Norway's King Haakon begins reign after turbulent year

King Haakon VIII has inherited the Norwegian throne after the death of his father, Harald V. Many in Norway believe he has big shoes to fill.

King Harald was immensely popular with ordinary Norwegians, as shown by his consistent high polling and the outpouring of emotion in the lead-up to his death.

Haakon is the fourth king to head Norway's modern monarchy, since it was restored in 1905 after the country gained independence from Sweden.

Among his first duties as monarch, he led an extraordinary cabinet meeting where he announced his royal title and adopted his father's motto "Everything for Norway".

Many commentators believe he is well-placed to follow in his predecessors' footsteps.

As crown prince, Haakon worked closely with his father as he carried out his royal duties and in recent years was handed more responsibility, increasingly acting as regent while Harald was ill or absent.

King Haakon VIII takes the throne in Norway following death of Harald V

"I am so lucky that Crown Prince Haakon is the one who will carry this forward," King Harald wrote of his son in his biography The King Tells.