Norway has entered a new era following the death of King Harald V. His son, Haakon, visited the Royal Palace on Friday, August 28, with his 22-year-old daughter Ingrid Alexandra, the new crown princess, to officially inform the government of his father’s passing. Harald V died that morning at the age of 89. He was the oldest monarch in Europe.
Firstly, Haakon stated: “I will take the name Haakon VIII and will continue the motto that my father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather chose: ‘Everything for Norway.’” At 53 years old, he will have mostly ceremonial functions, like his father. The palace announced that the new king will give a speech in his father’s memory on Saturday evening.
Furthermore, national mourning has been declared in the Scandinavian kingdom. Harald V had been hospitalized since August 17, suffering from hemolytic anemia, a blood disease. Thousands of people gathered in front of the Royal Palace in Oslo throughout Friday to pay their respects. They stood in the rain to see the procession carrying the king’s remains, with the royal family in attendance.
The new sovereign will swear allegiance to the Constitution on Tuesday. He will not be crowned, as the practice was abolished in 1908. However, he may choose to have his reign blessed at Trondheim Cathedral, where Norwegian kings were crowned between 1814 and 1906.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store declared: “An era has ended. A new one begins. The king is dead. Long live the king.” He added that they would remember Harald for his love of his people, his humor, his warmth, and his unwavering faith in them.
Tributes also came from abroad, from European monarchies and world leaders, including Donald Trump, who praised “a strong, proud, and greatly respected man.”
Harald V, who ascended the throne in 1991, was widely seen as the embodiment of an open and tolerant Norway. In recent years, he suffered from multiple health issues but always refused to abdicate, stating that he had sworn a lifelong oath before Parliament.
His heir, Haakon, is popular and known for being modest, avoiding pomp and ostentation. He has embraced the concerns of his generation, including environmental protection, the fight against racism, and the fight against homophobia. However, he accedes to the throne amid headwinds. The ties of his wife, Mette-Marit, to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the conviction of his stepson for rape, and the escapades of his sister and her self-proclaimed shaman husband have tarnished the monarchy’s lustre.
In addition to these scandals, the royal family has gone through a difficult period due to the health problems of the late sovereign and the new queen. Mette-Marit suffers from an incurable lung disease that required a lung transplant in June.
Reference
Le Monde, “Haakon VIII devient le nouveau roi de Norvège après la mort de son père Harald V,” published August 29, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/08/29/haakon-viii-devient-le-nouveau-roi-de-norvege-apres-la-mort-de-son-pere-harald-v_6759580_3210.html