Harald V and King Haakon VIII
King Haakon VIII has taken the throne in Norway following the death of his father, Harald V.
Harald, who was on the throne for 35 years, died early on Friday at the national hospital in Oslo where he was being treated for a rare blood condition.
The Norwegian PM says "a whole nation is in mourning" following his death - Oslo's mayor says she has cancelled her wedding, which was scheduled for today.
The late king was a popular leader and is credited with modernising the Norwegian monarchy - he broke with tradition by marrying a commoner, Queen Sonja.
Flowers are being laid at a memorial near the palace, and the UK's King Charles III shares his "most heartfelt condolences"
King Haakon has met with government ministers at the Royal Palace in the capital.
He has opted to keep the family's long-standing royal motto: "All for Norway"
Who is Mette-Marit, the new queen of Norway?
The ascension of King Haakon to Norway's throne means that his wife, Mette-Marit is the country's queen. King Harald's wife, Queen Sonja, will also retain her title.
Mette-Marit and Haakon met at a music festival in her home city of Kristiansand in 1999, and she was dubbed by the press as the Cinderella of Kristiansand - a reference to her humble beginnings.
Their relationship sparked public debate. Mette-Marit was a single mother to a four-year-old child whose father had served time for cocaine possession, and three days before her marriage to Haakon she apologised for her "wild past".
As crown princess, Mette-Marit took up popular causes including support for people with HIV and promotion of literacy. She received widespread sympathy in 2018 after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. The condition led her to have a lung transplant earlier this year, from which she is still recovering.
This year also saw her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, convicted of rape in a high-profile trial - a conviction he is appealing. And she has also issued a public apology for her ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
New King to take oath in front of Norwegian parliament on Tuesday
King Haakon will take an oath before the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, on Tuesday.
Storting President Masud Gharahkhani tells the BBC the oath will take place at around 13:00 local time (12:00 BST) on Tuesday.
When a new monarch ascends to the throne, they must take an oath in the Storting promising to govern Norway in line with its constitution and laws.
The ceremony emphasises that Norway is a constitutional monarchy, according to the Storting's website.
With a new king comes a new heir to the throne
With King Haakon VIII now the head of state, his daughter Ingrid Alexandra, 22, now becomes the crown princess and heir to the Norwegian throne.
It's only in recent decades - since the constitution changed in 1990 - that women have been given the right to inherit the Norwegian throne.
It means that Ingrid Alexandra could be Norway's first female monarch since the 15th Century.
Born and raised in Oslo, the princess completed her military service in 2025, having spent 15 months as an engineer soldier and rifleman.
In May 2025, it was announced that she was to move to Australia to study international relations and political economy at the University of Sydney.
Environmental protection and climate change have previously been given as her key interests on the royal family's website - although the biographies are currently unavailable while the site is updated.
Flag flies at half-mast over Buckingham Palace
The Union flag is flying at half-mast over Buckingham Palace, in tribute to King Harald V.
The flag placement is a symbol of mourning and respect in many countries, including in the UK.
Harald has ties to the British Royal Family, and was the second cousin of late monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
