Norway's King Haakon honours 'dear father' Harald in first speech as sovereign

King Haakon VIII of Norway mourned his late father, Harald, in his inaugural address as sovereign on Friday. The 89-year-old monarch, who assumed the throne following his father's death, paid tribute to Harald's role as a loving family man and a transformative leader during his reign. In his televised speech, Haakon thanked his father for being a "good dad" to his sister, Princess Martha Louise.

He also noted that Saturday had been set for the 58th wedding anniversary of Harald and Queen Sonja, who survived their son. Haakon pledged to uphold Norway's constitutional monarchy and its values of democracy, self-governance, and equality.