Norway has entered a new royal era following the death of King Harald V and the accession of his son, Haakon, to the throne on August 28, 2026. The change has also brought renewed attention to the new King of Norway’s children and the next generation of the Norwegian monarchy.
King Haakon VIII and Queen Mette-Marit have two biological children together: Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. With their father now King, both have moved one position higher in Norway’s line of succession, placing Ingrid Alexandra directly next in line to the throne.
The royal household also includes Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby. He is King Haakon’s stepson rather than his biological son and has no position in the Norwegian line of succession.
Ingrid Alexandra
Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the eldest child of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit. She was born at Rikshospitalet University Hospital in Oslo on January 21, 2004.
Her position has become especially significant following her grandfather’s death. While her father was Crown Prince, Ingrid Alexandra stood immediately behind him in the succession. After Haakon became King, she became the heir apparent and first in line to inherit the Norwegian throne.
Her eventual accession would be historically important. Norway changed its succession rules in 1990 to establish equal primogeniture, meaning the monarch’s eldest child takes precedence regardless of gender. Transitional provisions preserved Haakon’s place ahead of his older sister, Princess Märtha Louise, but the modern rule applies to Ingrid Alexandra’s generation.
Ingrid Alexandra grew up at Skaugum, the royal family’s residence in Asker. Although she has been prepared for a future constitutional role from an early age, her education has remained a major priority.
She completed military service with the Engineer Battalion of Brigade North and served as a combat engineer, including training as a gunner on a CV90 armoured vehicle. She later began a three-year social sciences degree at the University of Sydney in 2025.
Alongside her education, Ingrid Alexandra has gradually taken on public engagements, providing experience for the responsibilities she is expected to assume as the future monarch.
Sverre Magnus
Prince Sverre Magnus is King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit’s younger child. Born in Oslo on December 3, 2005, he is less than two years younger than his sister.
Following his father’s accession, Sverre Magnus is now second in the direct line of succession, behind Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
Unlike his sister, Sverre Magnus is not expected to become Norway’s monarch unless the succession circumstances change. Nevertheless, he remains an important member of the King’s immediate family.
The prince has increasingly appeared at major royal and national occasions. In May 2025, he carried out his first solo official engagement when he attended a ceremony recognizing Norway’s participants in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin.
His role differs from Ingrid Alexandra’s because she is being prepared specifically for the responsibilities of a future sovereign. Sverre Magnus has greater flexibility to pursue an independent career while still participating in selected royal engagements.
Marius Borg Høiby
Another name frequently associated with King Haakon’s family is Marius Borg Høiby. However, he should not be confused with the King’s two biological children.
Marius was born before Mette-Marit began her relationship with Haakon. When Haakon married Mette-Marit at Oslo Cathedral on August 25, 2001, Marius became part of their family household and grew up alongside Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus.
He does not have a royal title and is not included in the succession to the Norwegian throne because he is not a descendant of the monarch.
New Royal Generation
The position of Haakon’s children changed immediately when King Harald V died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet on August 28, 2026, at the age of 89. Haakon, born July 20, 1973, succeeded his father as Norway’s monarch.
King Harald had reigned since 1991 and was an exceptionally familiar figure in Norwegian public life. His death therefore represents more than a change of monarch: it marks a generational transition for the entire Royal House.
Haakon’s accession places Ingrid Alexandra at the center of that transition. At 22, she represents the future of the monarchy while continuing her education and gradually expanding her public responsibilities.
Harald’s Children
The late King Harald V and Queen Sonja also had two children.
Their eldest, Princess Märtha Louise, was born on September 22, 1971. Haakon was born on July 20, 1973. Despite being younger, Haakon remained ahead of his sister in the succession because the constitutional change introducing gender-neutral primogeniture did not retroactively alter the order for their generation.
That distinction will not apply to Haakon’s children. Ingrid Alexandra remains ahead of her younger brother because Norway’s current rules give priority to the eldest child regardless of sex.
Who Comes Next?
King Haakon VIII’s two biological children are Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Ingrid Alexandra is now first in line to the Norwegian throne, with her younger brother immediately behind her.
Their new positions underline how quickly the structure of a royal family changes after a succession. Haakon has moved from decades as heir to serving as King, while Ingrid Alexandra has moved into the role her father occupied for most of his adult life.
For Norway, the focus is therefore not only on its new monarch but also on Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, the 22-year-old heir who could one day become the country’s first reigning queen of the modern Norwegian monarchy.
