Norway’s King Harald dies as son Haakon VIII takes throne amid royal family scandals

The death of a monarch can boost national unity, and support for the crown .

Norway’s new King Haakon VIII will be hoping that sentiment rings true following the death of his father, King Harald who died Friday after 35 years on the throne , marking the latest blow for a family reeling from scandal.

The royal clan was thrust into the global spotlight earlier this year, when Queen Consort Mette-Marit , Haakon’s wife of 25 years, made headlines for her past association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while her non-royal son from a previous relationship stood trial for rape.

The succession of scandals sparked an open discussion in the country about her suitability to the role of Queen, with some experts even laying out possible options for her withdrawal from royal duties.

But past criticism seems to have softened of late. Instead, the death of Harald V, who was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, could potentially mobilise a fresh wave of support and empathy for the clan, experts now suggest.

“Maybe people will remember the Epstein scandal, but I think maybe the worst will fade away,” Kjetil Alstadheim, the political editor at Norway’s influential newspaper Aftenposten, told CNN.

The late King’s death could also contribute to “helping the new King and Queen into their roles and their positions because of how people will gather around the institution and the family,” Alstadheim said.

Or as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store put it on Friday after the news broke, “a whole nation is in mourning.”

Harald’s death was officially announced at an extraordinary Council of State meeting at Norway’s Royal Palace on Friday, as the full title of the new King was formally presented. Haakon chose to keep the personal motto “All for Norway.”

In his first comments following the death of his father, Haakon thanked the Norwegian people for their “support and compassion for the Royal Family during this time.”

Haakon, 53, previously reflected on the power of succession to boost a sense of unity when speaking about the death of his grandfather.

“It made an impression on me,” Haakon told NRK, Norway’s public broadcaster, in 2023.

“It did something, with the understanding of how this was going to be for me, and it was also a clear expression that people were happy with my grandfather and the institution.”

Haakon met Mette-Marit in the late 1990s, and the pair married in 2001 at Oslo Cathedral in front of 800 guests and a TV audience of millions.