Norway opened a new page in its history this Saturday with King Haakon VIII, who delivered a speech in memory of his father Harald, a unifying figure who remained on the throne for 35 years. “We are in mourning, but at the same time, seeing that so many people share our pain brings us comfort and strength,” the king, 53, said in a speech broadcast on national television.
King Harald “constantly reminded us in the family that everyone had to do things their own way. Find your own way. Be yourself… Now it’s my turn,” he added. Previously, Haakon VIIII had received the President of Parliament, the head of the Supreme Court and then the leaders of the Church of Norway. National mourning was declared in the Scandinavian kingdom after the death on Friday, at the age of 89, of the oldest sovereign of Europe.
Many Norwegians flocked this Saturday to the chapel of the royal palace in Oslo, where mountains of flowers litter the ground after the passage of more than 20,000 people who came to pray. “Everyone is sad, and the king was a man everyone respected. A good man, so I think everyone feels a little down today,” said Anne Lobbe, 35, outside the palace. The Norwegian monarchy is weakened by a series of scandals.
“All for Norway”
The new king will, like his father, have essentially ceremonial functions. He chose the name Haakon VIII and to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors by perpetuating the same motto “Everything for Norway”.
Without waiting for the royal funeral, the date of which has not been announced and which will mark the end of national mourning, the new sovereign will take the oath of allegiance to the Constitution on Tuesday. He should not be crowned, a practice abolished in 1908, but could choose, like his father and grandfather, to have his reign blessed during a ceremony in Trondheim Cathedral, where Norwegian kings were crowned between 1814 and 1906. The public will be able to pay their respects in front of the coffin of the late king in the palace chapel, but no date has yet been announced for this.
“An era has ended. A new one begins. The king is dead. Long live the king,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a short speech after his meeting with the new monarch. “We will remember King Harald for his love of his people, his humor and warmth, and for his unwavering faith in us,” the leader added.
