King Harald V of Norway, Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, has died at the age of 89 after 35 years on the throne.
The Royal House of Norway announced his death on Friday, August 28, saying the monarch died shortly after 6:35am.
Harald’s death brings to an end a 35-year reign during which he became a popular figure among Norwegians and oversaw the modernisation of the country’s royal institution.
He is succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Haakon, who automatically becomes King Haakon VIII.
Harald is survived by his wife of 57 years, Queen Sonja, their two children and five grandchildren. His granddaughter, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, now becomes heir to the Norwegian throne.
The late monarch became king in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. His reign coincided with a period of significant economic prosperity in Norway, driven largely by the country’s oil and gas industry.
Born in 1937 in Asker, near Oslo, Harald was the first Norwegian prince to be born in the country since King Olav IV in 1370.
Norway had not had a king of its own for centuries until Harald’s grandfather, Haakon VII, became monarch following the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway in 1905.
Harald was widely regarded as a modern and popular monarch. Despite his advancing age and periods of ill health, he remained committed to his duties and did not follow the recent trend among some European monarchs of abdicating in favour of younger heirs.
Following the announcement of his death, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the entire nation was mourning the loss of a monarch who dedicated his life to serving the country.
“A whole nation is in mourning,” Støre said, adding that Norwegians were left with “a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway.”
The Norwegian government has declared a national period of mourning, while crowds gathered outside the Royal Palace in Oslo to pay their final respects.
Tributes have also poured in from royal families and political leaders across Europe and beyond.
Britain’s King Charles III described Harald as a friend whose “kindness, compassion, and deep sense of duty” had resonated across generations.
Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary also paid tribute to Harald, remembering him as “a fine man with a twinkle in his eye and a big heart.”
Harald’s health had deteriorated in the days leading up to his death. He was reportedly admitted to hospital after developing a fluid build-up in his body linked to a blood disorder and later suffered an infection.
His death marks the end of an era for Norway, as the country prepares to welcome a new monarch in King Haakon VIII.