Sawt Falasteen - Norway's churches hold services to late King Harald

Members of the public lined up to catch a glimpse of the new king. 53, as he arrived with the royal family for a service in the church of Asker, just south of the capital.

The late king enjoyed massive support, despite the slew of scandals that dogged his family in the final stretch of his 35-year reign.

Memorial services were planned in churches across the country, and outside Oslo Cathedral -- where the government attended the service -- hundreds started lining up in the morning to try and get a seat.

Standing in line, Aud Ragnhild Skar, a lecturer at University of Oslo, told AFP that it felt "natural" to take part in the service.

"I've been deeply affected by the fact that King Harald has died. I felt a desire to be part of the community and to share the grief over his passing," Skar said.

- 'Beloved' -

Also waiting in line was nurse Sissel Engedal who said Harald had been "a very significant and important and beloved king."

A national period of mourning has been declared. No date has been set for the late king's funeral.

On Tuesday, King Haakon will swear an oath of allegiance in parliament.

King Haakon and his wife, Queen Mette-Marit, are not expected to be crowned in a ceremony -- Norway abolished coronations in 1908.

But, like his father and grandfather before him, Haakon could opt for a consecration ceremony at Trondheim Cathedral, where Norwegian monarchs were crowned between 1814 and 1906.

Harald was widely seen as the embodiment of an open and tolerant Norway, and praised for leading a monarchy that was modern and modest.

"Above all, you were a person who remained committed to your values and dedicated to your duties," Haakon said of his father in his first public speech which was broadcast Saturday.

The new monarch also said it had been "deeply moving to see all the people, candles, messages and flowers filling up the Palace Square."

"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," the king said.

Harald had been in hospital in Oslo since August 17, suffering from haemolytic anaemia, a condition caused by an abnormally rapid destruction of red blood cells that leads to fatigue and shortness of breath.

He faced mounting health problems in his final years, forcing him to scale back his official schedule.

The past year has been a turbulent one for the Norwegian royal family. Queen Sonja, also 89, was herself briefly admitted to hospital in May due to heart problems.

Haakon's wife Mette-Marit is under scrutiny for her ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

And in June, Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was sentenced to four years in prison for two rapes, a sentence he is appealing.

Mette-Marit, 53, who suffers from a serious lung disease, underwent a lung transplant in July.

J.AbuShaban--SF-PST