The new monarch of Norway assumed the throne of the European country this Friday under the name Haakon VIII and the motto “All for Norway,” just a few hours after the Royal House confirmed the death of his father, Harald V, at the age of 89.
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“It is my duty to inform the Council of State that my dear father, His Majesty King Harald V, passed away today, August 28, 2026, at 06:35 hours, and that, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, I have assumed the government as King of Norway,” he said during a meeting with the Government in which the new crown princess, Ingrid Alexandra, 22 years old, was also present.
“I will take the name Haakon VIII and continue with the same motto chosen by my father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather: ‘All for Norway,’” the 53-year-old monarch announced, also thanking the authorities and the population for their support to the Royal House, according to a statement.
In this way, the new monarch has chosen to adopt the name of his great-grandfather, Haakon VII, who reigned between 1905 and 1957, and was the first independent monarch of modern Norway, following the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, which lasted from 1814 to 1905.
For his part, the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, stated in a statement that “Norway has a new king.” “On behalf of the Government and the Norwegian people, we wish to express our condolences on the death of His Majesty King Harald. King Harald was a man we all loved,” he emphasized.
“We know that the death of King Harald represents a great loss for our new king and for the entire royal family. We thank King Harald for his lifelong dedication to Norway and the Norwegian people. A whole nation is in mourning and deeply grateful,” he highlighted, before stressing that the authorities “trust that the traditions of the Royal House will continue under His Majesty’s leadership, for the good of the people and the country.”
In any case, the new monarch must swear an oath to the Constitution in a ceremony that will take place next Tuesday, September 1, in the Norwegian Parliament – Storting – according to the chamber president, Masud Karahani, in statements to the state broadcaster NRK.
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The Norwegian Royal House has explained that the royal flag was lowered to half-mast on the roof of the Royal Palace after the announcement of Harald V’s death – which led the authorities to declare three days of national mourning – although it was raised again normally after the new king’s announcement about his official name.
On the other hand, the flag located on the balcony was left at half-mast and will remain in this position until the funeral of the deceased monarch at the Akershus Castle Church concludes and his coffin is placed in the Royal Mausoleum, at which point it will be replaced by the state flag.
In this regard, it was detailed that, according to established procedures, until the date of the funeral, the coffin will be in the Palace Chapel, with an honor guard. “The royal crown, the royal sword, the scepter, and the royal orb will be placed on the coffin,” it was said, before adding that the chapel will be open during certain hours so that people can pay their respects to Harald V.
Harald V died early in the day at Oslo University Hospital, where he was admitted on August 17 due to fluid retention and a bacterial blood infection in the context of treatment for hemolytic anemia he suffered from, according to the Royal House.
The deceased monarch was the dean of European royal houses and had suffered various health problems in recent years that led to hospitalizations even while on vacation, as happened earlier this year at the University Hospital of Santa Cruz de Tenerife due to a skin infection on a leg.
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