By Elvira Jordan
Crown Prince Haakon VIII has become Norway’s king following the death of his father, King Harald V, marking a new chapter for the Scandinavian monarchy.
The new monarch, 53, was born Haakon Magnus on July 20, 1973. In keeping with Norway’s egalitarian traditions, he attended a state primary school before completing his secondary education at a private school.
Before pursuing higher education, Haakon joined the Norwegian Navy. He later studied political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and went on to study development studies at the London School of Economics.
Haakon’s accession also places his 22-year-old daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, at the centre of Norway’s future royal succession. She is now the heir apparent and is in line to become Norway’s first reigning female head of state since Queen Margrete I, who ruled over Norway, Sweden and Denmark around the turn of the 14th century.
Norway’s succession rules were reformed in 1990 to establish absolute primogeniture, meaning the eldest child inherits the throne regardless of gender.
As a result, Ingrid Alexandra is next in line to the Norwegian throne, potentially paving the way for the country to have its first queen regnant in centuries.
Meanwhile, thousands of mourners have gathered at the palace with flowers to pay their tributes to the late monarch.
Condolences messages from world leaders are also pouring in to the Scandinavian country.
