Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway

Haakon Crown Prince of Norway The Crown Prince at the World Economic Forum, 28 January 2010 Spouse Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway 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 (1973-07-20) (age 37) Rikshospitalet, Oslo Religion N/A

Norwegian Royal Family HM The King * HM The Queen * HRH The Crown Prince * HRH The Crown Princess * HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra * HH Prince Sverre Magnus Marius Borg Høiby HH Princess Märtha Louise Ari Behn Maud Angelica Behn Leah Isadora Behn Emma Tallulah Behn Extended royal family HH Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen Erling S. Lorentzen HH Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner Johan Ferner * Member of the Norwegian Royal House v · d · e

Styles of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness
Alternative style	Sir

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway; (born on 20 July 1973 in Oslo, full name Haakon Magnus)is the heir apparent to the throne of Norway. On birth he was named Prince Haakon Magnus but it was stressed in the announcement that he would go by the name Haakon. He became Crown Prince Haakon when his father ascended to the crown as Harald V in 1991. If Crown Prince Haakon becomes King, he will be known as Haakon VIII of Norway.

Family and heritage

The godparents of Haakon the Crown Prince of Norway are King Olav 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.

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.

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. 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. In a heartfelt press conference before the wedding the Crown Princess explained about her past, saying among other things that her youthful rebelliousness might have been stronger than most young people. 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

• Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra born on 21 January 2004, in Oslo.

• His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus born 3 December 2005 in Oslo.

Royal duties

In addition to his official duties, Haakon has a strong interest in cultural matters.

Royal Monogram

Beginning Tuesday afternoon 25 November 2003, and ending in the evening of 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 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.

Global Dignity

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.

Humanitarian Fund

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’ Humanitarian Fund was established in 2001 in connection with the wedding of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. The couple announced that they wished for donations to the fund as wedding gifts. The fund allocates funds to humanitarian projects in Norway and abroad. In Norway the fund mainly focuses on projects aimed at improving conditions for children and young people. Abroad, the fund mainly focuses on projects related to health and education.

Grant recipients

• 2008

• Fundación Xochiquetzal Fundasion Šusital, Nicaragua

• 2007

• The good childhood: A collaboration between the Norwegian municipality Karasjok and Lovozero municipality in Russia

• 2006

• The Church City Mission: A youth project directed by the PMV Centre for health, dialogue and development (Oslo, Norway)
• The AIDS Centre, “Project Bus”, Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Russia

• 2005

• Right to Play: A sports and health project (Uganda)

• 2004

• Yirga Alem Hospital Fistula Unit (Ethiopia)
• Rehabilitation of child soldiers (Democratic Republic of Congo)

• 2003

• Norwegian People’s Aid project ”Følgesvennen”, providing companions and provisional guardians to asylum seekers (Asker, Norway)
• Norwegian Red Cross project “Leksehjelpen”, offering help with homework to pupils from minority backgrounds (Oslo, Norway)

• 2002

• National Community of Women Living with Aids (Uganda)
• Education through Sport (Zambia)

• 2001

• The Vard Model (Haugesund, Norway)
• Basic education in Alefa Takusa (Ethiopia)
• Prevention of HIV/AIDS (Mozambique)

Patronages

• Norwegian Lifesaving Society
• The Ibsen Stage Festival
• Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
• The Norwegian International Film Festival
• Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival
• Nordland Music Festival
• The Norwegian Band Federation
• 4H Norge – Norwegian 4H Organization
• Landsforbundet mot Stoffmisbruk (“The Norwegian Association against Substance Abuse”)
• The Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association
• The Christian Radich Sail Training Foundation
• The Norwegian Festival of International Literature

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.

However, he has 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.

Honours

•  Norway
  • Grand Cross with collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
  • Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
  • Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch
  • The Royal House Centenary Medal
  • Olav Vs Commemorative Medal of 30. January 1991
  • Olav Vs Jubilee Medal
  • Olav Vs Centenary Medal
  • Royal Norwegian Navy Service Medal
  • The Norwegian Reserve Officers Federal Badge of Honour
  • The Naval Society Medal of Merit in gold
  • Oslo Military Society Badge of Honour in Gold
•  Austria
  • Decoration of Honour for Merit
•  Brazil
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
•  Bulgaria
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Stara Planina
•  Denmark
  • Knight of the Elephant
•  Estonia
  • Grand Cross of the Cross of Terra Mariana
•  Finland
  • Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose
•  Italy
  • Grand Cross of the Italian Order of Merit
•  Japan
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
•  Jordan
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of Al-Nahda (Order of the Renaissance)
•  Latvia
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
•  Germany
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
•  Netherlands
  • Grand Cross with sword of the Order of Orange-Nassau
•  Poland
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
•  Portugal
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Infante Dom Henrique
•  Spain
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III
•  Sweden
  • Knight of the Order of the Seraphim
• Olympic Games
  • Lighter of the Olympic Cauldron; 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, opened by his father, King Harald V.

• A horse race bears his name, Kronprins Haakons Pokalløp. It is held every year in June, at Drammen Travpark.

Ancestors