\n<\/p>\n
But in recent times, Haakon’s family has come under increasingly heavy public scrutiny and criticism.<\/p>\n
Marius Borg H\u00f8iby’s rape conviction hangs over the family. One of women was raped on Haakon’s estate at Skaugum outside Oslo.<\/p>\n
H\u00f8iby has always been treated as one of the family, although the royal house has repeatedly stressed he is not a royal.<\/p>\n
Days before his trial began, documents were released revealing Mette-Marit’s frequent contact with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n
She later apologised to King Harald and Queen Sonja for her three-year friendship with Epstein and admitted to “poor judgement”, adding in a national TV interview that she wished she had never met him.<\/p>\n
Several polls conducted earlier this year found nearly half of Norway’s population felt the crown princess could not become queen, even though it was always bound to happen.<\/p>\n
Two days after her son’s trial came to an end, Mette-Marit received a lung transplant, eight years after her initial diagnosis. <\/p>\n
Her doctors will not declare her stable until a year after the transplant, and the new king will face a difficult period of succession as he continues to support her.<\/p>\n
Caroline Vagle, royal correspondent for Se og H\u00f8r magazine, says in regards to Epstein the most important thing the royal family can do is be “completely open about what actually happened, and not allow public speculation to take on a life of its own”. <\/p>\n
“But I also don’t think we should overestimate the impact of one or two difficult cases,” she says. <\/p>\n
“What will ultimately matter is how the royal family handles them, and how Haakon and the next generation manage to build on the trust that Harald has earned over a lifetime.”<\/p>\n
Tove Taalesen, royal correspondent for Nettavisen, believes the scandals will be challenging but Haakon is “very much ready for the task”.<\/p>\n
“I’m sure that in the future he will be respected and loved, similar to King Haakon VII, King Olav V and also King Harald V.”<\/p>\n
Haakon’s reign begins in the backdrop of these scandals, and how he navigates them might come to define his monarchy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n