Speaking to Norway for the first time as monarch on Saturday evening, King Haakon VIII paid a deeply personal tribute to his late father, King Harald V. The 53-year-old sovereign took the throne just a day after his father’s death, delivering an address that balanced national grief with intimate family memories, from his father’s booming laughter on his sailboat to a long-cherished dream of visiting the Amazon rainforest.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesKey Takeaways from the King’s First Speech
- A Son's Farewell: Recalled King Harald’s warmth at home, his passion for sailing, and his lifelong work for nature.
- A Quiet Anniversary Honor: Paused to honor his mother, Queen Sonja, on what marked their 58th wedding anniversary.
- The Royal Oath: Adopted the century-old national motto, "All for Norway" (Alt for Norge).
© NTB/AFP via Getty Images
© Det Norske Kongehuset“Happy Anniversary, Dear Mom”: A Moment of Grace for Queen Sonja
© Getty ImagesSaturday marked what would have been King Harald V and Queen Sonja’s 58th wedding anniversary. Despite the nation's grief, King Haakon VIII made a point to honor his mother’s central role alongside his father throughout nearly six decades of marriage.
He praised Queen Sonja for her steadfast support, acknowledging how the couple complemented each other as a strong royal team through a period of historic change for Norway.
© Sjöberg BildbyrÃ¥/ullstein bild v“I’m Going to Miss Him”: The Human Side of King Harald V
Moving beyond state duties, King Haakon VIII captured his father's personal legacy as a father, husband, and grandfather. He recalled King Harald's innate ability to make everyone around him feel comfortable, highlighting his genuine connection with younger generations and his warm, informal nature.
The monarch painted vivid pictures of his father’s happiest private moments—booming with laughter on his sailboat and fulfilling a lifelong dream of spending time with the Yanomami people in the Amazon rainforest.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesFrom Refugee Child to Modern Sovereign: Reflecting on King Harald’s Era
© Bettmann ArchiveKing Harald V’s life paralleled the evolution of modern Norway. Arriving at Rådhuskaia as an eight-year-old returning home after World War II, his reign spanned decades of rapid growth into a modern welfare state.
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesKing Haakon highlighted how his father defined national unity during times of crisis:
- Disaster Response: Visiting storm-affected communities in rubber boots and a puffer jacket.
- National Reconciliation: Issuing a formal state apology to the Sámi people.
- Shared Grief: Standing alongside the nation after the tragic losses in Oslo and Utøya.
“Now It’s My Turn”: Haakon Embraces “All for Norway”
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesStepping into his role during a period of growing global uncertainty, King Haakon VIII reaffirmed his commitment to democratic values, human rights, and social equality. Joined by Queen Mette-Marit and Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, he pledged to remain present and accessible to all Norwegians.
Following in the footsteps of King Haakon VII, King Olav V, and King Harald V, the new sovereign formally embraced the historic royal motto: “All for Norway.”
© NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesFull Text: King Haakon VIII’s First Address as Monarch
Editor’s note: The following speech has been translated from the original Norwegian into English. The translation has been lightly edited for clarity and natural English while preserving King Haakon’s meaning and tone.
Dear everyone,
Yesterday morning at 6:35, His Majesty King Harald V, my father, whom I loved so dearly, died. We are grieving. At the same time, it gives us comfort and strength to know that so many people are grieving with us. It has been deeply moving to see Palace Square filled with people, flowers, messages and lights. Thank you so very much.
King Haakon Pays Tribute to His Father
My dear father, thank you for being such a good dad to Märtha and me. Warm and reassuring. You were also a warmhearted and funny grandfather. A loving and thoughtful husband. A generous father-in-law. A brother and uncle whom everyone loved spending time with. You were the head of our family. Together with my mother, you welcomed us and brought us together with a natural authority you may not even have been fully aware of. Above all, you always stood by your values and commitments. You supported us and cared for us. It makes me proud to think of all you endured and all you stood for.
“I’ll Miss His Laughter”
I’m going to miss him. I’ll miss his laughter. I’ll miss the warmth he brought to people and situations. My father always made the people around him feel at ease. He knew how to listen, especially to children and young people, who held a special place in his heart. That big, warm royal hand reached out to young and old whenever someone needed an extra handshake. He treated people with respect and generosity. He never made distinctions between them.
King Harald’s Bond With the Norwegian People
He traveled to comfort those affected by a hurricane, dressed in a puffer jacket and rubber boots. He apologized to the Sámi people, on behalf of all of us, for the injustices committed against them. He wept with us after we lost so many people on Utøya and in Oslo’s government quarter. He brought us together by putting into words who we are as Norwegians.
Haakon Remembers His Father Beyond the Throne
I picture him on his sailboat, wearing a cap and sunglasses, his booming laughter ringing out. It was a place where he could be himself, recharge and enjoy competing with other passionate sailors. And I think of the photograph of his huge smile as he lay in a hammock in the Amazon. There, he finally fulfilled his childhood dream of spending a few days with the Yanomami people. That dream grew from his commitment to protecting animals and nature.
I know many of you will miss these things, too.
Across the country and around the world, thousands of people cherish memories of meeting him. Those memories will live on in people’s hearts and family stories.
As king, my father represented Norway and the Norwegian people with pride and joy. He traveled throughout the country, welcomed people here at the Palace and worked on Norway’s behalf abroad.
In the driving snow at the cross-country ski stadium.
On the Palace balcony on May 17.
On a state visit with Nelson Mandela.
A Moving Tribute to Queen Sonja
Having my mother, Queen Sonja, beside him was also a great source of strength. She was his partner in life and in his work. Together, they became a strong royal couple who complemented each other. I know how much she meant to King Harald and how important her support was to his life’s work—work they shared.
Today marks 58 years since they were married. Happy anniversary, dear Mom!
A King Who Saw Norway Change
King Harald accompanied our country through enormous change. He was eight years old when he returned to Norway after World War II and stepped onto Rådhuskaia. Since then, Norway has changed dramatically.
Today, we are a welfare society where people from different backgrounds live side by side. At the same time, the world has again become more uncertain and unpredictable than it was during much of King Harald’s reign. We feel that uncertainty here in Norway, too.
“Now It’s My Turn”
Now that my father has died, a great responsibility lies ahead of me. He often reminded us that each person had to do things in their own way. Find their own path. Be themselves. He succeeded his father, King Olav, who had succeeded his father, King Haakon.
Now it’s my turn.
I’m deeply grateful to have my family around me and for the tremendous support Queen Mette-Marit and our children give me. I also want to thank my mother and sister for the strength they share as they grieve a beloved husband and father. Our family has learned how important it is to stand together. That is how we stay strong, especially in difficult times. That bond will give us strength in the work ahead for Norway.
King Haakon Looks to Norway’s Future
After King Harald’s long and eventful reign, it is now our turn to move together into a new era. Queen Mette-Marit and I want to be present and listen. The Queen, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and I will always try to understand the different lives people lead. None of us knows what we will face together in the years ahead. But we do know that we will stand by one another in good times and bad.
We believe in a Norway firmly rooted in its history and in what has shaped us over time. We believe in government by the people and in democracy. We believe in a society built on law and justice, where every person has equal worth. We want a society that recognizes what each person can bring. Together, we can build a Norway where everyone can contribute and feel at home. We believe in a Norway with room for everyone. We will draw strength from our community and know that we are one people.
“All for Norway”
Today, I feel deeply grateful to those who came before me. Each was a king for his time. They were loved and respected, and they meant a great deal to many people. I have learned much from them. Like King Haakon, King Olav and King Harald, I adopt the motto "All for Norway.”
“All for Norway” means fighting so that everyone in Norway has the chance to live freely. It also means accepting our responsibility as a nation to do good in the world. Ultimately, it means being willing to risk everything — even one’s life — for Norway’s freedom and independence.
Today, we are a family in mourning and a nation in mourning. We thank King Harald for who he was and for all he did for Norway and its people. With God’s help and the support of the people, I look forward to the great responsibility ahead. I pray that we may all unite around the ancient wish:
May God protect our country.
