OSLO, Norway: King Harald V died Friday at age 89 after treatment for a rare blood disorder, with his son Haakon succeeding him as Norway’s monarch.
The palace said Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time on August 28.
Norway declared a period of national mourning ahead of the king’s funeral. The royal flag at the palace was lowered to half-mast as mourners gathered to leave flowers and flags.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Norway was mourning a monarch who had served the country for more than three decades.
Harald became king in 1991 after the death of his father, King Olav V. He was Norway’s first native-born monarch since the 14th century and had reigned for 35 years.
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His health had declined in recent years. Doctors admitted him to hospital on August 17 and treated him with cortisone for haemolytic anaemia, which reduces red blood cells.
Harald had previously undergone bladder cancer surgery in 2003 and received a pacemaker in 2024. During World War Two, Harald fled Nazi-occupied Norway as a child with his mother and sisters.
He later represented Norway in sailing at three Olympic Games. He is survived by Queen Sonja, Princess Märtha Louise, King Haakon and six grandchildren.
King Haakon, 53, was due to hold an extraordinary council of state with the Norwegian government later Friday.
