King Haakon VIII takes throne as Norway mourns death of King Harald

Norway inaugurated a new era on Saturday with the accession of King Haakon VIII following the demise of his father, Harald, who ruled for 35 years. A national period of mourning was announced in the Scandinavian country after King Harald's death on Friday at 6:35am at the age of 89. Crowds gathered at the royal palace on Saturday to bid farewell to the monarch, who lay in state within its premises and was remembered for his inclusiveness and tolerance.

Haakon, 53, succeeded to the throne, inheriting a modern and modest monarchy marred by recent controversies. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store proclaimed in his speech, "An era has ended. A new one begins. The king is dead. Long live the king." Norwegian people lined the streets to witness the motorcade carrying Harald's casket from Oslo University Hospital to the palace on Friday evening.

Haakon arrived at the palace with his 22-year-old daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, the new crown princess, to officially inform the government of his father's death. Haakon expressed gratitude to the government and people of Norway for their support and sympathy in a statement. The newly crowned monarch would take an oath of allegiance to the Norwegian parliament on Tuesday, with the period of national mourning lasting until Harald's funeral, whose date has yet to be determined.

Haakon, unlike his predecessors, is not expected to be formally crowned. However, he may choose to have his reign blessed during a ceremony at Trondheim Cathedral, where Norwegian kings were crowned between 1814 and 1906. Harald, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, had been hospitalized in Oslo since August 17 due to haemolytic anaemia, a condition marked by rapid destruction of red blood cells, leading to fatigue and breathlessness.

Thousands of Norwegians gathered outside the palace daily, laying flowers, cards, and national flags and holding each other. Harald was revered for being the embodiment of an open and tolerant Norway, exemplified by his speech after the 2011 massacre by neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik, which left 77 people dead. Tributes poured in from European monarchies and world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who praised the late king as "a strong, proud, and greatly respected man." However, Harald's popularity in his homeland remained unmatched.