Norway mourns King Harald as new era begins under Haakon VIII

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters. Published On 29 Aug 202629 Aug 2026.

Key points

• King Harald died in Oslo University Hospital where he had been since August 17.
• A national period of mourning was declared in the Nordic kingdom after the death of Europe's oldest monarch on Friday, aged 89.
• Long live the king, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store remarked in a speech shortly after gathering the new monarch.
• "He has meant a great deal and has been a unifying king, " Line Stousland, 49, informed AFP news agency.
• Flags are flying at half-mast throughout Norway with portraits of him in gala uniform spotted everywhere, from bus stops to offices, shops and public buildings.

Norwegians are saying goodbye to King Harald ⁠⁠at ⁠⁠the Royal Palace in Oslo where he lies in state, with plenty of well-wishers remembering a unifying leader who was on the throne for 35 years.

Meanwhile, a national period of mourning was declared in the Nordic kingdom after the death of Europe's oldest monarch on Friday, aged 89. Thousands have gathered in the capital since then to pay their respects and lay flowers. He was known in Norway as a reformer and the embodiment of a tolerant and open nation who embraced inclusivity.

"He has meant a great deal and has been a unifying king, " Line Stousland, 49, informed AFP news agency. "He has been a king of the people, like a grandfather to the whole nation".

King Harald died in Oslo University Hospital where he had been since August 17. He was suffering from haemolytic anaemia, a condition caused by an abnormally rapid destruction of red blood cells that leads to fatigue and shortness of breath. A date for the funeral has not yet been set.

As Norwegians mourned, the transition to a new reign began immediately. Harald's 53-year-old son, who will be known as King Haakon VIII, became Norway's new ‌‌monarch the moment his father passed away. When he will swear to defend Norway's constitution and laws, he is due to ‌‌take the oath in front of parliament on Tuesday.

Haakon takes over a monarchy hailed for its modernity and modesty, but which has been beset by a series of recent scandals. Earlier this year, two high-profile Norwegian politicians and the crown princess were linked to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

While the princess' 29-year-old son, Marius Borg Hoiby, the new king's stepson, was sentenced in June to four years in prison on two counts of rape and 32 other charges, including domestic violence, a police investigation was opened into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland on suspicion of corruption.

"An era has concluded. A new one begins. The king is dead. Long live the king, " Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store remarked in a speech shortly after gathering the new monarch. "We will remember King Harald for his love for his people, for his humour and warmth and for his unwavering faith in us."

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