WNAM REPORT: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered condolences to Norway’s King Haakon VIII and the Norwegian people following the death of King Harald V, who reigned for more than three decades.
In separate cables, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed expressed their deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to King Haakon, members of the royal family and the people of Norway.
King Salman also wished Norway’s new monarch continued health and well-being.
Harald, Norway’s longest-serving and oldest reigning monarch, died on Friday at the age of 89 after a reign spanning 35 years. His 53-year-old son immediately succeeded him as King Haakon VIII.
Norway declared a period of national mourning following Harald’s death, while parliament said Haakon would take his oath of allegiance in its main chamber on Sept. 1.
Thousands of Norwegians gathered outside the Royal Palace in Oslo on Friday to lay flowers, cards and national flags in tribute to Harald. His coffin was transported from Oslo University Hospital to the palace in a motor procession as mourners lined the streets.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store described Harald as “a king of his time and for his time,” saying the monarch had accompanied Norway through decades of major social and economic change.
Harald ascended the throne in 1991 and was widely regarded as a symbol of Norway’s modern, open and tolerant identity. He was particularly praised for his ability to unite the country during times of crisis.
Norwegians recalled his public addresses following the 2011 attacks by far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in the country’s worst massacre since World War II.
Harald had suffered mounting health problems in recent years and reduced his official schedule, but he rejected the possibility of abdication, saying he had made a lifelong oath to serve the country.
His death came after he was hospitalized in Oslo on Aug. 17 with haemolytic anaemia, a condition involving the accelerated destruction of red blood cells.
Haakon, who thanked the government and Norwegian people for their support for the royal family, now takes over a monarchy praised for its modesty and close ties to the public.
His daughter, 22-year-old Ingrid Alexandra, is now Crown Princess.
