Med Library . org

Open Source Encyclopedia

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway

Welcome to MedLibrary.org. For best results, we recommend beginning with the navigation links at the top of the page, which can guide you through our collection of over 14,000 medication labels and package inserts. For additional information on other topics which are not covered by our database of medications, just enter your topic in the search box below:

Haakon
Crown Prince of Norway
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway - World Economic Forum on Latin America 2012.jpg
The Crown Prince at the World Economic Forum on Latin America in 2012
Spouse Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby (m. 2001)
Issue
Princess Ingrid Alexandra
Prince Sverre Magnus
Full name
Haakon Magnus
House House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Father Harald V of Norway
Mother Sonja Haraldsen
Born ) 20 July 1973 (age 39)
Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
Religion Lutheran

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (Norwegian pronunciation: ; born 20 July 1973), with the full name Haakon Magnus, is the heir apparent to the throne of Norway and the son of the current King, Harald V. He is a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which is a branch of the House of Oldenburg. In accordance with Norway's agnatic primogeniture succession, he became crown prince when his father ascended to the throne in 1991. He has an older sister, Princess Märtha Louise. Should he ascend as expected, he will be known as Haakon VIII.

Contents

Education and military life

Haakon served in the Royal Norwegian Navy undertaking his first-level officer's education at the Norwegian Naval Academy, followed by a year aboard missile torpedo boats and other vessels. He then went abroad, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1999. Haakon later attended lectures at the University of Oslo and took the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' civil servant introductory course in 2001. He completed his education in 2003 at the London School of Economics, where he was awarded an MSc in development studies, specialising in international trade and Africa.

Royal duties

From 25 November 2003 to 12 April 2004, Haakon was the country's regent, during the King's treatment for cancer and the subsequent convalescence period. Likewise, Haakon was Norway's regent from 29 March 2005 until the King had fully recovered from the heart surgery he underwent on 1 April. This period ended on 7 June.

In addition to his official duties, Haakon has a strong interest in cultural matters. In January 2006, Haakon (along with the Norwegian Royal Family) revised his patronage list. He now has twelve patronage roles in his portfolio including the annual Bjørnson literary festival. The patronage roles will last for five years, after which they will be up for renewal and other groups can apply for Royal support.

In 2006, Haakon established Global Dignity with Pekka Himanen and John Hope Bryant. Global Dignity is an independent, non-political organization that promotes the universal right of every human being to lead a dignified life.

Military rank

As of June 2010, in Norway's Navy his officer rank is flaggkommandør, and in the Army his rank is Brigadier.

Controversy over planned visit to a cluster bomb producer

A 29 April 2013 article in Verdens Gang reported controversy about the prince's plans for visiting a producer of cluster bombs.[1] In a 2013 op-ed in Bergens Tidende, Erling Borgen (a journalist and recipient of silver diploma SKUP Award in 1995) said[1][2] that the prince ought not to visit the weapons producer. Trond Nordby said that the prince and his wife "ought to stay at home".[1]

Family and heritage

On birth he was named Prince Haakon Magnus, and it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon.

The godparents of Haakon the Crown Prince of Norway are King Olaf V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, Prince Carl Bernadotte, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. As a descendant of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Haakon is also in line to the throne of each of the sixteen Commonwealth Realms. He is a third cousin to Charles, Prince of Wales, present heir to the thrones of the Commonwealth Realms.

Haakon has one sibling, Princess Märtha Louise (born 1971). In 1990, the Norwegian constitution was altered, granting absolute primogeniture to the Norwegian throne, meaning that the eldest child, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession. This was not, however, done retroactively (as, for example, Sweden had done in 1980), meaning that Haakon continues to take precedence over his older sister.

Marriage

Haakon married commoner and single mother Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on 25 August 2001, at Oslo Cathedral, who upon her marriage became Crown Princess. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was the best man. When the engagement between Crown Prince Haakon and Høiby was announced, many Norwegians felt that the Crown Prince’s choice of wife was inappropriate.[3] This was primarily about her being a single mother, but information concerning her involvement in the Rave scene in Oslo, which included a significant drug-subculture, also added to the controversy. In addition, the father of her child was convicted of drug-related offences.[3] In a heartfelt press conference before the wedding the Crown Princess explained her past, saying among other things that her youthful rebelliousness might have been stronger than most young people.[3] Although some still find her inappropriate as a future leader of the country, the issue of Mette-Marit's past has largely been laid to rest in Norwegian public discourse.

Issue

Patronages

The intent of the Crown Prince patronage is to raise public awareness of an organization or a specific event that supports a worthy cause.[4]

Personal interests

The Crown Prince was involved in several sports and seemed to take a particular liking to windsurfing. However, he has not engaged in serious competitions. Haakon is known as a big music fan. When he was younger, he attended music festivals all over Europe, including the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and the Quart Festival in Kristiansand, Norway.

He has also been part of Olympics ceremonies. In 1994, the Crown Prince and his father played roles during the opening ceremony in Lillehammer. While the King declared open the Games, the Crown Prince lit the cauldron, paying tribute to his father and grandfather having served as Olympians. He attended the opening ceremony in Vancouver.

He accompanied the band Katzenjammer in their recording of the song "Vi tenner våre lykter" (for the 2011 Christmas-themed album of the same name). Proceeds benefited "Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess funds."[7]

Honours and awards

Haakon's monogram.
(° = Honours mentioned on his official website page)

St Olavs Orden storkors stripe.svg Den kongelige norske fortjenstorden storkors stripe.svg

Forsvarsmedaljen med laurbærgren stripe.svg Kongehusets 100-årsmedalje stripe.svg Olav Vs minnemedalje stripe.svg

Olav Vs jubileumsmedalje 1957-1982 stripe.svg Olav Vs 100-årsmedalje stripe.svg Vernedyktighetsmedaljen Sjøforsvaret med 1 stjerne.svg

Norske reserveoffiserers forbunds hederstegn stripe.svg Sjømilitære Samfunds fortjenstmedalje stripe.svg Oslo militære samfunds hederstegn stripe.svg

National orders and decorations

Foreign orders

Other awards

Ancestors