Tens of thousands gathered at Slottsplassen, the square in front of the Royal Palace in Oslo, to lay flowers and condolence cards a day after Norway’s King Harald V died at 89.
A palace gardener removed several bouquets on the south side of the building to keep pathways clear, while staff dried cards after an overnight downpour to preserve mourners’ messages. “It’s special, intimate, and lovely. I’m placing my right hand on my chest in gratitude to him and the royal family,” 46‑year‑old Roni Ervik told NRK, speaking on behalf of his western‑Norway family.
Harald V passed away Friday morning and Crown Prince Haakon, 53, succeeded him as King Haakon VIII. He adopted the historic motto “All for Norway,” his wife Mette‑Marit became queen, and their eldest child, Ingrid Alexandra, assumed the title Crown Princess and heir to the throne.
On Saturday a choir was slated to sing at the palace square, and the new king was scheduled to hold audiences with the speaker of parliament, the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the presiding bishop of the Lutheran Church of Norway, with Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra in attendance. Haakon is expected to address the nation in his first speech later Saturday or in the coming days.
His immediate tasks include rebuilding support for the monarchy after controversies surrounding his wife’s past contacts with the late Jeffrey Epstein and his stepson’s rape conviction. A funeral date has not been set, and Norway remains in official mourning, prompting some to postpone weddings and baptisms. The Norwegian monarchy, rooted in the 9th‑century reign of Harald Fairhair and restored after the 1905 independence plebiscite, now serves a largely symbolic role while promoting the nation abroad.
