OF NORWAY || b. 20 July 1973 “I think people have good capasity to make changes. It’s important for me not to be afraid of that,” said Crown Prince...

Prince Haakon of Norway marks 41st birthday with official pictures

Prince Haakon of Norway poses with wife Mette-Marit and his children ahead of his 41st birthday

Crown Prince Haakon Celebrates his 40th Birthday - The Nordic Page

Princess Mette-Marit wanted to make his husband’s 40th birthday special, so she decided to arrange a music festival in their backyard.

Crown Prince Haakon’s 39th Birthday

Today, Crown Prince Haakon celebrates his 39th birthday. He was born on July 20th, 1973 and has an elder sister, Princess Märtha Louise. Due to male precedence, he became Crown Prince of Norway whe…

Anniversary looms for royals

Crown Prince Haakon celebrates 37th Birthday

On July 20th, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway celebrated his 37th birthday. Like every year, the Crown Princely family met the press for a photo call. This year the family chose their summer cabin on…