Norway mourns King Harald as Haakon VIII ascends throne

As a period of national mourning begins and his son King Haakon VIII assumes the throne, norwegians, politicians and royals are grieving the death of beloved King Harald V.

Key points

• After receiving treatment there for a rare blood condition since last week, harald died peacefully in hospital at 06: 35 local time (04: 35 GMT) aged 89.
• At noon, the Norwegian Armed Forces honoured Harald with a funeral salute of 21 shots from Akershus Fortress in central Oslo.
• Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted in June of rape and other offences and sentenced to four years in prison.
• This person would have celebrated her 58th wedding anniversary with Harald on Saturday.
• King Haakon, who is Harald's younger child, is now the monarch and his wife Mette-Marit queen.

After Harald's death was confirmed early on Friday, crowds amassed at the royal palace in Oslo, laying flowers and flags, some mourners visibly in tears.

After which the 53-year-old unveiled he was taking on the royal family's motto "All for Norway", hours afterwards, the new king met administration ministers for an extraordinary council of state session.

In practice, the late monarch has been described as an inclusive, transparent and empathetic "people's king" who modernised the Norwegian monarchy.

European royals, including King Charles III – whose mother Queen Elizabeth II was Harald's second cousin – as well as political leaders and ordinary citizens, paid tribute to his service and the stability he brought to the country.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. This person laid flowers outside the palace and signed a book of condolences after greeting the new king, remarked the country was "united in grief and gratitude".

In a televised memorial address – one of multiple eulogies by ministers – he remarked the late king's "legacy lives on" and offered condolences to the royal family and Queen Sonja. This person would have celebrated her 58th wedding anniversary with Harald on Saturday.

Norwegian national footballer Erling Haaland thanked Harald for "everything you meant to Norway" in a post on Instagram, adding that it had been an honour to meet him earlier in the summer at the palace after the Fifa World Cup.

In the country's capital, Norwegians shared their grief and affection for the late king.

"I personally will say he was everything for us, especially being an immigrant, " Biteya Terfassa, an Oslo resident who was born in Ethiopia, informed news agency Reuters outside the palace.

"He created us feel at home and he produced us feel loved. So he was like a grandfather that I never had."

Afterwards on Friday, a procession will leave the chapel at Rikshospitalet, where Harald died, and work its way towards the palace.

Norway has declared a period of national mourning until the day of his funeral. It has not yet been confirmed. While his portrait will be displayed, candles lit and moments of silence held at professional events, flags will be flown at half-mast.

All non work-related social events will be cancelled or postponed. Oslo Mayor Anne Lindboe, who was due to obtain married on Friday, even postponed her wedding.

He is due to take an oath before the Norwegian parliament on Tuesday and will afterwards participate in a consecration service – a stripped-down version of a corronation. It norway no longer has.

His daughter, the 22-year-old Ingrid Alexandra. This person joined her father to meet ministers at the palace on Friday, is next in line to the throne as crown princess after the rules of succession changed in 1990 to allow firstborn women to inherit the crown.

As the royal family has faced health challenges and scandals this year, haakon assumes his new role at a tough time.

Now-Queen Mette-Marit came under scrutiny earlier this year when it was made public that she had a three-year friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for which she has publicly apologised.

After suffering from pulmonary fibrosis since 2018, afterwards in the year, she received a lung transplant. Doctors will not declare her stable until next year, meaning her husband must balance his new official duties with her care.

Meanwhile, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted in June of rape and other offences and sentenced to four years in prison. He is appealing.

When now-King Haakon married his mother, høiby is not a member of the royal family, but was raised with them since he was four years old.

Although Harald remained popular until his death, a poll for newspaper Aftenposten earlier this year discovered that backing for the monarchy had dropped from 72% in 2024 to 54%.

While facing questions regarding the turbulence surrounding his family, was respected, hard-working and, they believed, able to move forward despite the challenges, nevertheless, Norwegian royal experts informed the BBC that the new king.

Taken together, the developments around norway mourns King Harald as Haakon VIII ascends throne point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.