King Haakon VIII is “going to miss” his father a lot.
After ascending the Norwegian throne, Haakon paid an extremely emotional tribute to his late father, King Harald V, on Saturday, August 29, in what marked his first speech as monarch.
Taking to Instagram, the Royal Family of Norway posted a video with a caption stating, “His Majesty King Haakon VII's eulogy on his father King Harald V.”
The video showed Haakon in what seemed to be the King’s office, with Harald’s photo frame set on the table.
“My dear father. Thank you for being such a good dad to Märtha and me – warm and reassuring. And you were such a warm and funny grandfather, a loving and caring husband, a generous father-in-law, and a brother and uncle with whom everyone loved spending time with,” he said.
The new monarch continued, “You were the head of the family, and together with my mother, you embraced all and brought us together with a natural authority that perhaps you were not entirely aware of yourself. Above all, you were a man who stood firmly by your values and your commitment. You supported and took care of us all.”
Fighting back tears, Haakon added, “It makes me proud to think of everything you endured and everything you stood up for. I’m going to miss him. I will miss his laughter, and his warm, gentle way of approaching people and situations. My father always made people feel at ease around him.”
Concluding his tribute, King Haakon VIII also paid a tribute to his mother, Queen Sonja, as she marked the 58th wedding anniversary, her first after King Harald V’s death.
“Congratulations on your wedding anniversary, dear mother,” he wished.
King Harald V death
On Friday, August 28, the Royal Palace in Oslo announced a heartbreaking news, sharing that King Harald V passed away peacefully at 6:35 a.m. local time at the National Hospital in Oslo.
It was previously reported that all members of the Norwegian Royal Family were gathered at Oslo University Hospital, after cancelling all engagements as the monarch's health had further deteriorated.
His son Prince Haakon, daughter-in-law Princess Mette-Marit and mother Queen Sonja besides other members of the Royal Family were said to be by Harald V's bedside after confirming that he was in an "extremely serious" condition.
