Crown Prince Haakon
Norway’s future king turns 50
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway celebrates his 50th birthday on July 20th.
© Liv Oeian/Shutterstock.com
The Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon turns 50 – and despite all the joy, he should also be thinking about the future of the royal family.
The couple heir to the Norwegian throne is celebrating a round double birthday this year: both are turning 50. Today is July 20th Crown Prince Haakon. His wife Mette-Marit has her day of honor on August 19th.
There’s a backyard party for the 50th
They should then celebrate together on August 25 – the couple’s 22nd wedding anniversary. In a statement in February, the royal family announced that guests from all over the country would be invited to the “backyard party in the palace”. That suits the future king, who is close to the people and relaxed. He used to be considered one of the coolest crown princes in Europe. Probably also because he prefers to spend his time outside of castle walls and royal robes. Haakon loves nature and sports. In his hobbies, he combines both passions: surfing, skydiving, skiing, hiking, kayaking – the crown prince is always on the move. He celebrated his 40th birthday with a casual music festival, with his Swedish colleague and good friend, Crown Princess Victoria (46), and his family he enjoys hiking holidays.
His love of nature is also reflected in his work. The graduate political scientist and diplomat is often involved in the areas of environmental protection, new energies, sustainable management and development aid.
He stood by his Mette-Marit that much
With his uncomplicated manner, the crown prince contributed to the fact that the Norwegian royal family achieved the highest popularity ratings in Europe for years. He also earned a lot of respect for marrying his Mette-Marit (49), whom he met at a music festival in 1999, against all odds. Despite being criticized in the Norwegian press for her wild partying past, including drugs and her illegitimate child, Haakon made it clear: “We fell in love and want to spend the rest of our lives together.” He had the best role model for standing by his great love in his father. As a young crown prince, King Harald V (86) also insisted on being allowed to marry the civil Sonja (86). When he finally threatened his father Olav V. (1903-1991) that he would remain single forever (and therefore not have children), he finally gave his consent after nine years. Like Sonja, Mette-Marit has won the favor of the people. She is recognized for her commitment to literature, the environment and mental health.
worry about loved ones
Haakon’s love for Mette-Marit was the only scandal that the hard-working crown prince had so far. Otherwise he convinced the subjects with his faithful royal fulfillment of duty. However, his life is no longer as easy as it used to be. Because the royal family is plagued by various health problems. For several years, Haakon has been taking on more and more appointments from his father, who most recently had to be hospitalized three times in the last seven months. So the crown prince gradually prepares for the great task of one day ascending the throne. But Haakon doesn’t just have to worry about his father. His wife suffers from a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis. The royal family announced this at the end of 2018. Because of the chronic lung disease, Mette-Marit is sometimes so bad that she cannot keep appointments and has to take it easy.
fuss about his sister
The declining acceptance of the royal family should also give Haakon food for thought. In autumn 2022, a study by InFact for the newspaper “Dagbladet” showed that only 67.7 percent of 1,001 Norwegians surveyed are still in favor of the monarchy. In 2017 it was still 81 percent. The younger generation in particular is critical: Among 18 to 29 year olds, support is only 49 percent. Royal experts blamed Haakon’s sister Märtha Louise (51) for this development. Her relationship with the shaman Durek Verrett (48) caused a stir. Above all, she was criticized for mixing her princess title and commercial interests. The royal family had to make a decision: In November 2022, the court announced that Märtha Louise would renounce her official duties and no longer represent the royal family.
This puts even more pressure on Haakon’s shoulders. Since in Norway at the time of his birth the prerogative of male descendants still applied, he became the heir to the throne and not his elder sister. Things are different now with his children: daughter Ingrid Alexandra (19) will be his successor, son Sverre Magnus (17) is on the list of successors to the throne. Mette-Marit’s son Marius (26) is often present in family photos, but is not officially part of the royal family. Haakon is said to have not adopted him so as not to come between the boys and his birth father.
The future of the royal family
Despite all the problems, the Norwegian royal family can look to the future with optimism. When Haakon becomes king, he knows that his daughter will have a worthy heir to the throne at his side. The young woman has just graduated from the state Elvebakken High School in Oslo. On the royal family’s official Instagram page Haakon and Mette-Marit proudly showed up with their daughter on her last day of school on June 20th. It said: “Princess Ingrid Alexandra marked the end of her 13-year schoolday tonight.” All the school’s graduates gathered at the Oslo Concert Hall for a celebratory performance. “The crown prince couple were present to celebrate with the princess.” After the summer holidays, she will take on jobs as a school assistant and environmental worker and later do her military service, the family announced. Will she also complete it in the navy, like her father once did?