
5 days · 4 summary articles
King Harald V of Norway died at 6:35 a.m. on Friday at Oslo University Hospital’s Rikshospitalet, the Royal Palace announced. He was 89. The monarch, who reigned for 35 years after succeeding his father, King Olav V, in January 1991, was hospitalized on Aug. 17 for treatment of haemolytic anaemia and later developed a bacterial blood infection.
Crown Prince Haakon, 53, immediately succeeded his father as King Haakon VIII, with his wife, Mette-Marit, becoming queen. Their 22-year-old daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is now first in line to the throne. The new king adopted the motto “All for Norway,” the same used by his great-grandfather, King Haakon VII.
Thousands of Norwegians gathered outside the Royal Palace in Oslo on Friday evening as a motorcade carried Harald’s casket from the hospital to the palace, where it lies in state in the Palace Chapel. Church bells rang across the country at noon, and the Norwegian Royal Standard was flown at half-mast. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre signed the book of condolences, stating the country was left with “a deep sense of gratitude” for Harald’s service .
Støre later addressed the nation, saying, “An era has ended. A new one begins. The king is dead. Long live the king,” and praised Harald for his “love for his people, for his humour and warmth, and for his unwavering faith in us” .
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Harald’s death was “a great loss,” calling him “a strong, proud and deeply respected man” who “loved his country and was truly loved and respected by his people” .
Harald’s reign saw Norway’s monarchy embrace modernity, including his own marriage to Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner, in 1968. His tenure coincided with economic growth driven by the country’s oil and gas industry. The monarchy remains largely ceremonial, with political power vested in Norway’s elected parliament.
The public will have the opportunity to pay their respects in the Palace Chapel before a private ceremony at Akershus Fortress, where Harald will be interred in a new, as-yet-unrevealed sarcophagus . A national period of mourning has been declared.
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