OSLO: Norway’s King Harald V died on Friday at the age of 89, the royal palace said, bringing an end to the reign of Europe’s oldest monarch.
The palace said Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 am on August 28.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today,” the palace said in a statement.
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Harald had occupied the Norwegian throne since 1991, when he succeeded his father, King Olav V. He became the country’s first Norwegian-born monarch in more than five centuries.
During his reign, Harald presided over a period of significant social and economic change in Norway while largely maintaining the monarchy’s role as a unifying national institution.
The King had faced recurring health problems in recent years but continued to carry out royal duties when his condition allowed. Crown Prince Haakon frequently stepped in as regent during periods when Harald was unable to perform his constitutional responsibilities.
Harald was born on February 21, 1937, at his family’s residence near Oslo. He married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968 after a lengthy relationship that initially faced resistance because she was a commoner. She later became Queen Sonja when Harald ascended the throne.
The couple have two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon.
Harald had repeatedly indicated that he did not intend to follow other European monarchs who chose to abdicate, saying his oath as king was a commitment for life.
His death brings Crown Prince Haakon, 53, to the Norwegian throne, marking the first change of monarch in Norway in more than 35 years.
