Norway’s King Harald V has died at 89 after 35 years as monarch, with his son succeeding him as King Haakon VIII amid renewed scrutiny of the royal family.
King Harald V died Friday at age 89, the Royal House of Norway announced. He had been hospitalized after developing fluid accumulation linked to a blood disorder and later suffered an infection.
Harald became king in 1991 at age 53, following the death of his father, King Olav V. His reign lasted 35 years and was marked by a close public connection with the Norwegian people.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the country was “in mourning” and expressed gratitude for Harald’s lifetime of service.
His son, Crown Prince Haakon, 53, immediately succeeded him as King Haakon VIII. Haakon had already assumed the role of regent several times as his father’s health declined, giving him experience with the monarch’s constitutional responsibilities.
Norway’s king has primarily ceremonial duties, including presiding over Council of State meetings and formally opening Parliament.
Legislation and government decisions also require the monarch’s formal approval before taking effect. Born Feb. 21, 1937, Harald was the only son of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha.
He was three when Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, forcing the royal family into exile. Harald eventually lived in Washington, D.C., with his mother and sisters before returning to Norway in 1945.
He later studied at Oslo Cathedral School and Oxford University and completed military training.
A lifelong sailor, Harald represented Norway in sailing at three Olympic Games and took part in more than 1,000 regattas and sailing events.
Harald married Sonja Haraldsen in 1968 after dating for nine years. They had two children, Princess Märtha Louise and Haakon. Queen Sonja survives him after 57 years of marriage.
Norwegian Monarchy Under Scrutiny
Haakon takes the throne at a difficult moment for the royal family. His wife, now Queen Consort Mette-Marit, has faced health problems and underwent a lung transplant in June.
She also faced scrutiny over past contact with Jeffrey Epstein, while her son, Marius Borg Høiby, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of rape, assault and abuse in a close relationship. His lawyers said he would appeal.
Support for the monarchy has also declined. A 2022 Dagbladet poll cited in the supplied report found 68% favored retaining the monarchy, compared with 81% in an NRK poll in 2017.
King Charles III described Harald as a friend whose kindness and sense of duty endured across decades. Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary remembered him as a man with “a big heart.”
Norway has declared a national period of mourning as people gathered outside the Royal Palace in Oslo.
