As comfortable in a duffel coat as in ceremonial dress, Norway’s King Haakon is the new face of a monarchy long praised for its modernity and modesty, but now beset by woe and scandal.Haakon automatically succeeded to the throne yesterday after his father, former king Harald, passed away peacefully earlier in the day. He was due to swear an oath before the government the same day.He has increasingly seen his family’s affairs plastered across front pages: his wife’s lung transplant, revelations about her ties to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a rape conviction against his stepson, and the escapades of his eccentric sister and her American self-proclaimed shaman husband.
From left, new Norwegian King Haakon, his mother, former queen Sonja and father, late king Harald, who passed away yesterday, stand on a balcony to watch a drill display by the King’s Guard at the Palace Square in Oslo on June 6 last year.
Haakon, 53, is as modest and measured as most Norwegians — reflecting a society that shuns opulence and ostentation.Married to Mette-Marit, a commoner who was a single mother, Haakon has focused his attention on issues that concern many of his generation, including environmental protection, and fighting racism and homophobia.
