The King of Norway Has Died (and His Successor Comes With a Lot of Baggage)

The King of Norway is dead.

Harald V, who was the oldest reigning monarch in the world and had been on the throne for 35 years, passed away after he was taken to hospital last week for treatment for a rare blood condition. The palace in Oslo said he passed away peacefully at 06:35. He was Norway’s first king born in the country since the 14th Century and was very popular throughout his reign. His reputation was that of a humble figure who worked to reform the monarchy for the modern day. He also broke with tradition and married a commoner, Queen Sonja, at one point threatening to let the royal lineage die with him if he could not be with the woman he loved.

Norway has declared a period of national mourning, beginning today and ending with Harald’s funeral, the date for which is not yet known. Mourners are laying flowers in the Palace Square in Oslo, where, at the time of the writing of this piece, people were waiting for the first appearance of the new king, Haakon. He and his heir, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, were meeting with government ministers to go through the process of his swearing in as King.

King Harald was popular. His son comes with, well, some serious baggage.

Mette-Marit, the new queen of Norway, has been mired in controversy for several years now. She was revealed to have had a years long friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the extent of which she had lied about before the Epstein files showed the truth. They had maintained contact for about three years, beginning after his conviction for soliciting a minor for sex. The emails showed Mette-Marit asking him for parenting advice, calling him a “sweetheart”, and offering tips for his “wife hunt.” She also admitted in one email that she’d googled him and found out about his sex crimes, to which she responded and that the results “didn’t look good”, with an added :( sad face. The news led to Mette-Marit being dropped from several charitable roles and patronages. In March 2026, she and Haakon sat down for a TV interview, wherein she claimed she had been “deceived and manipulated” by Epstein.

Mette-Marit’s son, who she had before marrying Haakon, is currently under house arrest after being found guilty on 34 charges, including two counts of rape. Marius Borg Høiby had been involved in a series of crimes since about 2017, and was often accused of using his royal-adjacent status to get away with it all. Mette‑Marit was accused in the media of warning her son about his impending arrest and of attempting to influence witnesses. Marius is currently at Skaugum, the official residence of his mother and stepfather.

Currently, Mette-Marit is out of the spotlight due to a series of health issues. She recently underwent a lung transplant after being treated for pulmonary fibrosis. She does not seem to be in the palace right now with her husband and daughter. It is unknown if she will take on any duties as Queen.

So, good luck with all that, Norway.