Norway has entered a period of national mourning following the peaceful death of its long-reigning and widely adored King Harald V at the age of 89, who passed away early Friday morning at Oslo’s Rikshospitalet while receiving treatment for a rare blood disorder he had been suffering from for a week. Within hours of the official announcement of his death, thousands of mourners streamed to the gates of the Royal Palace in Oslo, laying bouquets of flowers, national flags, and handwritten tributes, including a lit candle inscribed with the simple word “thanks” that captured the collective gratitude of the nation. Many in the crowd openly wept, sharing personal stories of connection to the monarch who was widely known as the “people’s king” for his approachable, empathetic leadership.
Immediately after the official confirmation of his father’s passing, 53-year-old Haakon VIII convened an extraordinary meeting of the Council of State with senior government ministers. Following the gathering, the new monarch confirmed he would retain the Norwegian royal family’s centuries-old motto “All for Norway” during his reign. Haakon’s wife Mette-Marit is now formally recognized as Queen, while his 22-year-old daughter Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra stands next in the line of succession, a position secured by a 1990 change to Norway’s succession laws that granted equal inheritance rights to firstborn female heirs. Ingrid Alexandra stood beside her father during Friday’s official meeting, marking her first public appearance in her new formal role as heir apparent.
Tributes to King Harald V have poured in from across Norway and the globe. European royal houses, including Britain’s King Charles III – who shares a second-cousin familial tie with Harald through his mother Queen Elizabeth II – joined heads of state, political leaders, and public figures in honoring his decades of service. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who laid a floral tribute at the palace and signed the official book of condolences after meeting the new king, emphasized that the entire country was “united in grief and gratitude.” In a televised national address, Støre noted that Harald’s legacy of steady, inclusive leadership would endure, extending particular sympathy to Queen Sonja, who was set to celebrate her 58th wedding anniversary with Harald on the day after his death.
Public figures across Norwegian society have also shared their remembrances. Star national footballer Erling Haaland, who met Harald at the palace earlier this summer following Norway’s performance at the FIFA World Cup, posted a public tribute on Instagram thanking the late king for “everything you meant to Norway.” For many Norwegians, including new residents and immigrants, Harald’s ability to make all members of society feel welcome defined his legacy. “He made us feel at home and he made us feel loved. So he was like a grandfather that I never had,” Biteya Terfassa, an Ethiopian-born Oslo resident, told reporters outside the palace Friday.
In a formal military tribute to the late king, the Norwegian Armed Forces fired a 21-gun salute at noon from Akershus Fortress in central Oslo. Later on Friday, a formal procession carried Harald’s remains from Rikshospitalet’s chapel to the Royal Palace, ahead of a formal funeral that has not yet been scheduled. Norway’s official period of national mourning will remain in place until the day of the funeral, with all flags across the country flying at half-mast, public portraits of the king displayed, and moments of silence held at all official and professional events. All non-essential work-related social gatherings have been canceled or postponed, including the planned wedding of Oslo Mayor Anne Lindboe, who rescheduled her own ceremony to honor the mourning period.
Haakon VIII assumes the throne at an unusually challenging juncture for the Norwegian royal family, which has faced a series of high-profile scandals and health crises over the past year. Earlier this year, Queen Mette-Marit faced intense public scrutiny after revelations emerged of a three-year friendship with disgraced convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for which she issued a public apology. Later in 2026, she underwent a life-saving lung transplant to treat pulmonary fibrosis, a condition she has lived with since 2018. Medical officials have stated she will not be deemed medically stable until 2027, meaning the new king must balance his demanding new official duties with ongoing care and support for his wife.
Additional controversy has come from Marius Borg Høiby, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship, who was raised as part of the royal family after Haakon married Mette-Marit. In June, Høiby was convicted of rape and multiple related offenses, and sentenced to four years in prison, a ruling he is currently appealing. Though Høiby holds no formal royal title, his high profile within the royal household has drawn sustained negative attention to the family.
Despite King Harald V retaining high personal approval ratings until his death, polling published earlier this year by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten found public support for the monarchy itself has fallen from 72% in 2024 to 54% currently. Still, royal analysts interviewed by the BBC noted that Haakon VIII is widely viewed as a respected, hard-working public figure, and expressed confidence that he can steady the institution and navigate the current challenges facing his family and reign.