Norway has entered a new royal era after the death of King Harald V at age 89. He died on August 28, 2026. It has marked the end of one of Europe’s longest-serving reigns. Alongside, it began an immediate transition within the royal family. Now, Crown Prince Haakon has taken over the throne as King Haakon VIII. Meanwhile, his wife, Mette-Marit, has officially become Norway’s new Queen. However, unlike her predecessors, Mette-Marit’s journey to become royalty was anything but conventional.
Queen Mette-Marit went from being a commoner to the Queen
Queen Mette-Marit was born as Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby in Kristiansand, Norway. However, the queen did not come from aristocratic or royal roots. Instead, she grew up in a middle-class family and spent most of her early adulthood far from the palace walls.
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