Tens of thousands mourn King Harald V in Norway
King Haakon VIII of Norway delivered a televised address mourning his father, King Harald, who passed away at age 89. Haakon emphasized his commitment to the constitutional monarchy and the values of democracy and the rule of law.
Why it matters
The transition of power in a constitutional monarchy is a significant geopolitical event that reinforces national stability and continuity.
King Haakon VIII of Norway paid homage to his late father as "such a good dad" in his first address to the nation since becoming sovereign, his voice briefly filling with emotion as he evoked his widowed mother, Queen Sonja.
King Harald, who emerged from the shadow of his own well-loved, extrovert father to become a reformer during more than three decades on the throne, died on Friday at the age of 89.
His son Haakon, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black tie, praised Harald as a warm family man in a recorded televised speech at the palace.
"My dear father, thank you for being such a good dad for Martha and I," he said, referring to his sister, Princess Martha Louise.
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