Norway's 'grandfather': King Harald remembered as son Haakon takes the throne

Norway's 'grandfather': King Harald remembered as son Haakon takes the throne People across Norway paid tribute to King Harald, who died at age 89 in the early hours of Friday after a 35‑year reign. Mourners gathered outside the Royal Palace to lay flowers and remember the monarch, while his son, King Haakon VIII, was formally proclaimed successor and held his first meeting with the government. Harald had been receiving treatment at Oslo’s national hospital for a rare blood condition. On Friday evening, hospital staff and members of the public lined the streets as the late king’s coffin was transferred from the facility to the Royal Palace. Tributes have poured in both domestically and abroad, including a message from United Kingdom King Charles III, who expressed his “most heartfelt condolences”.