Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, the Royal Palace announced on Friday.
Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35am local time on August 28, according to the palace.
His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, automatically succeeds him as king. He is expected to reign as King Haakon VIII.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today,” the palace said.
Flags at the Royal Palace in Oslo were lowered to half-mast as Norway began mourning the monarch, who had reigned since 1991 and was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch.
Harald had been hospitalised in Oslo since August 17 while receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia. His condition deteriorated in his final days, with the palace describing it as “extremely serious” on Thursday.
Members of the royal family, including Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, had gathered at his bedside as his condition worsened.
Harald had experienced several health challenges in recent years, including infections and the fitting of a pacemaker. Despite his declining health and reduced official schedule, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, saying his oath as king was for life.
Turbulent Period
Harald’s death comes at a difficult period for the Norwegian royal family.
In February, the king was hospitalised while on a private trip to Tenerife with Queen Sonja after suffering an infection and dehydration. Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly hospitalised in May over heart problems.
The family has also faced scrutiny over Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s past correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which became public following the release of documents in the United States.
Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, has also faced legal troubles after being sentenced in June to four years in prison for rape and other offences. He has appealed the conviction.
Mette-Marit, 53, underwent a lung transplant in July while being treated for a serious lung disease.
Despite the controversies surrounding the royal family, Harald remained broadly popular in Norway and was widely regarded as a unifying figure.
He was born on February 21, 1937, and became king following the death of his father, King Olav V, in 1991. During more than three decades on the throne, Harald was credited with modernising the monarchy and making it more open and inclusive.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre paid tribute to the late monarch, describing Harald as a king who devoted his life to Norway and helped unite the country during moments of crisis.
The Norwegian government said it would meet with the new king at the Royal Palace following an extraordinary Council of State.
AFP
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