Haakon VIII

Haakon VIII (Haakon Magnus; born 20 July 1973) is King of Norway since 28 August 2026. He is the second child and only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Haakon represents the fourth generation of the reigning Norwegian royal family of the House of Glücksburg. He married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in 2001, and they have two children, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Haakon acceded to the throne upon his father's death in 2026. He is a trained naval officer and, as king, is formally the Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces. He has served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme and has been involved in a range of philanthropic and international initiatives, including membership of the Young Global Leaders network and its Foundation Board. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Science in development studies from the London School of Economics.