Norway’s King Harald V and Crown Prince Haakon, who has succeeded him as King Haakon VIII. (Reuters image)
A king taking over amid family storms
In his 2023 autobiography, he recalled struggling with the attention that came with being a member of the royal family and deliberately seeking distance from Norway during his youth. The couple married in 2001 and have two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
We look after the other children as well,” he said. But Haakon’s journey to the throne was not one he always embraced. The controversy eventually subsided after King Harald publicly welcomed Mette-Marit into the royal family. Marius Borg Hoiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, also became part of their family. Haakon’s accession comes at a difficult moment for the Norwegian royal family, which has faced a series of controversies over the past year. Mette-Marit has faced scrutiny over her past correspondence with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, was also convicted in June on rape and domestic violence charges and sentenced to four years in prison. Both Hoiby and the prosecution have appealed the sentence. “We support Marius in the situation he is in. “For me, the most important thing these past few days has been to take care of the flock. “As a grown-up, I am at my happiest in the water together with my family. It provides an inner peace when the flock is gathered to do what I like best: to be among the waves. Nothing beats that feeling.”