King Harald of Norway dies at 89; son succeeds as Haakon VIII

Norway’s King Harald died on Friday aged 89, the palace said, and amidst widespread mourning and tributes his 53-year-old son Haakon immediately succeeded him on the throne.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store expressed sympathies on behalf of the government and the people of Norway.
“King Harald was a person we all grew fond of. We know that King Harald’s passing is a great loss for our new king and for the entire Royal Family,” Store said, thanking Harald for his “lifelong service”.
“An entire nation is in mourning and remains in profound gratitude,” he said in the statement.
The government also announced a period of national mourning until the king was buried. The palace had lowered the flag to half-mast in the morning but it was once again raised after Haakon’s arrival.
Another flag on the royal balcony and at other official buildings will remain at half-mast until after Harald’s funeral, a date for which has yet to be set.
Haakon, who announced he would reign under the name King Haakon VIII, takes over a monarchy long hailed for its modernity and modesty, but beset by a string of scandals in recent years.
Haakon arrived at the palace shortly after 11am (0900 GMT) with his 22-year-old daughter Ingrid Alexandra, the new crown princess, to meet with the government. He formally informed the cabinet of his father’s death, and announced his reign name and his royal motto, “All for Norway”, the same as his father’s.
The new regent thanked “the government and Norwegian people for their support and sympathy for the Royal Family in this time.” “Everything will be fine with him when the time comes. It is reassuring to know that,” the late King Harald said of him in a book.
“I am fortunate that it is Crown Prince Haakon who has to take over,” Harald said, musing that his own father had probably been more worried about the succession The tall, bearded and stately Haakon is as modest and measured as most Norwegians—reflecting a society that shuns opulence and ostentation.
Married to Mette-Marit, a commoner who was a single mother before their wedding, Haakon has focused his attention on issues that concern many of his generation, including environmental protection and fighting racism and homophobia.
“It’s important that we protect who we are and for Norway to be a country where we’re allowed to love and be with whoever we want,” he said the day after a bloody attack against the gay community in Oslo in June 2022.

Born on 20 July 1973, the prince attended state-run daycare and schools, in line with the wishes of King Harald and Queen Sonja, who were keen to see him grow up among “ordinary” Norwegians.
After a stint in the navy, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of California in Berkeley and a master’s in international politics at the London School of Economics.