Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway

Haakon
Crown Prince of Norway

The Crown Prince at the Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, June 2013
Spouse Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby (m. 2001)
Issue Princess Ingrid Alexandra
Prince Sverre Magnus
Full name
Haakon Magnus
House House of Glücksburg[1]
Father Harald V of Norway
Mother Sonja Haraldsen
Born 20 July 1973
Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
Religion Church of Norway

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈhoːkʊn]; born 20 July 1973), with the full name Haakon Magnus, is the heir apparent to the Throne of Norway and the son of the reigning King, Harald V. He is also a member of the House of Glücksburg.

The Crown Prince is married to Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, with whom he has two children. He has an older sister, Princess Märtha Louise. In accordance with Norway's agnatic primogeniture succession, Haakon became Crown Prince when his father ascended the throne in 1991. He is expected to succeed to the throne as Haakon VIII.

Family and early life

On birth he was named Prince Haakon Magnus, and it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon.

Haakon's godparents are King Olaf V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, Prince Carl Bernadotte, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. As a descendant of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Haakon is also eligible to succeed to the thrones of the sixteen Commonwealth realms. He is a third cousin to the present heir apparent, Charles, Prince of Wales.

Haakon has one sibling, Princess Märtha Louise (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.

Education and military life

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, specialising in international trade and Africa.

As of 15 November 2013, in the Royal Norwegian Navy his officer rank is Admiral, and in the Norwegian Army and the Royal Norwegian Air Force his rank is General.[2]

Marriage and children

Haakon married commoner and single mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on 25 August 2001, at Oslo Cathedral, who upon her marriage became Crown Princess. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was the best man. When the engagement between Crown Prince Haakon and Høiby was announced, many Norwegians felt that the Crown Prince’s choice of wife was inappropriate.[3] 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.[3] In a heartfelt press conference before the wedding the Crown Princess explained her past, saying among other things that her youthful rebelliousness might have been stronger than most young people.[3] Although some still find her inappropriate as wife of a future leader of the country, the issue of Mette-Marit's past has largely been laid to rest in Norwegian public discourse.

The couple has two children together:

Haakon is also the stepfather to Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Høiby, from her relationship with Morten Borg.

Official residence

The Skaugum Estate, situated in the area of Semsvannet, is the official residence of the Norwegian Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.[4]

Royal duties

From 25 November 2003 to 12 April 2004, Haakon was the Regent of Norway during the King's treatment for cancer and the subsequent convalescence period. Likewise, Haakon was Regent from 29 March 2005 until the King had fully recovered from the heart surgery he underwent on 1 April. This period ended on 7 June.

In addition to his official duties, Haakon has a strong interest in cultural matters. In January 2006, Haakon (along with the Norwegian Royal Family) revised his patronage list. He now has twelve patronage roles in his portfolio including the annual Bjørnson literary festival. The patronage roles will last for five years, after which they will be up for renewal and other groups can apply for Royal support.

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.

Personal interests

The Crown Prince was involved in several sports and seemed to take a particular liking to windsurfing. However, he has not engaged in serious competitions. Haakon is known as a big music fan. When he was younger, he attended music festivals all over Europe, including the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and the Quart Festival in Kristiansand, Norway.

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 in Vancouver.

He accompanied the band Katzenjammer in their recording of the song "Vi tenner våre lykter" (for the 2011 Christmas-themed album of the same name). Proceeds benefited "Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess funds."[5]

Controversy

A 29 April 2013 article in Verdens Gang reported controversy about the prince's plans for visiting a producer of cluster bombs.[6] In a 2013 op-ed in Bergens Tidende, Erling Borgen (a journalist and recipient of silver diploma SKUP Award in 1995) said[6][7] that the prince ought not to visit the weapons producer. Trond Nordby said that the prince and his wife "ought to stay at home".[6]

Titles and honours

Monogramme.

Titles and styles

Patronages

The intent of the Crown Prince patronage is to raise public awareness of an organization or a specific event that supports a worthy cause.[8]

Honours and awards

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
(° = Honours mentioned on his official website page)

National orders and decorations

Foreign orders

Other awards

Ancestry

References

  1. "The Royal Family". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. "Hans Kongelige Høyhet Kronprinsen utnevnes til admiral og general". Government.no (in Norwegian). Ministry of Defence. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hello profile of the Crown Princess
  4. The Royal House of Norway - Skaugum Estate
  5. Katzenjammer - Vi tenner våre lykter, accessed oct 26, 2012.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kronprinsen refses for besøk hos våpenprodusent
  7. - Setter kronprinsparet i en skvis
  8. Royal House web page on the Crown Prince's patronages Retrieved 27 October 2011
  9. Royal House web page on the Fund Retrieved 7 November 2007
  10. 4H Norge, the 4-H related organization in Norway
  11. - website typischich.at
  12. "Reply to a parliamentary question about the Decoration of Honour" (PDF) (in German). p. 1811. Retrieved November 2012.
  13. Official website of the President of Estonia (Estonian), Estonian State Decorations - Kroonprints Haakon
  14. Noblesse et Royautés (French), State visit of President of Finland in Norway, 2012, Photo
  15. Norwegian Crown Prince website
  16. Lithuanian Presidency, Lithuanian Orders searching form
  17. Photo of a State visit of Lithuania to Norway, March 2011
  18. Boletín Oficial del Estado
  19. Crown Prince wins Pakistani prize – website Views and News from Norway
  20. "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  21. 21.0 21.1 "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  22. "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  23. "National Archives of Norway-listed as Ulrich S. Ulrichsen". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  24. "National Archives of Norway-listed as Joh. C. Ulrichsen". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  25. 25.0 25.1 "National Archives of Norway". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  26. 26.0 26.1 "Image of Grave Site". Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  27. "National Archive of Norway". Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  28. "National Archives of Norway-listed as Maja Ulrichsen". Retrieved 21 August 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway.
Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
Born: 20 July 1973
Norwegian royalty
Preceded by
Prince Harald
Crown Prince of Norway
1990-present
Incumbent
Heir:
Princess Ingrid Alexandra
Lines of succession
First in line Line of succession to the Norwegian throne
1st position
Succeeded by
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
Preceded by
The King of Norway
Line of succession to the British throne
descended from Maud, daughter of Edward VII
Succeeded by
Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway
Olympic Games
Preceded by
Michel Platini &
François-Cyrille Grange
Final Winter Olympic Torchbearer
Lillehammer 1994
Succeeded by
Midori Ito