King Haakon VIII of Norway has paid warm tribute to his late father, Harald V.
“We must stand together to stand steady”.
King Haakon VIII of Norway has paid warm tribute to his late father, Harald V, in his first speech to the nation since taking the throne. “Thank you for being such a good dad,” King Haakon VIII of Norway said.
Great respect for the strong and personal words that King Haakon VIII gave us all in his memorial speech for King Harald.
Several of the words he said mean a lot to us in S2pU and to the work we are trying to do together with youth – for peace, freedom and democracy. Among other things, he said:
“We believe in our democratic government – and in democracy. We believe in a society built on law and justice – and where everyone is of equal value. We believe in a Norway where there is room for everyone.”
These are values that inspire us and strengthen our belief that youth can and should help shape the future.
For us in S2pU, this is also an important reminder that democracy cannot be taken for granted. It must be defended, used and continued – by every generation.
King Harald V – photo: slottet.no
A strong expression of solidarity and community between Norway and Ukraine.
King Haakon VIII of Norway (then-Crown Prince) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the castle in Oslo, Norway (Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ )
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited then-Crown Prince Haakon in April this year. The President noted that Ukraine and Norway are building a strategic partnership in the field of security and defense. In particular, yesterday Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre signed the relevant declaration, which also marks the beginning of work on the Drone Deal.
We also knew about King Haakon’s visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, in May 2025. That visit strongly expressed solidarity and community between Norway and Ukraine. King Haakon VIII (then Crown Prince) met President Volodymyr Zelensky, who voiced gratitude for “this meaningful gesture of attention and support to the people of Ukraine.
Our deepest condolences go out to the entire Royal Family during this difficult and sad time. ❤️
We at #S2pU wish the entire Royal House strength and all the best for the time to come.
Our king is dead; long live the king.
For peace. For freedom. For democracy. 🇳🇴🇺🇦
The entire memorial speech can be read here (in Norwegian): King Haakon’s memorial speech for King Harald.
All photo of King Harald: kongehuset.no
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