OSLO: Norway's King Harald died on Friday aged 89, the palace said, and amidst widespread mourning and tributes, his 53-year-old son Haakon immediately succeeded him on the throne.
Haakon, who announced he would reign under the name King Haakon VIII, takes over a monarchy long hailed for its modernity and modesty.
Haakon arrived at the palace shortly after 11 am with his 22-year-old daughter Ingrid Alexandra, the new crown princess, to meet with the government.
He formally informed the cabinet of his father's death and announced his reign name and his royal motto, "All for Norway", the same as his father's.
The new regent thanked "the government and Norwegian people for their support and sympathy for the Royal Family in this time."
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre expressed sympathies on behalf of the government and the people of Norway.
"King Harald was a person we all grew fond of. We know that King Harald's passing is a great loss for our new king and for the entire Royal Family," Støre said, thanking Harald for his "lifelong service".
"An entire nation is in mourning and remains in profound gratitude," he said in the statement.
The government also announced a period of national mourning until the king was buried.
The palace had lowered the flag to half-mast in the morning, but it was once again raised after Haakon's arrival.
Another flag on the royal balcony and at other official buildings will remain at half-mast until after Harald's funeral, a date for which has yet to be set.
Thousands of people gathered on Friday outside the palace where hundreds of flower bouquets covered the ground, after the palace announced the king was in "extremely serious" condition in hospital on Thursday.
Vigdis Haug, 65, said she valued Harald's ability to unify people.
"I think he has been such a down-to-earth king who has cared about all of us, and the words he always uses when he gives a speech are so wise and so valuable," she said.
Haug and others who spoke pointed in particular to Harald's speech after the neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in twin attacks on July 22, 2011, in Norway's worst massacre since World War II.
"He was someone who always seemed to find the words that brought us together and gave us a sense of security," Caroline Vagle, a reporter for the magazine Se og Hor, said.
Neighbouring Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf called him "an outstanding representative of his country. He gave 'All for Norway'," referring to Harald's royal motto.
Denmark's King Frederik meanwhile called the late monarch "an extraordinary man".
Britain's King Charles III said he mourned the death of his "dear cousin", hailing Harald as a "towering figure".
Harald was king when the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were negotiated in the 1990s, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was "deeply saddened" by his passing.
Europe's oldest reigning monarch, King Harald, had been in hospital in Oslo since August 17, suffering from haemolytic anaemia, a condition caused by an abnormally rapid destruction of red blood cells which leads to fatigue and shortness of breath.
Harald, who ascended the Norwegian throne in 1991, embodied an open and tolerant Norway during his reign.
He faced mounting health problems in his final years, forcing him to scale back his official schedule.
But he always ruled out abdicating, arguing that he took a lifelong oath before the Norwegian parliament.
The past year has been a turbulent one for the Norwegian Royal Family.
In addition to his own health struggles, his wife Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly admitted to hospital in May due to heart problems.
The royals remain broadly popular with the Norwegian public, in large part to Harald's unifying status and his unassuming, relatively modest lifestyle. -AFP
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