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Norway's Crown Prince Haakon succeeds his father as King Haakon VIII

The transition of power comes as the royal family seeks to stabilize its popularity following public controversies.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 18:24 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Norway's 53-year-old Crown Prince Haakon has acceded to the throne as King Haakon VIII following the death of his 89-year-old father, King Harald V, on Friday.
  • His wife has assumed the title of Queen Mette-Marit, and their oldest child, Ingrid Alexandra, has become the new Crown Princess and heir to the throne.
  • The transition comes amid a decline in public support for the largely symbolic Norwegian monarchy, fueled by recent controversies involving royal family members.

Key facts

  • Crown Prince Haakon became King Haakon VIII after his father, King Harald V, died on a Friday at the age of 89.[PBS NewsHour]
  • The new king took on the royal motto 'All for Norway,' a tradition tracing back to his great-grandfather.[PBS NewsHour]
  • Following the succession, King Haakon VIII's wife became Queen Mette-Marit and their eldest child became Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra.[PBS NewsHour]
  • The new king previously served as the country's regent on multiple occasions due to his father's declining health.[PBS NewsHour]
  • The coronation arrives amid recent royal controversies, including a June prison sentence of four years given to Queen Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, following convictions for rape, assault, and abuse.[PBS NewsHour]
  • Queen Mette-Marit previously apologized for past contacts with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, stating she was manipulated and deceived, though she has not been accused of any wrongdoing.[PBS NewsHour]
  • Public support for the Norwegian monarchy fell to 68% in a late 2022 Dagbladet poll, down from 81% reported in an NRK poll in 2017.[PBS NewsHour]

What remains uncertain

  • Marius Borg Høiby's lawyers have stated that he will appeal his convictions, leaving the final outcome of his legal cases unresolved.[PBS NewsHour]

Sources