India, Aug. 28 -- Norway has a new king, whose tasks will include stabilising the Scandinavian country's monarchy and boosting the royal family's popularity after his wife's past contacts with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his stepson's rape conviction.

Crown Prince Haakon, 53, became King Haakon VIII when his father, Harald V, died Friday. Haakon's oldest child now becomes Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and the heir to the throne.

Haakon knows the ropes. As his father aged and his health began to fail in recent years, the prince stepped in as the country's regent on several occasions.

Norway's monarchy has old roots, tracing its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century. When Norway regained its independence fr...