Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway (born 20 July 1973), with the full name Haakon Magnus, is the heir apparent to the Throne of Norway and the son of the reigning King, Harald V. He is also a Prince of Denmark and a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which is a branch of the House of Oldenburg.

The Crown Prince is married to Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, with whom he has two children. He has an older sister, Princess Märtha Louise. In accordance with Norway's agnatic primogeniture succession, Haakon became Crown Prince when his father ascended the throne in 1991. Should he ascend as expected, he will be known as Haakon VIII.

Official residence
The Skaugum Estate, situated in the area of Semsvannet, is the official residence of the Norwegian Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.

Family
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 eligible to succeed to the thrones of the sixteen Commonwealth realms. He is a third cousin to the present heir apparent, Charles, Prince of Wales.

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. 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 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.

The couple has two children together:
 * Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born 21 January 2004, in Oslo.
 * His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus, born 3 December 2005, in Oslo.

Haakon is also the stepfather to Mette-Marit's son from her relationship to Morten Borg, Marius Borg Høiby.

Education and military life
Haakon has served in the Royal Norwegian Navy, where he undertook his first-level officer's education at the Norwegian Naval Academy. Then followed a year aboard missile torpedo boats and other vessels. He received 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.

As of 15 November 2013, in the Royal Norwegian Navy his officer rank is Admiral, and in Norwegian Army and the Royal Norwegian Air Force his rank is General.

Royal duties
From 25 November 2003 to 12 April 2004, Haakon was the Regent of Norway during the King's treatment for cancer and the subsequent convalescence period. Likewise, Haakon was 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.

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."

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

Titles and styles

 * 20 July 1973–17 January 1991: His Royal Highness Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway
 * 17 January 1991–present: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Norway

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.
 * The Crown Prince and Crown Princess' Humanitarian Fund
 * 4H Norge – Norwegian 4H Organization
 * The Arctic Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra
 * The Christian Radich Sail Training Foundation
 * The Ibsen Stage Festival
 * The Nordland Music Festival
 * The Northern Light Festival
 * The Norwegian Association against Substance Abuse
 * The Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association
 * The Norwegian Band Federation
 * The Norwegian Festival of International Literature
 * The Norwegian International Film Festival
 * The Norwegian Lifesaving Society
 * Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
 * Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival

Honours and awards
(° = Honours mentioned on his official website page)









National orders and decorations

 * 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 °
 * Royal House Centenary Medal °
 * Olav V's Commemorative Medal °
 * Olav V's Jubilee Medal °
 * Olav V's Centenary Medal °
 * Royal Norwegian Navy Service Medal °
 * Norwegian Reserve Officers Federal Badge of Honour °
 * Naval Society Medal of Merit in gold °
 * Oslo Military Society Badge of Honour in Gold °

Foreign orders

 * 🇦🇹 Austria : Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (2007) °
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil : Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
 * 🇧🇬 Bulgaria : Cordon of the Order of Stara Planina °
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark : Knight of Order of the Elephant ° (20/07/1991)
 * 🇪🇪 Estonia : Grand Cross of Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ° (10.04.2002)
 * 🇫🇮 Finland : Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose °
 * 🇩🇪 Germany : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany °
 * 🇮🇹 Italy : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic °
 * 🇯🇵 Japan : Grand Cross of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
 * 🇯🇴 Jordan : Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (Order of Al-Nahda) °
 * 🇱🇻 Latvia : Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars °
 * 🇱🇹 Lithuania : Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great °
 * 🇱🇺 Luxembourg : Grand Cross of the Order of Adolph of Nassau °
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands : Grand Cross with swords 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 Infante Dom Henrique °
 * 🇪🇸 Spain : Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (26/05/2006) °
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden : Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim °

Other awards

 * 14 August Committee’s Bridge Building Prize 2011
 * 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.