Haakon VIII Siblings: Getting to Know Princess Märtha Louise

Haakon VIII, born as Haakon Magnus on July 20, 1973, is the reigning King of Norway. He succeeded his father, King Harald V, on August 28, 2026. A member of the House of Glücksburg, he is the only son and second child of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The fourth generation of Norway's modern royal family, he was named after his great-grandfather, King Haakon VII. Initially known as Prince Haakon Magnus, he ascended the throne as Crown Prince following his grandfather King Olav V's death in 1991.

Haakon is married to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, with whom he has two children: Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. He is also the stepfather to Marius Borg Høiby. His sibling is Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, born in 1971, who pursued a separate path from royal duties after 1990 due to Norway's change to absolute primogeniture. The siblings grew up at the Skaugum estate in Asker, where their parents tried to give them an upbringing similar to that of other Norwegian children.

Following a military career that included service in the Royal Norwegian Navy, Haakon rose to the ranks of Admiral and General, before pursuing higher education at the University of California, Berkeley and the London School of Economics. As Crown Prince, he carried out official duties, represented Norway internationally, and served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.

Upon becoming King, he took on the role of Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces and assumed the constitutional duties of the monarch, which are largely ceremonial in Norway's parliamentary system.