Haakon VI of Norway - Early Life

Early Life

Haakon was raised in Norway, to prepare the young prince to later rule the Norwegian kingdom in his own right. During the early autumn of 1343 the most prominent members of the Norwegian Council of the Realm attended a meeting with Magnus at Varberg Castle. Later that month, on 15 August 1343 the Council of the Realm issued letters throughout the two kingdoms stating that the king and the Council of the Realm had decreed to create his youngest son Haakon the King of Norway. Barely a year later, representatives of the cities and the general public assembled at Båhus Castle, where Haakon was hailed as King of Norway and perpetual fealty and servitude were sworn to the new king. Though the meeting at Båhus Castle forged historic ties to the old elective monarchy in Norway, the acclamation documents created by the Council of the Realm stipulated that Haakon was to rule over only parts of Norway, and it was also carefully documented that if he would die without a legitimate son the Norwegian Law of Succession would apply, thereby ensuring that the hereditary monarchy would be upheld in Norway.

The designated successor to the Norwegian throne would then be his older brother Eric and descendants of his, though the death of Eric in 1359 prevented that from ever occurring. The meetings at Varberg Castle in 1343 and at Båhus Castle in 1344 were later properly ratified in another meeting in the port city of Bergen as late as 1350.