Norway Welcomes King Haakon VIII After King Harald V’s Death at 89

Norway has entered a new royal era following the death of King Harald V at age 89. His son, Haakon, ascended the throne on Friday as King Haakon VIII. His wife, Queen Mette-Marit, became queen, and their 22-year-old daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, is now the heir apparent. Born in Oslo in July 1973, King Haakon was trained as a Norwegian Navy officer and holds degrees in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and development studies from the London School of Economics. He has served as a UN Development Programme goodwill ambassador, focusing on poverty, climate change, and human dignity.

Despite his royal birthright, Haakon has openly expressed discomfort with his role, revealing in a 2023 autobiography that his royal status caused him anxiety during school. He chose to study in California rather than follow his father and grandfather to Oxford, finding solace in the sea. He met Mette-Marit, a single mother outside the nobility, at a music festival; their 2001 marriage initially sparked controversy but later became central to the royal family. Recently, the family faced challenges due to Mette-Marit's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and her son from a previous marriage, Marius Borg Høiby, being convicted of rape and violence. King Haakon has publicly supported his wife, emphasizing the importance of "keeping the band together."

King Haakon has maintained a longstanding connection to Israel and the Jewish community. In January 2020, he made his first official visit to Israel as a Norwegian royal family member, attending the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem marking 75 years since Auschwitz’s liberation. He met then-President Reuven Rivlin, Jewish community leaders, and laid a wreath at Yad Vashem. He returned to Auschwitz in January 2025 for the 80th anniversary. In 2008, he inaugurated the Jewish Museum in Oslo, praising Jewish contributions to culture and Norway’s liberation from Nazi occupation. He has condemned antisemitism and racism, warning against portraying entire groups as inferior. In October 2024, he and his father attended a synagogue ceremony in Oslo commemorating the October 7 massacre.

As is customary in Norway’s constitutional monarchy, King Haakon serves as a symbolic head of state and refrains from political disputes. His accession will not alter Norway’s government policy toward Israel or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the king expected to focus on national unity, tolerance, and combating antisemitism and racism.