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Harald dies, Haakon succeeds
Norway’s King Harald V died at 6:35 a.m. on Friday at Oslo University Hospital, and his son automatically succeeded him as King Haakon VIII.
“King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, Aug 28 at 6:35 a.m”
The Royal Palace announced the death in a statement saying, "King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, Aug 28 at 6:35 a.m," and the BBC said Harald died peacefully in hospital at 06:35 local time (04:35 GMT) aged 89.
The BBC described crowds gathering at the royal palace in Oslo to lay flowers and flags after officials warned his condition had turned "extremely serious," and it said Haakon met government ministers for an extraordinary council of state before announcing he was taking on the royal family’s motto "All for Norway".
The Associated Press said Harald was 89 and that he went into exile in the United States as a child during the Nazi occupation of his homeland, while the BBC said he had been receiving treatment for a rare blood condition since last week.
Tributes and public mourning
Norway declared a period of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and a funeral salute of 21 shots from Akershus Fortress in central Oslo, as the BBC reported.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the BBC that the country was "united in grief and gratitude," and the Reuters reaction roundup quoted him saying, "A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway."
The BBC reported that European royals and political leaders paid tribute, and it quoted Britain’s King Charles as mourning a "friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades" in a CNN account.
In Oslo, Biteya Terfassa, an Oslo resident born in Ethiopia, told Reuters outside the palace, "He made us feel at home and he made us feel loved. So he was like a grandfather that I never had," as the BBC described crowds and mourners gathering around the palace.
Scandals shadow the crown
As Haakon VIII prepared to take an oath before the Norwegian parliament, the BBC said the royal family faced health challenges and scandals this year, including scrutiny of now-Queen Mette-Marit’s past contact with Jeffrey Epstein.
“Marius Borg Høiby, was convicted in June of rape and other offences and sentenced to four years in prison”
The BBC said Mette-Marit had a three-year friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and it reported that her son Marius Borg Høiby was convicted in June of rape and other offences and sentenced to four years in prison.
The Guardian said the new king’s wife has come under scrutiny over scandals including a much-criticised association with the late US child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and it reported that documents published in the US in January showed Mette-Marit corresponded with Epstein between 2011 and 2014.
The Guardian also said public support for Norway’s monarchy was affected, with a poll in February finding support down to 54% from 72% in 2024, while the BBC said Norwegian royal experts told it the new king was respected, hard-working and able to move forward despite the challenges.