King Harald V of Norway dies at 89

King Harald V of Norway died this Friday at 6:35 a.m. at Oslo University Hospital (Rikshospitalet). He was 89 years old. The Royal House announced it with a brief statement: “It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald has passed away. King Harald died peacefully.”

Harald, born on February 21, 1937, had occupied the throne since January 17, 1991, following the death of his father, Olav V. He was the oldest living head of state in Europe. In his later years, he reduced his official duties but refused to abdicate, maintaining that the oath taken before Parliament was for life.

The monarch had been hospitalized on August 17 due to complications from hemolytic anemia treated with cortisone. He was later diagnosed with a bacterial blood infection. On Thursday, the palace described his condition as “extremely serious.” Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, and the rest of the family remained by his side. Hundreds of Norwegians laid flowers outside the Royal Palace.

With his death, Haakon, 53, becomes king. His daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, becomes Crown Princess, the first woman in that position in Norway in approximately 600 years. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who had already canceled a trip to Germany due to the king's worsening condition, said that "the entire nation is in mourning" and that Harald "helped us see the best in ourselves and in each other." The government convened an extraordinary cabinet meeting and will meet with the new monarch at the palace.

Harald V will be remembered as an approachable king, marked by the motto "Alt for Norge" (All for Norway) and for a 35-year reign that navigated political and social changes without severing the bond between the Crown and the country.