Norway's royal family has released the official portrait of its new monarch, King Haakon VIII, as the nation mourns the death of his father, King Harald V. The former Crown Prince, 53, now holds the title of His Majesty King Haakon VIII.
King Harald V died at the age of 89 after a brief hospital stay. He had been Europe's oldest-reigning monarch since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, having ascended to the throne on January 17, 1991. The King was being treated at Oslo University Hospital for hemolytic anemia, but his condition deteriorated after contracting an infection, according to the palace.
King Harald was a cousin of King Charles III. In a statement, King Charles expressed his "deepest and most heartfelt condolences" to the Norwegian royal family, remembering Harald as a "much-loved kinsman and friend."
King Haakon's reign begins during a period of scrutiny for the royal family, including past controversies involving his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and her connection to Jeffrey Epstein, as well as a recent conviction of her son, Marius Borg Høiby. King Harald had previously defended Crown Princess Mette-Marit, stating she had not done anything illegal and had severed ties with Epstein early on.
Harald was born on February 21, 1937, the son of King Olav V and Princess Martha of Sweden. His early life was marked by World War II, including a period of exile in the United States with his mother and sisters while his father and grandfather remained in London with the government-in-exile. The family returned to Norway in June 1945.
Tragedy struck the family in 1954 when Harald's mother died of cancer. He later studied at the University of Oslo and the Norwegian Military Academy. He met Sonja Haraldsen, who would become his wife, in 1959. Despite her status as a commoner, Harald insisted on marrying her, and they wed in 1968. They studied in England, with Harald attending Balliol College, Oxford, to study Politics, Philosophy, and Economics.
Harald became Crown Prince in 1957. He was an accomplished athlete, representing Norway in sailing at three Olympic Games: Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968, and Munich in 1972. The couple's first child, Princess Märtha Louise, was born in 1971, followed by Crown Prince Haakon the next year. He became King in January 1991 at the age of 53.
The new King Haakon VIII's official portrait shows him in his regalia, with the royal family captioning the image "All for Norway."