Bells tolled for several hours this weekend from Knox Metropolitan United Church in Regina. It was done to commemorate the recent passing of two monarchs, King Oyo Rukidi of Uganda and King Harald of Norway. The bells rang for just over five hours on Saturday afternoon as part of a tradition maintained by the Regina bell ringers. “One of the traditions is to ring a dong a day for every day they sat on the throne and I’ve got the numbers here,” explained Carol Benesh. “King Rukidi IV, King of Tooro, Uganda [had] 11,307 tolls and King Harald V of Norway [had] 12,850 tolls.” Rukidi died Aug. 27, 2026 at the age of 34 after reportedly receiving treatment for an aggressive form of cancer. Harald V died on Aug. 28, 2026 at the age of 89 after nearly two weeks in the hospital due to complications caused by cortisone treatment for hemolytic anemia.
