King Haakon VIII of Norway ascended the throne after the death of his father, Harald V, who had been on the throne for 35 years and passed away this morning at Oslo National Hospital at the age of 90.
53-year-old Haakon is the fourth king to lead Norway's modern monarchy since it was restored in 1905 after the country gained independence from Sweden. He worked closely with his father, performing royal duties, and in recent years took on more responsibilities as Harald was ill or absent, writes the BBC.
He becomes king at a turbulent time for the Norwegian royal family. The monarchy enjoys popularity, but in recent years it has been surrounded by scandals. The new king's wife, Mette-Marit, apologized for her ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was found guilty of rape during a high-profile trial. He is appealing the verdict.
"Our relationship is becoming increasingly close. He is a wise guy. Everything will be fine with him when his time comes. It's nice to realize that. I think my father worried more than I did. I am very lucky that Crown Prince Haakon will continue this work," Harald said about his son in the book "The King Tells".
According to Harald, Haakon was by his side throughout his reign and actively participated in the work. Although Haakon automatically became the new King of Norway after the death of Harald V, he is yet to undergo the official procedure of taking an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.
On August 25, 2001, Crown Prince Haakon married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby. Three years later, the couple had a daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, who is the future heiress to the Norwegian throne. In December 2005, Haakon and Mette-Marit had a son, Sverre Magnus.
Haakon was with the Norwegian national football team in the USA, attended all matches, and upon his return led a celebratory "rowing" event in honor of the team, which gathered 100,000 people near the royal palace in Oslo. Haakon played the drums.
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