Birthday of King Haakon VIII of Norway Date in the current year: July 20, 2026

Haakon was born July 20, 1973, to Crown Prince Harald (the future King Harald V of Norway) and Sonja Haraldsen. His name at birth was Haakon Magnus: Haakon in honor of King Haakon VII, his paternal great-grandfather, and Haakon Haraldsen, his maternal uncle; and Magnus after the Norwegian saint and Martyr. Haakon’s baptism was held on September 20.

In 1992, Haakon began his military service in the Royal Norwegian Navy. He later graduated from a BA degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and with an MSc degree in development studies from the London School of Economics. He also attended lectures at the University of Oslo.

Haakon became crown prince when his father ascended the throne in 1991 following the death of King Olav V. In 2001, he married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, a commoner and single mother. Many Norwegians disapproved of his choice, not because Mette-Marit was a commoner—Haakon’s mother, Queen Sonja, was also a commoner—but because she had a rebellious youth and a child from a previous relationship.

Crown Prince Haakon was Regent of Norway from November 25, 2003 to April 12, 2004, from March 25 to April 1, 2005, from September 25 to October 31, 2020, from March 3 to April 22, 2024, and from August 18 to August 28, 2026. His father died on August 28, 2026, and Haakon ascended the throne as King Haakon VIII of Norway.