On August 28, 2026 HM King Harald V of Norway (89), who reigned from 1991, passed into eternal life. He was immediately succeeded by his son and heir, Crown Prince Haakon, who now reigns as King Haakon VIII.

Sincere condolences to HM the King and his family, especially his mother, Queen Sonja. King Harald will be buried on September 9. On September 1, 2026 King Haakon swore his oath of allegiance to the Constitution before the Storting, (the Norwegian Parliament) officially becoming king. There will not be a coronation but there will be a ceremony of consecration at St. Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim at which the royal crown will be present as a symbol. That ceremony will take place at some later date. For King Harald, the benediction took place five months after he succeeded his father. In the case of King Olav V the benediction took place some nine months after his accession.

The royal coat of arms, designed in this form in 1905, is used by the royal family. Derived from the medieval arms of the Sverre dynasty, it is the arms of dominion of the Norwegian king. The national coat of arms has a slightly different style and was adopted in 1937. However, the king retains the use of the older style. In the coat of arms of the realm, a heraldic royal crown is placed directly on top of the shield. In the royal coat of arms, the shield of the arms of the realm is on a purple mantle lined with ermine with a royal crown on top. Three sides of the shield are surrounded by the collar of the Royal Order of St. Olav. The blazon is: Gules, a lion rampant Or, crowned Or, holding an axe Or with a blade argent.

Lenge leve kongen! Long live the king!