King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89 following a prolonged struggle with illness, the Norwegian Royal Family has confirmed. He passed away peacefully at the National Hospital in Oslo on Friday, August 28, at 6.35am.
Europe's eldest reigning monarch
Ascending to the throne in 1991 after his father King Olav V's death, he held the distinction of being Europe's eldest reigning monarch. The crown now passes to his son, the newly proclaimed King Haakon VIII.
His spouse becomes Queen Mette-Marit, while 22-year-old Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra assumes the position of heir apparent, poised to become Norway's first Queen Regnant following constitutional reforms permitting female succession, the Express reports.
Health struggles and hospitalisation
The Norwegian Royal Court issued a statement confirming the King's death, saying: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of His Majesty King Harald today. King Harald passed away peacefully at the National Hospital on Friday, August 28, at 6.35am."
The late sovereign, whose health had been compromised since 2003, was initially hospitalised when physicians grew concerned about complications arising from his haemolytic anaemia treatment. While undergoing care for this blood disorder, he subsequently developed fluid retention, which necessitated additional hospitalisation. Reports then surfaced on Sunday revealing the monarch's condition had worsened after contracting a bacterial blood infection.
Palace officials confirmed he was receiving antibiotic therapy and showing positive response to the medication. However, the monarch's condition, which had been described as "stable" only days earlier, deteriorated sharply when the Norwegian Royal Court declared on Thursday morning that his state was "very serious."
Family by his side
King Harald received multiple visits at Rikshospitalet hospital in recent days from his son and daughter-in-law, the former Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. On Thursday morning, the King's wife, Queen Sonja, was photographed arriving alongside the late King's elder sister, Princess Astrid, the Crown Prince and Princess, and their children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. The King's daughter, Princess Martha Louise, was also present at her father's bedside, her agent confirmed.
His step-grandson, Marius Borg Hoiby, who has been released from custody under house arrest following charges of four counts of rape, was also observed visiting the hospital in a prison vehicle. Reports indicated he was wearing an ankle monitor.
The former King's passing arrives just days after the new King and Queen marked their 25th wedding anniversary. It has been a challenging year for the Norwegian Royal Family, with Mette-Marit confronting her own medical concerns when her chronic pulmonary fibrosis progressed to a life-threatening phase. She underwent a lung transplant earlier this year, from which she continues to recuperate. Beyond witnessing her son face rape charges, she became entangled in the Epstein Files scandal when emails she sent to the convicted sex offender emerged amongst the mass of documents made public by the US Department of Justice.
Mourning begins at the Royal Palace
Moments before the official announcement of the monarch's passing, a cherry picker was observed putting black banners up at The Royal Palace in Oslo while mourners started assembling to lay flowers on the ground outside. Onlookers gathered as representatives from each branch of Norway's armed forces, alongside horses and musicians, paraded outside the Palace.
Born on 21 February 1937 during the reign of his grandfather, King Haakon VII, King Harald became the first monarch born on Norwegian soil to ascend the throne since Olav IV more than six centuries earlier in 1380. In 1968, Harald wed Sonja Haraldsen. Given her non-aristocratic background, his father initially opposed the union; nevertheless, Harald declared that without Sonja as his bride, he would remain unmarried, potentially bringing his family's dynasty and Norway's monarchy to an end.
They raised two children, Princess Märtha Louise and King Haakon VIII. His grandchildren included the future sovereign, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Prince Sverre Magnus, and Martha Louise's daughters, Maud, Leah and Emma Behn. Details regarding the funeral arrangements remain unannounced, though historically, several Norwegian monarchs have been laid to rest at the Royal Mausoleum in Oslo.
