King Haakon VIII of Norway paid tribute to his late father, King Harald V, calling him "such a wonderful papa" in his first address to the nation as monarch.
"Above all, you were a person who remained committed to your values and dedicated to your duties," Haakon said Saturday in a televised speech. "We greatly mourn his loss. At the same time, it gives us consolation and strength to know that there are so many who are grieving with us."
Norway's King Harald died at 89, after more than three decades on the throne, during which time he became known as a reformer and a popular monarch. In a televised speech from the palace, Haakon praised his father as a "warm and devoted family man."
Haakon became emotional while speaking about his widowed mother, Queen Sonja. He noted that his parents would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on Saturday.Norway's King Harald V dies at 89To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Earlier on Saturday, Haakon met at the palace with leaders of the Church of Norway, parliament and the Supreme Court. He also received Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who viewed the late king’s casket after it was brought to the palace from Oslo University Hospital on Friday evening.
