King Haakon VIII Has Taken the Throne
Photo: NTB
Crown Prince Haakon has taken the regnal name Haakon VIII, and his daughter Ingrid Alexandra is now crown princess. On Friday they met the government in an extraordinary Council of State at the Royal Palace.
Norway has a new king. Crown Prince Haakon, who became monarch the moment his father died on Friday morning, has taken the regnal name Haakon VIII. His daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra (22), is now the country's new crown princess.
King Haakon VIII and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra during the extraordinary Council of State at the Royal Palace. Photo: NTB
On Friday the new king and crown princess met the government in an extraordinary Council of State at the Royal Palace in Oslo. The King wore gala uniform, and the mood in the Council Chamber was solemn, hours after King Harald's death was announced.
The King and the Crown Princess presided over the Council with the government gathered around the table. Photo: NTB
After the Council, the King and the Crown Princess greeted the ministers, and a group photograph was taken of the King, the Crown Princess and the entire government.
The King and the Crown Princess greeted the ministers after the meeting. Photo: NTB
The King and the Crown Princess with the Prime Minister and the government. Photo: NTB
• The name Haakon
With the name Haakon VIII, the new king ties himself to his great-grandfather Haakon VII, who became Norway's first king after the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905. The royal motto is inherited, and remains Alt for Norge, everything for Norway.
• Became heir in 1991
King Haakon is the younger of King Harald's two children, with an older sister, Princess Märtha Louise. He became heir to the throne in 1991 because he was the eldest son: the 1990 constitutional amendment giving precedence to the firstborn regardless of gender was not applied retroactively. With his daughter Ingrid Alexandra as crown princess, Norway now has its first female heir to the throne.
• Educated in the US, England and at the Naval Academy
The King holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in development studies from the London School of Economics, specialising in international trade and Africa. In 1995 he graduated from the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy.
RoyMob will follow the accession and the period of mourning in the days to come.