Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89. The Royal Palace in Oslo said he died peacefully at 6:35am local time on Friday at the National Hospital in the capital.
King Harald V had been receiving treatment for hemolytic anaemia, a rare blood disorder. He was admitted to hospital on August 17, after which his son, Crown Prince Haakon, assumed the role of regent.
A regent temporarily governs a country or kingdom when a monarch is absent, ill or too young to rule.
King Harald V had been on the Norwegian throne for 35 years. He was the first king born in Norway since the 14th century. Following his death, his son Haakon will become the new king.
King Harald V is survived by his wife of nearly 58 years, Queen Sonja, their daughter Princess Märtha Louise, their son and heir, Haakon, and six grandchildren.
Harald was born on February 21, 1937, at Skaugum, near Oslo. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway during World War II, he fled the country with his mother, first taking refuge in Sweden and later in the United States. He returned to Norway after the war and completed his education and military training.
Harald became crown prince in 1957. In 1968, he married Sonja Haraldsen, the daughter of a businessman.
He ascended the Norwegian throne on January 17, 1991, following the death of his father, King Olav V.
King Harald V was one of Norway’s most popular and respected monarchs. He changed several long-standing royal traditions, helping to modernise the monarchy and bring it closer to ordinary people. His marriage to Sonja, who came from a commoner family, also marked a major break with royal tradition.
His speech calling on Norwegians to remain united following the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway was widely praised. He also spoke publicly in support of religious diversity, ethnic minorities
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