Norway’s new monarch, King Haakon VIII, has delivered his first address to the nation after ascending the throne following the death of his father, King Harald V.
Haakon, 53, spoke to Norwegians on Saturday in a live televised message from the Royal Palace in Oslo, where his father is lying in state. In an emotional tribute, he thanked Harald “for everything he was and everything he did.”
King Harald V, a cousin of Britain’s King Charles III, died on Friday at the age of 89 after a short hospital stay. He had been receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia, a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed more rapidly than normal.
In his first remarks since becoming king, the former Crown Prince Haakon remembered his father as both a devoted family man and a steadfast sovereign. He also expressed gratitude to the people of Norway for the sympathy and support shown to the royal family after Harald’s death.
“Dear Dad,” he said. “Thank you for being such a good father to Märtha and me. Warm and reassuring. You were also a gentle and funny grandfather.”
“A loving and thoughtful husband. A generous father-in-law. A brother and uncle whom everyone loved spending time with.”
“I’m going to miss him. I’ll miss his laughter. His good-natured way of dealing with people and situations. My father always made those around him feel at ease.”
“And that means — in the ultimate sense — being willing to risk everything, even one’s life, for Norway’s freedom and independence.”
King Haakon VIII addressed the Norwegian people for the first time in his new role following the death of his father, King Harald V
King Harald of Norway, cousin of King Charles III, died at the age of 89 after a brief stay in hospital
Speaking for the first time since his ascension, former crown prince Haakon eulogised his father as a loving parent and dedicated monarch
A gallery of photos of the Norwegian Royal Family are displayed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Royal Palace, where Haakon gave his first speech as monarch
King Haakon and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra met with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Toril Marie Oie on Friday in the wake of Harald’s death
Haakon and Ingrid also received the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit, at the Royal Palace on Friday
Wearing a sombre black suit and sat beside a picture of his late father, the new king continued: ‘As king, my father represented Norway and the Norwegian people with pride and joy, through visits around the country, at events here at the royal palace, and while working on Norway’s behalf around the world.
‘We are in mourning. At the same time, it brings us comfort and strength to know that so many are mourning with us.
‘It has been a powerful and moving experience to see the Palace Square filled with people, flowers, messages of condolence, and candles. Thank you so much.’
Haakon – now officially His Majesty King Haakon VIII – came to the throne almost immediately following his father’s passing.
He and other senior members of the Norwegian Royal Family rushed to Harald’s bedside at the national hospital in Oslo on Thursday after his health ‘deteriorated’ as a result of an infection.
In a statement announcing his passing, Norway’s Royal Court said: ‘It is with deep grief that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away.
‘King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Friday, August 28 at 6.35am.’
On Friday, King Charles extended his ‘deepest and most heartfelt condolences’ to the Norwegian Royal Family following the death of his ‘dear cousin’.
King Harald V ruled Norway for 35 years – becoming the country’s oldest reigning monarch in 2024
Harald is pictured with his widow, queen dowager Sonja, and the late Queen Elizabeth II in London. On Friday, King Charles extended his ‘deepest and most heartfelt condolences’ to the Norwegian Royal Family following the death of his ‘dear cousin’
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere was seen looking at floral tributes outside the Royal Palace following the death of King Harald
Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway Olav Fykse Tveit was pictured laying flowers at the Palace Square
The pair were second cousins once removed, sharing great-great-grandparents Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark.
King Charles said: ‘As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades.
‘The Queen and I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Queen Sonja and all her family, as Britain shares in Norway’s grief at this time of such heartbreaking loss.’
Throughout Friday, thousands of mourners descended on Oslo to pay their respects to the late king, placing flowers, flags and condolence cards outside the royal palace
Flags were flying at half-mast throughout the country, as portraits of Harald – who ruled for 35 years – in gala uniform were displayed everywhere, from metro stations to public buildings.
Across Norway, churches and city halls were also opened specially so people could light candles, and write their thoughts about the deceased king in condolence books.
New king Haakon – the only son of Harald and now queen dowager Sonja – shares two children with his wife Mette-Marit, 22-year-old Princess Ingrid Alexandra and 20-year-old Prince Sverre Magnus.
Ingrid is now second in line to the throne, meaning she would be the first female monarch in Norway for more than 600 years if she were to become queen – the last being Queen Margaret I, who died in 1412.
Hundreds of people gathered on the Palace Square after the bier with King Harald drove in a procession from the chapel at the National Hospital through Oslo
Norway’s Royal Palace lowers a flag to half-mast following King Harald’s death
Lighted candles and flowers were laid in front of the palace
Flowers and children’s drawing lay outside the Royal Palace square as mourners gathered to pay tribute
Mette-Marit (pictured) has faced increased scrutiny following the release of the Epstein Files, which revealed she stayed at Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach residence in 2013 – after he was convicted for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14
In June, Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby (pictured), was convicted on two counts of rape and jailed for four years
However, Haakon’s ascension to the throne has not been without controversy.
In recent months, the new monarch’s wife, Mette-Marit, 53, has faced intense scrutiny following the release of the Epstein Files, which revealed she stayed at paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach residence in 2013 – after he was convicted for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.
The new queen claimed this year she had been misled by the late sex offender as she sought to contain the fallout.
Fresh scandal also came in June when Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted on two counts of rape and jailed for four years following a six-week trial that laid bare allegations of violence, drug abuse and sexual misconduct.
An Oslo court also found him guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, issuing threats and committing traffic offences, although he was acquitted of two other rape charges.
The 29-year-old had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024.
The conviction marked a fall for Høiby, who grew up in the public eye after his mother married the then Crown Prince Haakon in 2001 when he was just four.
Although he does not hold a royal title or carry out official duties, he has long been closely associated with the Norwegian Royal Family.
King Haakon also faces additional drama drama with the upcoming arrival of a second reality TV show by King Harald and Queen Sonja’s eldest daughter, Princess Martha Louise, and her ‘shaman’ husband, Durek Verrett.
The couple’s first Netflix show, Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story, took an ‘intimate look’ at the love story between Martha Louise and the Hollywood ‘half-reptilian and bisexual’ shaman.
The film followed the couple as they ‘navigated a swirl of controversy’ and prepared for their wedding, which took place in the picturesque small town of Geiranger in 2024.
In a move dubbed ‘Norway’s Megxit’, Martha Louise relinquished her royal role in November 2022.
Eyebrows were raised when the princess first began dating Verrett, who holds some controversial and pseudoscientific views, including that cancer in children can be caused by ‘being unhappy’.
The couple were introduced by friends in 2019 and have claimed to have known each other in a past life, specifically from ancient Egypt.
Their latest reality TV venture adds to what has been – and what is continuing to be – one of the toughest periods for the Norwegian throne in modern times.
