Norway’s King Harald V dies at 89 and his son becomes King Haakon VIII

Norway's King Harald V, widely regarded as a beloved, modernizing "people's king," died in an Oslo hospital on August 28 at age 89, after 35 years on the throne, following treatment for a rare blood condition; his coffin was carried in a public procession to the Royal Palace as thousands of mourners gathered with flowers and candles. His son, 53-year-old Crown Prince Haakon, immediately succeeded him as King Haakon VIII, adopting the royal motto "Everything for Norway" and paying emotional tribute to his father in a televised address, noting his parents would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary the day after Harald's death. Haakon's daughter, 22-year-old Ingrid Alexandra, becomes crown princess and heir -- in line to become Norway's first female monarch since the 15th century under succession rules changed in 1990.

Haakon inherits the throne at a turbulent moment for the royal family: his wife, now Queen Mette-Marit, apologized earlier in 2026 for a three-year friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein and received a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis, while her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was convicted in June of rape and sentenced to four years in prison (he is appealing). A poll found public support for the monarchy had fallen from 72% to 54% over the past two years, though royal watchers said Haakon was well-respected and prepared for the role.