📅 Latest Update — Norway:
Haakon VIII became King of Norway on August 28, 2026, upon the death of his father, King Harald V, who died at the National Hospital in Oslo aged 89 after a reign of 35 years. The new king took his constitutional oath before the Storting on September 1, 2026. His daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, is now Crown Princess and heir to the throne.
About King Haakon VIII
Haakon VIII (born 20 July 1973 at the National Hospital in Oslo) has been King of Norway since 28 August 2026. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, and served as Crown Prince from his father’s accession in January 1991 until he succeeded to the throne.
He graduated from the Norwegian Naval Academy in 1995 and served aboard missile torpedo boats and other vessels of the Royal Norwegian Navy. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1999 and a master’s degree in development studies from the London School of Economics in 2003.
As Crown Prince he acted as regent on several occasions when his father was ill, including in 2003–2004, 2005 and 2024. In 2001 he married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, now Queen Mette-Marit. They have two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra (born 2004) and Prince Sverre Magnus (born 2005).
Norway is a constitutional monarchy: the king is head of state with a largely ceremonial role, while executive power is exercised by the government led by the prime minister.